Questions & Answers about Halló! Hvað heitir þú?
Why doesn't this sentence use the Icelandic word for "name"?
Instead of asking "What is your name?", Icelandic uses the verb heita, which means "to be named" or "to be called". So, Hvað heitir þú? literally translates to "What are you called?".
Why does the verb heitir come before the subject þú?
Icelandic questions follow a strict word order: Question Word + Verb + Subject. After the question word Hvað (What), the verb heitir (are called) must come next, moving the subject þú (you) to the end.
Is þú the only word for "you" in Icelandic?
Þú is specifically used when talking to one person. Icelandic is relatively informal, so it is perfectly polite to use þú with strangers. However, if you were asking two or more people their names, you would need to use the plural "you", which is þið.
How would I answer this question using the same verb?
You would answer by saying Ég heiti... (I am called...) followed by your name. Notice that the verb changes its ending from heitir (you are called) to heiti (I am called) because the subject changed from þú to ég.