Questions & Answers about Hvar voruð þið áðan?
Why do we use voruð here instead of varst?
Voruð is the past tense form of vera (to be) that matches þið (you, plural). If you were asking just one person, you would use varst with the singular pronoun þú: Hvar varst þú áðan? (Where were you earlier?).
Does þið always mean plural "you"?
Yes! In English, we use "you" for both one person and a group. Icelandic is more specific: þú is for one person, and þið is for two or more people. Since the sentence uses þið, the speaker is asking a group of people where they were.
How far back in time does áðan refer to? Can it mean yesterday?
No, áðan is only used for the very recent past. It translates best to "earlier," "just now," or "a little while ago" on the same day. If you wanted to ask where they were yesterday, you would use í gær instead.
Why does the verb voruð come before þið?
In Icelandic questions that start with a question word like hvar (where), the verb must come right after that question word. The subject (þið) then follows the verb. This is exactly like English word order: "Where (question word) were (verb) you (subject)?"
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