Questions & Answers about Geturðu lánað mér reglustiku?
Why is þú attached to getur in Geturðu?
Because Icelandic very often joins a verb and the pronoun þú in questions.
So:
- getur þú → geturðu
This is a very common and natural written form, not just slang. You may also see the pronoun written separately, but Geturðu... is what learners will encounter all the time.
What exactly is Geturðu?
It is made from:
- getur = can / are able to
- -ðu = reduced form of þú = you
So Geturðu...? is basically Can you...?
This is the normal singular you form, used when speaking to one person.
Why is it lánað and not lána?
After geta in this kind of sentence, Icelandic normally uses the supine form of the main verb.
So the verb is:
- lána = to lend
- lánað = supine form used after geta
That is why the sentence is:
- Geturðu lánað mér reglustiku?
This pattern is very common:
- Ég get lesið. = I can read.
- Geturðu hjálpað mér? = Can you help me?
The form often looks like a past participle, but here it is just the normal form used after geta.