Breakdown of Hvar sérð þú veskið mitt?
þú
you
hvar
where
sjá
to see
minn
my (m, f, n: minn, mín, mitt)
veskið
the wallet
Questions & Answers about Hvar sérð þú veskið mitt?
Why is "my" translated as mitt here instead of minn?
mitt is the neuter, singular form of the possessive pronoun. It has to match the gender, number, and case of the noun it belongs to, which is veskið (the wallet). Since the wallet is the direct object of the sentence (the thing being seen), it is in the accusative case. Luckily, for neuter words, the accusative form of 'my' is exactly the same as the basic dictionary form: mitt.
Why does the noun have a 'the' ending (veskið) if we are saying 'my wallet'?
In Icelandic, you almost always put the definite article (the 'the' ending) on a noun when it is followed by a possessive pronoun. veski means 'a wallet', but to say 'my wallet', you must use the definite form veskið (the wallet) and put mitt right after it. It literally translates to 'the wallet my'.
How does the verb sjá (to see) become sérð?
sjá is an irregular verb, meaning it changes its vowels when conjugated. sérð is the specific form used for þú (you). While the vowel changes, the -rð ending is a very common pattern for the 'you' form in Icelandic verbs.
Why is the subject þú placed after the verb sérð?
Because this is a question! In Icelandic, questions starting with a question word like Hvar (where) flip the normal word order. The verb must be the second piece of information in the sentence, so sérð comes right before the subject þú.
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