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Hvernig væri að þú hringdir í mig í stað þess að senda tölvupóst?

Hvernig væri að þú hringdir í mig í stað þess að senda tölvupóst?
How about you calling me instead of sending an email?

Breakdown of Hvernig væri að þú hringdir í mig í stað þess að senda tölvupóst?

þú
you
mig
me
senda
to send
tölvupósturinn
the email
hringja í
to call
í stað þess að
instead of
hvernig væri að
how about
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Questions & Answers about Hvernig væri að þú hringdir í mig í stað þess að senda tölvupóst?

Why does the sentence start with Hvernig væri að…? What does that structure do grammatically?

Hvernig væri að… is a very common Icelandic way to make a suggestion: literally How would it be (if)….
Grammatically, væri is the subjunctive form of vera (to be) used in hypothetical/polite suggestions. The að… then introduces what you’re proposing.

Why is it væri and not er or var?

Because the speaker is not stating a fact; they’re making a hypothetical/polite proposal. Icelandic often uses the subjunctive in these “would/could” style suggestions.
So:

  • Hvernig er að… would sound more like “What’s it like to…?” (a factual question about experience).
  • Hvernig væri að… = “How about…?/Would you consider…?”
Why is the verb hringdir in past tense form? It’s not talking about the past.

hringdir here is the past subjunctive of hringja (to call/ring), used because it follows a hypothetical/suggestive frame (Hvernig væri…).
Icelandic commonly uses past subjunctive for “would” ideas:

  • að þú hringdir ≈ “that you would call”

It’s “past-looking” in form, but it’s expressing hypothetical mood, not past time.

Could I also say Hvernig væri að þú hringir í mig…? What’s the difference?

You may hear variations, but the classic/politer standard pattern after Hvernig væri… is subjunctive, so að þú hringdir fits best.
Using hringir (present indicative) can sound more direct/less “hypothetical,” and in some contexts may feel less idiomatic than the subjunctive.

Why is þú included at all? Could it be omitted?

Yes, it can be omitted. A very natural alternative is:

  • Hvernig væri að hringja í mig í stað þess að senda tölvupóst?

Including þú makes the suggestion explicitly directed at “you,” which can feel slightly more pointed. Omitting it can feel a bit more general/softened, like “How about calling me…”.

Why is it hringja í mig (with í) and not just hringja mig?

In Icelandic, hringja takes the preposition í for the person you call:

  • hringja í einhvern = “to call someone”

So í mig is required by the verb phrase. Without í, it would be ungrammatical (or mean something else).

Why is it í mig and not mér? When do I use mig vs mér?

mig is accusative; mér is dative. The preposition í (in this meaning with hringja í) governs the accusative, so it must be mig.
Rule of thumb: case depends on the verb/preposition combination, not on English logic.

What is going on in í stað þess að…? Why is þess there?

í stað (e-s) means instead of (something), and the “something” is put in the genitive case. That’s why you get í stað þess (“in place of that”).
Then að introduces a clause/verb phrase describing what that “something” is:

  • í stað þess að senda tölvupóst = “instead of sending an email”

So the fixed frame is essentially: í stað + genitive + að + verb…

Why is it að senda and not að sendir or að sendirðu?

After í stað þess að, Icelandic normally uses an að + infinitive construction when the subject is understood (here, “you”). So:

  • að senda = “to send / sending”

You can also make the subject explicit with a finite verb in some contexts, but að + infinitive is the most common and smooth choice here.

Why is it tölvupóst (no article)? Could it be tölvupóstinn?

tölvupóst is an indefinite object: “an email / email (in general).” That’s very common after verbs like senda when you’re talking generically.
tölvupóstinn would mean the email (a specific one), which changes the meaning to “instead of sending the email (we’re talking about).”

In this sentence, tölvupóst is also in the accusative because senda takes a direct object.

What level of politeness or tone does this sentence have? Is it a command?

It’s a suggestion/request, not a command. The Hvernig væri… + subjunctive makes it softer and more polite—closer to “How about…?” / “Would you mind…?” than to an imperative.
If you wanted a more direct instruction, you’d use an imperative like Hringdu í mig… (“Call me…”).