hvernig
How (Hvernig)
hvernig means how: Hvernig hefurðu það? (How are you?) Before a noun it means what kind of: Hvernig bíll er þetta? (What kind of car is this?)
How It Works
How something is done
Hvernig segir maður þetta á íslensku? (How do you say this in Icelandic?) Hvernig kemst ég á flugvöllinn? (How do I get to the airport?)
How something is or was
Hvernig var ferðin? (How was the trip?) Hvernig hefurðu það? (How are you?) Hvernig líður þér? (How are you feeling?) See How Are You? (hvað segirðu) and How You Feel (mér líður).
What kind of
Right before a noun without the article, hvernig asks for a description: Hvernig bíll er þetta? Hvernig veður er úti? (What's the weather like outside?)
Not before an adjective
English how old, how much, how big are not made with hvernig:
- age: Hvað ertu gamall? See Saying Your Age.
- price: Hvað kostar þetta?
- other adjectives: Hversu stórt er húsið? See How + Adjective (hversu).
Examples (6)
- Hvernig hefurðu það?
How are you?
Word by Word: How have-you it?
- Hvernig segir maður þetta á íslensku?
How do you say this in Icelandic?
Word by Word: How says one this in Icelandic?
maður here means one or you in general.
- Hvernig bíll er þetta?
What kind of car is this?
Word by Word: How car is this?
Before a noun, hvernig asks what kind.
- Hvernig var ferðin?
How was the trip?
Word by Word: How was the-trip?
- Hvernig kemst ég á flugvöllinn?
How do I get to the airport?
Word by Word: How get I to the-airport?
- Hvernig veður er úti?
What's the weather like outside?
Word by Word: How weather is outside?
Common Mistakes
Asking someone's age with hvernig + adjective.
Hvernig gamall ertu?Hvað ertu gamall?Icelandic does not put hvernig in front of an adjective. Age is asked with hvað: Hvað ertu gamall? (to a man), Hvað ertu gömul? (to a woman).
Translating how much does it cost word for word.
Hvernig mikið kostar þetta?Hvað kostar þetta?The price question is simply Hvað kostar þetta?, literally what does this cost?
How It Connects
Learn This First
hvernig builds on hvað.
Related Patterns
- hversu / hveHow + Adjective (Hversu)
hversu, not hvernig, goes in front of an adjective: hversu stór.
Level 2 - hvað segirðuHow Are You? (Hvað Segirðu)
Hvernig hefurðu það? is one of the two everyday ways to ask how someone is.
Level 1 - mér líðurHow You Feel (Mér Líður)
Hvernig líður þér? asks how someone feels.
Level 2 - ég er ... áraSaying Your Age
Age is asked with Hvað ertu gamall?, not with hvernig.
Level 1 - hvaðaWhich (Hvaða)
hvaða asks which, while hvernig + noun asks what kind.
Level 2
Words in This Pattern
Practice hvernig in Bubblegum
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