Breakdown of Geturðu sagt mér notendanafnið aftur, vinsamlegast?
Questions & Answers about Geturðu sagt mér notendanafnið aftur, vinsamlegast?
It’s getur (can) + þú (you) written together as Geturðu.
This “clitic” -ðu is a very common way to attach þú to a verb in questions and casual speech/writing. You could also write it separately as Getur þú ...?, but Geturðu ...? is the normal everyday spelling.
Icelandic is typically a V2 (verb-second) language in main clauses, and questions often start with the finite verb. In a yes/no question like this, it’s normal to begin with the conjugated verb (getur) and then have the subject (-ðu/þú) right after it.
After the modal verb geta (can / be able to), Icelandic normally uses the supine form of the main verb, which often looks identical to the past participle.
So you say:
- geta sagt = be able to say/tell
not geta segja.
You’ll see the same pattern with many verbs:
- Geturðu komið? (not koma)
- Geturðu hjálpað? (not hjálpa)
Because segja (to say/tell) takes an indirect object in the dative when it means tell someone. So:
- segja mér = tell me (dative)
- segja þér = tell you (dative)
mig is accusative and would be used in different structures (for example, if me were the direct object of a verb that governs accusative).
-ið is the definite article attached to a neuter noun: nafnið = the name.
Here the whole compound noun is:
- notendanafn = username
- notendanafnið = the username
So the sentence is asking for the specific username (not just “a username”).
It’s the direct object of sagt (tell/say), so it’s in the accusative. For this particular word, accusative singular definite happens to look the same as nominative singular definite: notendanafnið. (Many neuter nouns have identical nominative/accusative forms.)
It’s the most natural order: verb + indirect object pronoun + direct object. Icelandic often places short pronouns like mér early:
- Geturðu sagt mér notendanafnið...? (very common)
Other orders can exist for emphasis or style, but this is what you’ll hear most.
Aftur (again) is pretty flexible, but placing it near the end is very natural here:
- ... notendanafnið aftur, vinsamlegast?
You can also put it earlier if you want to emphasize “again” sooner:
- Geturðu sagt mér aftur notendanafnið...?
Both work; the version you have sounds especially conversational and polite.
Yes—vinsamlegast is a common equivalent of please, and it can sound a bit polite/official depending on context.
In casual speech, people also often use:
- ... takk (thanks)
- ... geturðu ...? with a friendly tone (sometimes without any explicit “please”)
Ending the question with vinsamlegast is perfectly correct and respectful.
A few practical tips:
- ð (in Geturðu) is like the th in this (a voiced “th” sound), though it can be quite soft.
- notendanafnið is a compound; stress is strongest near the start: NO-tenda-... (Icelandic generally stresses the first syllable).
- vinsamlegast: also first-syllable stress: VIN-...; the -legast ending is common in polite/formal adverbs.
If you want, I can give a slow “approximate” English-friendly breakdown, but Icelandic spelling-to-sound is consistent enough that audio examples help most.