Word
Vilt þú kaupa þetta vesti?
Meaning
Do you want to buy this vest?
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of Vilt þú kaupa þetta vesti?
þú
you
kaupa
to buy
vilja
to want (to will, be willing)
þessi
this (m/f)
Questions & Answers about Vilt þú kaupa þetta vesti?
Why do we use þetta instead of þessi here?
The word for 'this' has to match the noun it describes. Because it is the direct object of the verb kaupa (to buy), it must be in the accusative case. Since vesti is a neuter noun, we use the neuter accusative form, which is þetta.
Why is the verb vilt and not vil?
The verb vilja (to want) is irregular. While you might remember vil for 'I want' (ég vil), the form changes when the subject is 'you' (singular): þú vilt (you want).
Why is kaupa placed after the subject?
To form a question in Icelandic, the first verb (vilt) switches places with the subject (þú). The second verb (kaupa, which means 'to buy') stays in its normal position, so the subject ends up sandwiched between the two verbs.
Does the noun vesti change its spelling because it is being bought?
Not in this case! Because it is the direct object being bought, it is in the accusative case. However, vesti is a neuter noun, and neuter nouns in Icelandic always look exactly the same in the accusative case as they do in their basic dictionary form.