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Gjörðu svo vel og komdu inn!

Gjörðu svo vel og komdu inn!
Please come in!
From Lesson 40:Kurteisi — please, sorry, congratulations·Icelandic

Questions & Answers about Gjörðu svo vel og komdu inn!

What does gjörðu svo vel literally mean?
It literally translates to 'do so well.' It is the standard Icelandic way to say 'please' when you are inviting someone to do something, offering them a seat, or handing something to them.
Why do the words gjörðu and komdu both end in '-ðu' or '-du'?
In Icelandic, when you give a command to one person, you usually attach the word for 'you' (þú) directly to the end of the verb. So koma (to come) becomes komdu (come-you) and gera (to do) becomes gjörðu (do-you). The letter þ changes to d or ð to make it easier to pronounce.
Why is there an og (and) in the middle of this sentence?
When you use gjörðu svo vel before a command, you have to connect the two parts with og (and). While English just says 'Please come in', in Icelandic you are literally saying 'Do so well and come in!'
Why is the word for 'in' here inn instead of inni?
Icelandic uses different words for location depending on whether there is movement. Inn is used because there is movement towards a place (the act of coming inside). If someone was already resting or located inside, you would use inni.

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