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Questions & Answers about Sjáið þið hanskana?
Why is it hanskana and not just hanska?
Hanska is the bare accusative plural form, meaning "gloves". By adding the definite article ending, it becomes hanskana, meaning "the gloves". The verb sjá (to see) always forces the object into the accusative case, which is why we use this form here.
How do we get the ending -na on hanskana?
For masculine nouns like hanski (glove), the bare accusative plural is hanska. To say "the gloves" in the accusative plural, you attach the definite ending -na directly to that plural form to make hanskana.
Why does the sentence start with the verb sjáið?
To ask a yes-or-no question in Icelandic, you swap the subject and the verb. The statement Þið sjáið hanskana (You see the gloves) becomes the question Sjáið þið hanskana? (Do you see the gloves?).
Why use þið instead of þú for "you"?
Þið is the plural "you", used when speaking to two or more people. If you were asking just one person if they saw the gloves, you would use the singular þú and change the verb to match: Sérð þú hanskana?