hversu / hve
How + Adjective (Hversu)
hversu or hve + adjective asks how: Hversu gamall ertu? (How old are you?)
How It Works
hversu and hve. Both mean how before a quality. hversu is the everyday choice of the two; hve is shorter and sounds a bit more written. They do not change form.
- Hversu gamall ertu? (How old are you?)
- Hve langt er til Akureyrar? (How far is it to Akureyri?)
- Hversu oft ferðu í sund? (How often do you go swimming?)
- Hversu lengi hefurðu búið hér? (How long have you lived here?)
The adjective agrees. Ask a man Hversu gamall ertu? and a woman Hversu gömul ertu? With things, it agrees with the noun: Hversu stór er íbúðin? (feminine, íbúð), Hversu stórt er húsið? (neuter).
The everyday hvað-question. In speech, hvað often starts the question and the adjective or adverb goes to the end: Hvað ertu gamall?, Hvað er langt til Akureyrar? The answer to the age question is Ég er ... ára.
Not hvernig. hvernig asks in what way or what kind. Before an adjective, use hversu or hve. For how many and how much, see hvað margir / hvað mikið.
Examples (6)
- Hversu gamall ertu?
How old are you?
Word by Word: How old are-you?
Asked of a man or boy; gamall is masculine.
- Hve langt er til Akureyrar?
How far is it to Akureyri?
Word by Word: How far is to Akureyri?
- Hvað ertu gömul?
How old are you?
Word by Word: What are-you old?
The everyday form, asked of a woman or girl; gömul is feminine.
- Hversu oft ferðu í sund?
How often do you go swimming?
Word by Word: How often go-you in swimming?
- Hversu lengi hefurðu búið hér?
How long have you lived here?
Word by Word: How long have-you lived here?
- Hversu stór er íbúðin?
How big is the flat?
Word by Word: How big is the flat?
Common Mistakes
Using hvernig before an adjective, like English "how old".
Hvernig gamall ertu?Hversu gamall ertu?hvernig asks in what way. Before an adjective, use hversu or hve.
Asking a woman her age with the masculine adjective gamall.
Hvað ertu gamall?Hvað ertu gömul?The adjective agrees with the person you ask. For a woman or girl, use gömul.
How It Connects
Learn This First
hversu builds on hvernig and adjectives.
Related Patterns
- hvað margir / hvað mikiðHow Many and How Much
Asks how many and how much.
Level 2 - ég er ... áraSaying Your Age
The answer to the age question.
Level 1 - lengi / langtA Long Time or Far (Lengi, Langt)
The words in hversu lengi and hve langt.
Level 3 - hvaðWhat (Hvað)
hvað can also start this kind of question in speech.
Level 1
Words in This Pattern
Practice hversu / hve in Bubblegum
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