Breakdown of Hvað er myndin skörp frá þessari fjarlægð?
vera
to be
myndin
the picture
frá
from
þessi
this (m/f)
hvað
how (+ adjective, degree)
skarpur
sharp
fjarlægðin
the distance (spatial)
Questions & Answers about Hvað er myndin skörp frá þessari fjarlægð?
Why is the adjective skörp separated from Hvað, instead of saying Hvað skörp er myndin?
When using hvað to ask 'how [adjective]' in Icelandic, the adjective typically doesn't sit right next to hvað. Instead, hvað starts the sentence, followed by the verb and subject, and the adjective comes later. Word-for-word, it is like asking 'What is the picture sharp from this distance?'.
If I used hversu instead of hvað, would the word order be the same?
No, and that is a key difference! If you use hversu (which is slightly more formal but means the exact same thing), the adjective must stay right next to it, just like in English. You would say Hversu skörp er myndin frá þessari fjarlægð?
Why is the word for 'sharp' here skörp instead of the dictionary form skarpur?
Adjectives in Icelandic must agree with the noun they describe. Here, the adjective describes myndin (the picture). Because mynd is a feminine noun in the nominative case, the adjective takes the feminine nominative form, skörp.
Why is the phrase 'this distance' written as þessari fjarlægð?
The preposition frá (from) always triggers the dative case. Þessari fjarlægð is the feminine dative form of the phrase þessi fjarlægð.
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