Breakdown of Hvernig líkar þér bíómyndin?
hvernig
how
þér
you (dative singular)
líka
to like
bíómyndin
the movie
Questions & Answers about Hvernig líkar þér bíómyndin?
Why do we use þér here instead of the normal word for you, þú?
This is the famous quirky subject rule! The verb líka (to like) forces the person doing the liking to be in the dative case. Þér is the dative form of þú.
Why doesn't the verb merge with the pronoun, like it does in words like talarðu?
In normal questions, verbs often attach to the word for you, but only when you are using the basic nominative case þú. Because we are using the dative þér here, the verb and pronoun cannot merge and must stay separate as líkar þér.
If þér is in the dative case, what case is bíómyndin in?
It is in the basic nominative case. With verbs like líka, the grammar is flipped: the thing you like acts as the grammatical subject, and the person who likes it is the dative object. Literally, this sentence is structured like How is the movie pleasing to you?
How does the meaning change if I drop Hvernig?
If you just ask Líkar þér bíómyndin?, it becomes a simple yes or no question meaning Do you like the movie?. Adding Hvernig (How) prompts the person to give a slightly longer opinion on how they are enjoying it.