Breakdown of Komdu sæll! Hvað heitir þú?
þú
you
hvað
what
heita
to be called
komdu sæll
hello (greeting a man)
Questions & Answers about Komdu sæll! Hvað heitir þú?
Why does the translation specifically say "to a man"?
In Icelandic, adjectives change depending on the gender of the person you are talking to. sæll is the masculine form. If you were greeting a woman, you would drop the second L and use the feminine form sæl, making the greeting Komdu sæl!
What does Komdu sæll literally mean?
It literally translates to "Come happy" or "Come blessed". The word Komdu is actually a combination of the verb command kom (come) and the pronoun þú (you). Over time, this phrase became a standard, polite way to say "Hello" in Icelandic.
Does the word heitir mean "name"?
No, heitir is a verb (an action word) that means "to be named" or "to be called". Because of this, the phrase Hvað heitir þú? literally translates to "What are you called?" rather than "What is your name?".
Why is the word order heitir þú instead of þú heitir?
In Icelandic, you usually make a question by swapping the order of the subject and the verb. While a normal statement is Þú heitir (You are called), the question format flips it to heitir þú (are you called).