Learn Icelandic: Hæ! Ert þú nemandinn?

Just like in English, Icelandic swaps the subject and the verb to make a yes/no question. The statement Þú ert (You are) simply flips to become the question Ert þú (Are you?).

Why do we use Ert instead of Er?

Ert is the specific form of the verb vera (to be) that matches þú (you). If you were asking about a third person, like "Is he the student?", you would use er instead: Er hann nemandinn?.

Where is the word for "the" in nemandinn?

Icelandic doesn't use a separate word for "the" like English does. Instead, it attaches an ending to the noun. The base word for "student" is nemandi. By adding the suffix -nn to the end, it becomes nemandinn (the student).

Is Hæ just the English word "hi"?

Yes! Hæ is a very common, casual greeting borrowed directly from English. It sounds exactly the same and is used in exactly the same way.