Breakdown of Atvinnuviðtalið gekk mjög vel.
mjög
very
vel
well
ganga
to walk
atvinnuviðtalið
the job interview
Questions & Answers about Atvinnuviðtalið gekk mjög vel.
Why is the verb gekk used here? Doesn't ganga usually mean "to walk"?
Yes, the literal meaning of the infinitive verb ganga is "to walk". However, Icelandic uses it idiomatically in the exact same way English uses "to go" when talking about how an event or situation progressed. Therefore, gekk mjög vel translates naturally to "went very well".
How do we know atvinnuviðtalið is a neuter noun that takes the -ið ending?
In Icelandic compound words, the grammatical gender is always determined by the last noun in the combination. This word is made of atvinna (feminine, meaning "employment") and viðtal (neuter, meaning "interview"). Because viðtal is neuter, the entire compound noun becomes neuter and takes the neuter definite article -ið.
Why is there a -u- in the middle of atvinnuviðtalið?
Could I say gekk mjög gott instead of gekk mjög vel?
No, you must use vel. Just like in English, there is a difference between the adjective "good" (góður or gott) and the adverb "well" (vel). Because you are describing how an action (the verb gekk) happened, you need the adverb vel.
Learn Atvinnuviðtalið gekk mjög vel and more in Icelandic
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free