Questions & Answers about Varst þú leiður áðan?
Why is the verb varst instead of var?
Varst is the past tense form of vera (to be) specifically used with þú (you, singular). Just like English changes 'was' to 'were' for 'you', Icelandic uses ég var (I was) but þú varst (you were).
Why does the sentence start with the verb?
In Icelandic, you form a yes/no question by swapping the subject and the verb, exactly like in English! The statement 'You were sad' is Þú varst leiður, but the question 'Were you sad?' becomes Varst þú leiður?
Why is the word for sad leiður here?
Adjectives in Icelandic change their endings to match the gender of the person they describe. Leiður is the masculine form, so we know the speaker is asking a male. If they were asking a female, they would use the feminine form and say Varst þú leið áðan?
How far in the past is áðan?
The word áðan refers to the very recent past. It specifically means 'earlier today' or 'just a little while ago.' You wouldn't use it to talk about something that happened yesterday or last week.