Halló, ertu heima?

Hello, are you at home?

Breakdown of Halló, ertu heima?

• vera: to be
• heima: at home
• halló: hello

Questions & Answers about Halló, ertu heima?

Why is it ertu and not þú ert?

Because Icelandic usually changes the word order in yes/no questions.

• Statement: Þú ert heima. = You are at home.
• Question: Ertu heima? = Are you at home?

In the question, the verb comes first. Also, ert + þú is very commonly written together as ertu.

What exactly is ertu made of?

Ertu = ert + þú

• ert = are (2nd person singular of vera, to be)
• þú = you (singular)

So ertu literally means something like are you.

This kind of combination is very common in Icelandic:

• Ertu... = Are you...
• Geturðu... = Can you...
• Viltu... = Do you want... / Would you like...

Why is heima used here instead of a word like heim?

Because heima means at home (location), while heim usually means home in the sense of toward home (direction).

Compare:

• Ég er heima. = I am at home.
• Ég fer heim. = I’m going home.

So in Ertu heima?, the speaker is asking about where someone is now, not where they are going.