Question 1

Is this sentence correct and natural Icelandic?

Accepted Answer

Yes. It is grammatical and fully understandable. The main thing a learner should notice is that it sounds quite formal because of þér. In everyday modern speech to one person, many speakers would more naturally say Geturðu sagt mér hvort þessi setning sé rétt, eða á ég að breyta henni aftur?

Question 2

Why does the sentence start with Getið þér instead of Þér getið?

Accepted Answer

Because this is a direct question, and Icelandic normally puts the finite verb first in yes/no questions. So Getið þér... ? is the normal question order. If it were a statement, the order would be Þér getið sagt mér...

Question 3

What exactly is þér here?

Accepted Answer

Here þér is the old formal singular word for you, similar to a very polite or old-fashioned you. It takes a plural verb, which is why the sentence has getið rather than getur. In modern Icelandic, this form is much less common in everyday conversation, so learners will usually hear þú instead.

Question 4

Is this the same þér that means to you?

Accepted Answer

No, not in this sentence. Icelandic also has þér as the dative form of informal þú, meaning to you, which can be confusing. Here, though, þér is the subject of the sentence, and the plural verb getið shows that it is the formal nominative you.

Question 5

Why is it mér and not ég?

Accepted Answer

Because the verb segja normally takes a dative indirect object when you say tell someone. So segja mér means tell me. The form mér is the dative of ég.

Question 6

Why is hvort used here?

Accepted Answer

Hvort introduces an indirect yes/no question, so it means whether. After sagt mér, the speaker is asking whether this sentence is correct. English uses whether in the same kind of structure.

Question 7

Why is it sé instead of er?

Accepted Answer

Sé is the subjunctive form of vera. Icelandic often uses the subjunctive in indirect questions or situations involving uncertainty, doubt, or something not yet established as fact. Since the speaker is asking whether the sentence is correct, sé is very natural here.

Question 8

Why is it þessi setning?

Accepted Answer

Because setning is a feminine noun, singular, nominative. The demonstrative þessi has to agree with it, so þessi setning means this sentence. A learner cannot choose the form of this freely in Icelandic; it has to match the noun’s gender, number, and case.

Question 9

Why is the adjective rétt and not rétta or something else?

Accepted Answer

Because rétt is the correct feminine singular nominative form used here as a predicate adjective after vera. In þessi setning sé rétt, the adjective agrees with setning. This is one of those places where Icelandic adjective agreement matters much more visibly than in English.

Question 10

What does á ég að mean here?

Accepted Answer

This is the construction eiga að + infinitive, which often means should, am supposed to, or ought to. So á ég að breyta henni means should I change it. Even though eiga often means own, that is not the meaning here.

Question 11

Why is it henni after breyta?

Accepted Answer

Because breyta takes the dative case for the thing being changed. The pronoun refers back to setning, which is feminine, so its dative singular form is henni. That is why Icelandic says breyta henni rather than using a nominative or accusative pronoun.

Question 12

What does aftur imply here?

Accepted Answer

Here aftur means again. It suggests that the speaker has already changed the sentence before and is asking whether another change is needed. If that is not the intended meaning, you could simply leave aftur out.

Question 13

Could the second half be phrased differently?

Accepted Answer

Yes. A slightly more balanced version would be Getið þér sagt mér hvort þessi setning sé rétt eða hvort ég eigi að breyta henni aftur? This keeps both alternatives under sagt mér hvort... The original sentence is still fine, but this version can sound a bit smoother to some speakers.

Question 14

Is the comma before eða necessary?

Accepted Answer

It is acceptable because eða á ég að breyta henni aftur is a full clause of its own. In Icelandic, commas before conjunctions like eða can appear when two full clauses are joined. You may also see similar sentences written without the comma, so this is more a punctuation style point than a grammar problem.

Getið þér sagt mér hvort þessi setning sé rétt, eða á ég að breyta henni aftur?

Breakdown of Getið þér sagt mér hvort þessi setning sé rétt, eða á ég að breyta henni aftur?

Questions & Answers about Getið þér sagt mér hvort þessi setning sé rétt, eða á ég að breyta henni aftur?

Master Icelandic — from Getið þér sagt mér hvort þessi setning sé rétt, eða á ég að breyta henni aftur to fluency