Breakdown of Komdu sæl! Gott að sjá þig.
góður
good
að
to (infinitive marker)
þig
you (acc sg)
sjá
to see
komdu sæl
hello (greeting a woman)
Questions & Answers about Komdu sæl! Gott að sjá þig.
Why does a greeting use the word Komdu? What does it literally mean?
Komdu is a merged form of the command kom (come) and the pronoun þú (you). The full phrase komdu sæl translates literally to 'come happy' or 'come blessed,' but it is simply a standard, friendly way to say 'hello' in Icelandic.
How does this sentence show that we are talking to a woman?
The word sæl is the feminine form of the adjective sæll (happy or blessed). If you were speaking to a man, you would use the masculine form and say komdu sæll.
Why does the sentence use Gott instead of Góður for 'good'?
Gott is the neuter form of the adjective. When you make a general statement like 'It is good to...' without describing a specific masculine or feminine noun, Icelandic always uses the neuter form of the adjective.
Why do we use þig instead of þú for 'you' at the end of the sentence?
Þú is used when 'you' is the one doing the action (the subject). In this sentence, 'you' is the one being seen. The verb sjá (to see) forces the word that follows it into the accusative case, which changes þú to þig.
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