Geturðu komið með lykilinn á morgun?

Can you bring the key tomorrow?

Breakdown of Geturðu komið með lykilinn á morgun?

• þú: you
• á morgun: tomorrow
• geta: can
• lykillinn: the key
• koma með: to bring

Questions & Answers about Geturðu komið með lykilinn á morgun?

Why does the sentence start with Geturðu? Is that how Icelandic yes/no questions work?

Yes. Icelandic typically forms yes/no questions by putting the finite verb first (V1 word order). Here the finite verb is getur (can, 2nd person singular present of geta), so it comes first.

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What exactly is Geturðu? Why is it written as one word?

Geturðu = getur þú (can you), where þú is an enclitic pronoun attached to the verb in questions (and often after imperatives too). It’s standard to write it as one word in this situation.

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Could I also write Getur þú komið... as two words?

You’ll see getur þú as two words sometimes (especially for emphasis, careful style, or in some written contexts), but in everyday Icelandic the attached form geturðu is extremely common and often preferred for a natural feel.

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Why is it komið and not koma? I thought koma means to come.

Good catch: koma is the infinitive (to come). But geta commonly takes the so-called supine/past participle form as its verb complement, so you get geta + komið (literally something like can + come). This is normal Icelandic usage:

• Ég get komið. = I can come.
• Geturðu komið? = Can you come?

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How does komið með mean bring?

Literally, koma með means come with, but idiomatically it’s the standard way to say bring in many contexts:

• komdu með bókina = bring the book So komið með lykilinn is bring the key.

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Why is it lykilinn (with -inn)?

-inn is the attached definite article (the).
lykill = a key
lykillinn = the key (nominative form)

In this sentence, because of the grammar (see next question), you get the accusative form lykilinn.

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Why is lykilinn in that form—what case is it, and why?

It’s accusative singular because með normally governs the accusative when it means with/bringing. So:

• með lykil (acc.) = with a key
• með lykilinn (acc.) = with the key / the key (as what’s being brought)

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Why does it say á morgun for tomorrow? Isn’t á usually on?

Yes, á often corresponds to on, but Icelandic uses á morgun as the normal fixed expression for tomorrow. Here morgun is the accusative form (historically morgunn in nominative), and á + accusative is common in time expressions like this.

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Is this sentence polite, or is it too direct? How would I make it softer?

It’s a normal, friendly request in Icelandic (using þú, which is standard with most people). If you want it a bit softer/more tentative, you can use gætirðu (could you):

• Gætirðu komið með lykilinn á morgun? = Could you bring the key tomorrow?

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How would I negate it (like Can’t you bring the key tomorrow? or You can’t...)?

To ask Can’t you bring the key tomorrow?:

• Geturðu ekki komið með lykilinn á morgun?

To state You can’t bring the key tomorrow:

• Þú getur ekki komið með lykilinn á morgun.

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Any pronunciation tips for tricky parts like Geturðu, komið, and lykillinn?

A few common learner notes:

• Stress is almost always on the first syllable: GE-tur-ðu, KO-mið, LY-kil-inn.
• ð is often like the th in this, but in fast speech it can be very soft or almost disappear.
• ll in lykill is the Icelandic ll sound (often described as a tl-like sound), which is distinctive and worth practicing.