Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Icelandic grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Hlaup hingað!
Why is the command just hlaup? Shouldn't it end in -tu or -du?
The pure command form of the verb hlaupa (to run) is just its base stem, hlaup. While Icelanders very often attach the word for you to the end of a command to make it hlauptu, the bare stem hlaup is perfectly correct. It just sounds a bit more urgent or direct!
Why does the sentence use hingað instead of hér for here?
Icelandic uses different words for here depending on whether there is movement. You use hér when someone or something is stationary in a location. You use hingað when there is active movement toward the speaker. Since running involves motion, hingað is required in this sentence.
How do I pronounce the au in hlaup?
The letter combination au in Icelandic makes a unique sound. It does not sound like the ow sound in English. Instead, it sounds like a quick blend of the vowel sound in the English word fur and the ee sound in see.
How would this change if I were telling a group of people to run here?
The word hlaup is a singular command, meaning you are only addressing one person or animal. If you are shouting to multiple people, you would use the plural command form hlaupið.