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### Forming Indirect Questions

When asking for information or directions, it is often more polite to use an indirect question. You form these by placing an interrogative word—like **hvar** (where) or **hvenær** (when)—inside another sentence.

In a direct question, the verb typically comes immediately after the question word. However, in an indirect question, the word order changes to standard statement order: **Question Word + Subject + Verb**.

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### Asking for Directions

To ask someone directly for help, you can start your sentence with polite phrases like **Getur þú sagt mér...** (Can you tell me...).

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When getting around, you will also frequently use the question word **hvernig** (how). It is especially useful alongside the verb **rata** (to find one's way) to ask how to navigate from place to place.

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### Stating What You Don't Know

The same indirect question structure is used when stating that someone does not have the answer to something. You will often see this after phrases like **vita ekki** (to not know).

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Indirect questions

adjective

adverb

conjunction

determiner

interjection

noun

numeral

particle

phrase

prep

preposition

pronoun

sentence

verb

Presentative and the definite suffix (þetta er, -inn, -in, -ið)

Singular pronouns and to be (ég er, þú ert)

Singular adjective agreement

Yes/no questions (ert þú…?)

Basic negation (ekki)

Plural pronouns and to be (við erum, þeir eru)

Group 1 weak verbs (-ar)

Group 2 and 3 verbs (-ir, -ur)

Information questions (hvað, hver, hvar)

Expressing opinions (mér finnst, mér líkar)

Expressing desires (mig langar)

Numbers 1 to 10 (einn, tveir, þrír)

Direct objects on indefinite nouns

Direct objects on definite nouns

Singular object pronouns (mig, þig...)

Plural object pronouns (okkur, ykkur...)

Directional prepositions (um, í, á)

Verb-second word order

Expressing intentions (ætla að)

Needs and wants (þurfa, vilja)

Middle voice verbs (-st)

Possessive pronouns (minn, þinn)

Dative case with prepositions (í, á, frá)

Definite dative nouns (-num, -nni, -nu)

Dative personal pronouns (honum, henni, þeim)

Plural nouns (-ar, -ir, -ur)

Definite plural nouns (-nir, -nar, -in)

Accusative plural nouns

Number agreement 1 to 4 (einn, tveir…)

Singular commands

Past tense of the verb to be (var, vorum)

Present continuous (vera að)

Strong verbs in the present tense

Weather and dummy subjects (það)

Invariable possessive pronouns (hans, hennar, þeirra)

Accusative possessives (minn, þinn)

Accompaniment (með)

Dative plural (-um, -unum)

Compound sentences (og, en, eða)

"This" in the nominative (þessi, þessi, þetta)

"This" in the accusative (þennan, þessa, þetta)

Accusative adjectives (-an, -a, -t)

Numbers 1 to 4 in the accusative (einn, tvo, þrjá)

Third-person reflexive pronouns (sig, sér)

The preposition "to" with the genitive (til)

Subordinating conjunctions (að, af því að)

Simple past of weak verbs (-aði)

Question words (hvernig, hvaða)

Physical possession (vera með)

Abstract possession (hafa)

Telling time (hálf, korter)

Plural commands (-ið)

The simple past tense (-di, -ti, -ði)

Possessive noun endings (-s, -ar)

Days of the week (á mánudaginn, á mánudögum)

Kveðjur — greetings (halló, bless)

Um mig — where I am from

Kurteisi — please, sorry, congratulations

Ability and knowing how (kunna að)

Permission (mega)

Obligation (eiga að)

Plural strong verbs

Numbers 11 to 20 (ellefu, tólf...)

Counting by tens to 100 (þrjátíu, fjörutíu...)

Ordinal numbers 1st to 10th (fyrsti, annar...)

All / everything / everyone (allur)

The indefinite pronoun someone (einhver)

The indefinite pronoun no one (enginn)

Compound numbers from 21 (tuttugu og)

This in the dative singular (þessum, þessari, þessu)

These in the dative plural (þessum)

My and your in the dative (mínum, þínum)

Numbers 1 to 4 in the dative (einum, tveimur)

Adjectives in the dative singular (-um, -ri, -u)

Adjectives in the dative plural (-um)

Reflexive possessive in the accusative (sinn, sína, sitt)

Reflexive possessive in the dative (sínum, sinni)

Reflexive versus regular possessives (sinn, hans)

Demonstrative plural (þessir, þessar, þessi)

Definite genitive singular (-sins, -arinnar)

Indefinite genitive plural (-a)

Definite genitive plural (-anna)

Genitive prepositions (án, milli, vegna)

Prepositions of direction (yfir, undir, fyrir)

Prepositions of static location (yfir, undir, fyrir)

Question	Answer
the tourist	ferðamaðurinn
the information	upplýsingarnar
The tourist asks where the information is.	Ferðamaðurinn spyr hvar upplýsingarnar eru.
the coach	rútan
the airport	flugvöllurinn
Does he know when the coach goes to the airport?	Veit hann hvenær rútan fer á flugvöllinn?
to be able to	geta
the stop	stoppistöðin
the city center	miðbærinn
Can you tell me where the stop in the city center is?	Getur þú sagt mér hvar stoppistöðin í miðbænum er?
to find one's way	rata
She asks how we find our way to the airport.	Hún spyr hvernig við rötum á flugvöllinn.
the ticket (for travel)	farmiðinn
I do not know where the man can find the ticket.	Ég veit ekki hvar maðurinn getur fundið farmiðann.
please	vinsamlegast
Please tell me when the tourists arrive here.	Vinsamlegast segið mér hvenær ferðamennirnir koma hingað.
Can you ask the woman where the coach stops?	Getur þú spurt konuna hvar rútan stoppar?
The boy does not know how he goes from the city center to the airport.	Strákurinn veit ekki hvernig hann fer úr miðbænum á flugvöllinn.
The tourist does not know how he finds his way to the hotel.	Ferðamaðurinn veit ekki hvernig hann ratar á hótelið.
Please read the information at the stop.	Vinsamlegast lesið upplýsingarnar á stoppistöðinni.
She asks where the man can buy the ticket in here.	Hún spyr hvar maðurinn getur keypt farmiðann hérna inni.