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Questions & Answers about Hvað meinarðu?
Why is meinarðu written as one word instead of meinar þú?
This is a very common contraction in spoken and informal Icelandic. The pronoun þú (you) often attaches to the end of the verb in questions. When it attaches to a verb ending in r, the þ changes to ð to make it easier to pronounce. So, meinar þú becomes meinarðu.
Can I use að meina to ask what an Icelandic word means?
No, you cannot. The verb að meina is only used for a person's intention or thoughts, like asking 'What do you mean by that?'. If you want to ask what a specific word or phrase means, you need to use the verb að þýða instead, as in Hvað þýðir þetta? (What does this mean?).
Does hvað always force the verb to come right after it?
Yes! In Icelandic questions starting with a question word like hvað (what), hvar (where), or hvenær (when), the verb must immediately follow the question word. That is why the verb meinar comes right after hvað, pushing the subject þú to the very end.
Does að meina also mean 'to be unkind' like the English word 'mean'?
No, it only shares the 'to intend' or 'to have an opinion' meaning with English. If you want to describe someone as being mean or unkind, you would use an adjective like vondur (bad) or leiðinlegur (boring/annoying).