Questions & Answers about Hvað langar þig að drekka?
Why does this sentence use þig instead of þú for 'you'?
This is because the verb langar (to want or long for) takes a 'quirky subject.' Instead of the regular subject þú, this verb forces the person who wants something into the accusative case, which is þig. It might help to think of it literally as 'What longs you to drink?'
Since the logical subject is 'you', why doesn't the verb langar change to match it?
When an Icelandic verb takes a quirky subject in the accusative case (like þig or mig), the verb itself is 'frozen.' It always stays in the third-person singular form (langar), no matter who is doing the wanting.
Why is the word order langar þig instead of þig langar?
This is due to the verb-second rule. In Icelandic questions that start with a question word like hvað (what), the verb must be the second piece of the sentence. Therefore, langar swaps places with the subject þig.
Do I always need að before the second verb here?
Yes! Just like in English where we say 'want to drink,' the verb langar connects to the dictionary form of the next verb using the infinitive marker að. So að drekka translates directly to 'to drink.'