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Hvað bragðast svona illa?

Hvað bragðast svona illa?
What tastes so bad?
From Lesson 266:Neuter indefinite pronouns (eitthvað, ekkert)·Icelandic

Breakdown of Hvað bragðast svona illa?

hvað
what
illa
badly
svona
so, like this
bragðast
to taste

Questions & Answers about Hvað bragðast svona illa?

Why does the verb bragðast end in -st?
This is the middle voice. While the regular verb bragða means to actively taste something (like tasting soup to check the seasoning), adding -st creates bragðast, which means to possess a taste or "to taste" from the perspective of the food itself.
Why is the word for "bad" here illa instead of the neuter adjective illt?
In English, we say something tastes "bad" using an adjective. However, in Icelandic, verbs about senses like bragðast (to taste) or lykta (to smell) are modified by adverbs. Illa is the adverb form, so you are literally saying "What tastes badly?"
The current lesson is about the pronouns eitthvað (something) and ekkert (nothing). How do they compare to hvað in this sentence?
They work exactly like the question word hvað! Because eitthvað and ekkert act as independent neuter singular pronouns, you can swap them in as the subject to say Eitthvað bragðast svona illa (Something tastes so bad) or Ekkert bragðast svona illa (Nothing tastes so bad).
Could I use svo instead of svona here?
Yes, you could say svo illa, but svona is very natural here. While both can translate to "so," svona often implies "this way" or "like this." It perfectly fits a situation where you are actively experiencing a bad taste right in front of you and reacting to it.

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