Learn Icelandic: Hvaða staður er þetta?

Hvaða staður er þetta?

What place is this?

Breakdown of Hvaða staður er þetta?

Questions & Answers about Hvaða staður er þetta?

Why doesn't hvaða change its ending to match the masculine noun staður?

Unlike most descriptive words in Icelandic, the question word hvaða is invariable. This means it never changes its form, no matter the gender, number, or case of the noun that follows it. You can always use it exactly as it is!

Since staður is a masculine word, why does the sentence use the neuter word þetta for 'this'?

When you point to something generally and ask 'What is this?' or say 'This is a...', Icelandic uses the neuter singular þetta as a default pointer. You only use the masculine form þessi if you are attaching it directly to the noun, like in the phrase þessi staður (this place).

Does hvaða translate to 'what' or 'which' here?

It can mean both! In Icelandic, hvaða is used whenever you are asking 'what' or 'which' directly in front of a noun. English forces us to choose between 'What place' and 'Which place', but Icelandic simply uses hvaða for both situations.

Is the word order here exactly the same as in English?

Yes! Just like in English, the question word and its noun (Hvaða staður) come first, followed by the verb (er), and then the pointer word (þetta).