Breakdown of Misskildir þú hann ekki? Jú, þetta var slæmur misskilningur.
þetta
this
vera
to be
þú
you
hann
he
ekki
not
slæmur
bad
jú
yes (contradicting a negative question)
misskilja
to misunderstand
misskilningurinn
the misunderstanding
Questions & Answers about Misskildir þú hann ekki? Jú, þetta var slæmur misskilningur.
How does the prefix mis- change the meaning of the words in this sentence?
It works just like the English prefix "mis-", meaning "wrongly" or "badly". It attaches directly to the base verb skilja (to understand) to create misskilja (to misunderstand), and to the noun skilningur (understanding) to create misskilningur (a misunderstanding).
How do I know how to conjugate a compound verb like misskilja?
Compound verbs simply adopt the exact conjugation of their root verb. Since the past tense for "you understood" is þú skildir, "you misunderstood" becomes þú misskildir. The prefix mis- doesn't alter the grammatical endings.
Why does the answer start with Jú instead of Já for "Yes"?
Because the first sentence is a negative question (containing ekki - "Didn't you...?"). In Icelandic, whenever you answer "yes" to contradict or correct a negative statement or question, you must use jú instead of já.
Why is the neuter pronoun þetta used if misskilningur is a masculine noun?
When referring back to a whole situation or an action (in this case, the event of misunderstanding him), Icelandic uses the neuter þetta (this/it) as a neutral pointer. It keeps its neuter form even when it is equated to the masculine noun misskilningur later in the sentence.
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