Skerðu tómata smátt, vinsamlegast.

Cut tomatoes finely, please.

Breakdown of Skerðu tómata smátt, vinsamlegast.

• vinsamlegast: please
• tómaturinn: the tomato
• skera: to cut
• smátt: finely

Questions & Answers about Skerðu tómata smátt, vinsamlegast.

What does skerðu mean, and why does it look different from the dictionary form skera?

Skera is the infinitive (to cut). Skerðu is an imperative form meaning cut! addressed to one person.

• The base imperative is sker (cut).
• The -ðu is an attached (enclitic) form of þú (you), so skerðu is essentially cut, you → natural Icelandic for you (singular), cut.

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Is -ðu always required in imperatives?

No. You can say just sker tómata smátt and it’s still grammatical. Adding -ðu is very common in spoken and written Icelandic when addressing one person directly; it often sounds a bit more natural and “complete” in many contexts.

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How would I say this to more than one person (plural you)?

To address multiple people, Icelandic uses a different imperative:

• Skerið tómata smátt, vinsamlegast. (you all cut…)

You wouldn’t use -ðu with the plural form.

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Why is it tómata and not tómatar?

Because tómata is the object of the verb skera (to cut), and objects typically take the accusative case in Icelandic.

• Nominative (subject / basic form): tómatar
• Accusative (direct object): tómata

So skerðu tómata = cut (some) tomatoes.

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Does tómata mean specific tomatoes, or just “some tomatoes”?

On its own, tómata is usually understood as an indefinite amount: (some) tomatoes. If you want to be more specific, you can add a determiner, for example:

• Skerðu tómatana smátt = cut the tomatoes (specific ones)
• Skerðu þessa tómata smátt = cut these tomatoes

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Why is smátt in the neuter form? What part of speech is it here?

Here smátt functions as an adverb meaning finely / into small pieces. Many Icelandic adverbs have a neuter-looking form (often identical to the neuter singular of an adjective), even though they’re not agreeing with a noun here.

Related comparison:

• adjective use (agreeing): smáir tómatar (small tomatoes)
• adverb use: skerðu smátt (cut finely)

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Where does the word order come from, and can I move vinsamlegast?

This is a normal imperative word order: verb first, then object, then an adverb, then a politeness marker. You can move vinsamlegast and still sound natural, depending on emphasis:

• Vinsamlegast skerðu tómata smátt.
• Skerðu tómata smátt, vinsamlegast. (your sentence)

Both are common.

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How polite is vinsamlegast? Is it like saying please?

Yes, vinsamlegast is a direct equivalent of please, but it often feels a bit more formal or service-oriented than casual everyday please in English. In friendly, informal situations you might also hear:

• ... takk (thanks) used similarly to please
• or no politeness word at all, depending on context and tone

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How do I pronounce skerðu and the letter ð?

Approximate pronunciation:

• skerðu ≈ sker-thu (with a soft th sound)

About ð:

• ð is usually like the th in this (voiced dental fricative), not like thin. So ðu sounds like thu in this-type th.

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Why is there a comma before vinsamlegast?

The comma signals that vinsamlegast is a parenthetical politeness marker added onto the instruction, similar to ..., please in English. It’s common punctuation in this kind of sentence.

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Is this sentence telling me to cut tomatoes “finely” or “small” as in “small tomatoes”?

It’s telling you to cut them finely (into small pieces). If the intended meaning were “small tomatoes,” Icelandic would typically express that by describing the tomatoes themselves (an adjective agreeing with tómatar), not by using smátt.

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Are there other common ways to say the same instruction?

Yes, a few natural alternatives:

• Skerðu tómatana smátt, vinsamlegast. (the tomatoes)
• Skerðu tómata smátt, takk. (more casual)
• Geturðu skorið tómata smátt, vinsamlegast? (literally a question: could you…, often very polite)