mér líður
How You Feel (Mér Líður)
Mér líður vel means I feel good. Ask Hvernig líður þér? (How are you feeling?). The person is in the dative.
How It Works
The forms. The person is in the dative and the verb stays líður:
- mér líður (I feel)
- þér líður (you feel)
- honum / henni líður (he / she feels)
- okkur líður (we feel)
- ykkur líður (you all feel)
- þeim líður (they feel)
The past tense is leið for everyone: Mér leið illa í gær (I felt bad yesterday).
Words that follow. líður is almost always followed by an adverb: vel (well), illa (badly), betur (better), ágætlega (fine). A place can follow too: Börnunum líður vel í skólanum (The children are happy at school).
Asking. Hvernig líður þér? asks how someone really feels, in body or in mind. It is warmer than the casual greeting hvað segirðu. After an illness, ask Líður þér betur? (Are you feeling better?).
A different líða. With a normal subject, líða means something else, such as to pass, as time does: Tíminn líður hratt (Time passes quickly). So ég líð never means "I feel".
For feeling cold, warm or in pain, a similar pattern uses er: mér er kalt. Both belong to the verbs with a dative or accusative subject.
Examples (6)
- Mér líður vel.
I feel good.
Word by Word: To-me goes well.
- Hvernig líður þér?
How are you feeling?
Word by Word: How goes to-you?
- Henni líður ekki vel í dag.
She isn't feeling well today.
Word by Word: To-her goes not well today.
- Mér leið illa í gær.
I felt bad yesterday.
Word by Word: To-me went badly yesterday.
leið is the past tense of líður.
- Líður þér betur núna?
Are you feeling better now?
Word by Word: Goes to-you better now?
- Börnunum líður vel í skólanum.
The children are happy at school.
Word by Word: To-the-children goes well in the-school.
börnunum is the dative plural of börnin.
Common Mistakes
Using a nominative subject, as in English "I feel".
Ég líð vel.Mér líður vel.To talk about how you feel, the person is in the dative and the verb is líður. Ég líð is a different verb form that is not used for feelings.
Using the accusative mig instead of the dative mér.
Mig líður vel.Mér líður vel.líða takes a dative person: mér, þér, henni. It is mig langar and mig vantar, but mér líður.
How It Connects
Learn This First
mér líður builds on oblique subjects.
Related Patterns
- mér / þér / honum / henniDative Pronouns
The dative pronouns used with líða.
Level 1 - hvernigHow (Hvernig)
The question word in Hvernig líður þér?
Level 1 - mér er kaltBeing Cold or Warm (Mér Er Kalt)
A similar dative pattern for feeling cold, warm or in pain.
Level 2 - hvað segirðuHow Are You? (Hvað Segirðu)
A more casual way to ask how someone is.
Level 1 - The Dative (þágufall)
The case of the person who feels.
Level 2
Words in This Pattern
Practice mér líður in Bubblegum
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