Breakdown of Gætirðu beðið hérna í eitt augnablik?
í
in / into / to (before the hour, in telling time) / per (in frequency expressions)
einn
one
bíða
to wait
hérna
here (colloquial, pointing)
gætirðu
could you
augnablikið
the moment
Questions & Answers about Gætirðu beðið hérna í eitt augnablik?
How does gætirðu break down, and why is it used here?
Gætirðu is a combination of gætir (the subjunctive form of geta, meaning "could") and the pronoun þú (you). In spoken Icelandic, þú often attaches to the end of the verb. Using this fixed subjunctive form is the standard way to make a polite request, just like saying "Could you...?" in English.
Why is the verb beðið used instead of the infinitive að bíða (to wait)?
In Icelandic, the verb geta (can/could) always forces the main verb into its past participle form (often called the supine). While in English we use the basic infinitive and say "could wait", Icelandic logic translates closer to "could waited". That is why bíða becomes beðið.
Is there a difference between hérna and hér?
Both mean "here". Hérna is simply a slightly softer, more conversational version of hér. You will hear hérna very often in everyday spoken Icelandic, especially in polite requests like this one to make the tone less abrupt.
Why do we use the preposition í before the time phrase?
When talking about the duration of an action (how long something lasts), Icelandic often uses í followed by the accusative case. Here, í eitt augnablik translates literally to "in one moment," which we naturally say as "for a moment" in English.
Why is the word for "one" written as eitt?
The number one (einn) changes its ending to match the gender and case of the noun it describes. Because augnablik is a neuter word and follows the preposition í (which takes the accusative case here for duration), we use the neuter accusative form eitt.
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