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Hvernig væri að hittast fyrr á morgun og fara saman í búðina?

Hvernig væri að hittast fyrr á morgun og fara saman í búðina?
How about meeting earlier tomorrow and going to the store together?
FromLesson 33inHardcore Icelandic
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Breakdown of Hvernig væri að hittast fyrr á morgun og fara saman í búðina?

fara
to go
saman
together
búðin
the store
á morgun
tomorrow
og
and
hittast
to meet
fyrr
earlier
hvernig væri að
how about
í
to/into

Questions & Answers about Hvernig væri að hittast fyrr á morgun og fara saman í búðina?

What does Hvernig væri að… mean here, and why is it used instead of a normal question word-for-word?

Hvernig væri að… is a very common way to make a suggestion in Icelandic. It’s idiomatic and works like English How about… / What if we… rather than a literal How would it be to….

  • Hvernig = how
  • væri = would be (conditional/subjunctive form of vera, to be)
  • að + infinitive introduces the action being suggested: að hittast…, að fara… So the whole structure is basically: How would it be to [do X]? → How about [doing X]?
Why is væri used (not er or var)?

væri is the subjunctive/conditional form of vera and is used for polite, hypothetical, or tentative suggestions—very similar to English would:

  • Hvernig er að… would sound more like a factual question: What is it like to…?
  • Hvernig væri að… = How about…? / Would it be good to…? (soft suggestion)
Where is the subject (like við = “we”) in this sentence?

It’s implied. Icelandic often leaves out an explicit við in suggestion phrases like this, because the context makes it obvious you mean we:

  • Hvernig væri að hittast… = How about (we) meeting… You can add við for clarity/emphasis, but it’s usually unnecessary in this pattern.
Why is að used before the verbs, and why does it appear only once even though there are two actions?

að is the infinitive marker (like English to), used when an infinitive clause follows:

  • að hittast = to meet Then og links the two infinitives:
  • að hittast … og fara … In Icelandic you don’t need to repeat að before the second infinitive, though you can in some contexts. Here it’s natural to say it once.
What exactly does hittast mean, and how is it different from hitta?

hittast is the reciprocal/reflexive form and means to meet (each other).

  • Við hittum Jón. = We meet John / We run into John. (someone is the object)
  • Við hittumst. = We meet (each other). (no object; mutual meeting) So að hittast fits perfectly for “meet up.”
What does fyrr á morgun mean—does it mean “earlier in the morning”?

In this sentence á morgun means tomorrow (not “in the morning”). So fyrr á morgun means earlier tomorrow (at an earlier time tomorrow). Important contrast:

  • fyrr í morgun = earlier this morning (today)
  • fyrr á morgun = earlier tomorrow (tomorrow)
Why is it á morgun and not í morgun?

Because á morgun is the fixed idiom for tomorrow in Icelandic.
í morgun typically means in the morning (i.e., during morning time), not “tomorrow.”

Why does it say í búðina (with -ina) instead of just í búð?

búðina is:

  • búð = shop/store
  • búðin = the shop (definite)
  • búðina = the shop in the accusative case (because of motion into it)

With í, Icelandic distinguishes:

  • í + accusative = movement into (destination)
  • í + dative = location in/inside (staying there)

So:

  • fara í búðina = go to/into the shop (motion)
  • vera í búðinni = be in the shop (location; dative búðinni)
What does saman modify, and can it move around in the sentence?

saman means together and here it modifies fara: fara saman = go together. Word order is fairly flexible, but typical placements are:

  • … og fara saman í búðina (very natural)
  • … og fara í búðina saman (also possible; slightly different rhythm/emphasis)
Is this sentence casual or polite? How would it sound in everyday conversation?
It’s friendly and fairly polite—an everyday way to propose a plan. Hvernig væri að… is a classic “soft suggestion” phrase, similar to How about… in English. It doesn’t sound formal, just considerate.
How would I respond naturally to this suggestion in Icelandic?

Common responses include:

  • Já, góð hugmynd. = Yeah, good idea.
  • Það hentar mér vel. = That suits me well / That works for me.
  • Ég get það. = I can do that.
  • Nei, því miður. = No, unfortunately.
  • Getum við frekar hittst seinna? = Could we meet later instead?
How do you pronounce the tricky parts: Hvernig, væri, hittast?

A practical pronunciation guide for English speakers:

  • Hvernig: the hv is like a breathy kv sound; roughly KVERTH-nig (with Icelandic rð sounding like a quick rth blend)
  • væri: like VYE-ri (first part similar to “why”)
  • hittast: roughly HIT-tast (double tt is a clear, held t sound)

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