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Questions & Answers about Hvað þýddu skilaboðin?
Why is the verb spelled with a double 'd' in þýddu?
The infinitive of the verb is þýða (to mean). It is a weak verb, which means it forms the past tense by adding a suffix like -di, -ti, or -ði. However, when a verb stem ends in ð (like þýð-), that letter transforms into a double d when the past tense suffix is added. This creates the past tense stem þýdd-.
If the English translation is 'the message' (singular), why does the verb þýddu have a plural ending?
The Icelandic word for message, skilaboð, is almost always used in the plural form, even when you are only talking about one single message. Because the subject is plural, the verb must also be plural. That is why we use the plural form þýddu instead of the singular past tense þýddi.
How do we get 'the message' from the word skilaboðin?
In Icelandic, the word for 'the' is attached to the end of the noun instead of being a separate word. skilaboð is a neuter plural noun, and its definite article suffix is -in. Adding it to the end gives us skilaboðin (the message).
Why does the verb come right after Hvað?
Icelandic strictly follows the 'verb-second' (V2) rule. In a question starting with a question word like Hvað (What), the main verb must take the second position in the sentence. That is why þýddu comes directly after Hvað, and why Icelandic does not use helper verbs like 'did' to form past tense questions.