Questions & Answers about Komdu sæll! Ert þú nýr hér?
Why does Komdu sæll mean 'hello' if the words mean something else?
Literally, it translates to 'come happy' or 'come blessed.' Komdu is a combination of kom (come) and þú (you), while sæll means happy. It is a very traditional and common way to greet someone in Icelandic.
How does the grammar show that this sentence is spoken to a man?
The words sæll (happy) and nýr (new) are adjectives describing the person. In Icelandic, adjectives must match the gender of the person you are talking to. Because they use the masculine forms here, we know the speaker is talking to a man. If speaking to a woman, you would use the feminine forms: Komdu sæl! Ert þú ný hér?
Why is the word order Ert þú instead of Þú ert?
Just like in English, you swap the order of the verb and the subject to turn a statement into a yes-or-no question. Þú ert is the statement 'You are,' so flipping it to Ert þú makes it the question 'Are you?'.
Can I use Komdu sæll to say hello to a group of people?
No, because Komdu contains the singular word for 'you' (þú), and sæll is singular. This specific greeting is only used when talking to one man. If you are greeting a group of people, you would say Komið þið sæl instead.
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