Indirect Questions

Word order. In a direct question the verb comes before the subject: Hvar býr hann? When the question is part of a bigger sentence, the subject goes back in front of the verb, as in English:

• Ég veit ekki hvar hann býr. (I don’t know where he lives.)
• Veistu hvað klukkan er? (Do you know what time it is?)
• Manstu hvenær strætó fer? (Do you remember when the bus leaves?)

If the question word is itself the subject, nothing moves: Veistu hver á þennan bíl? (Do you know who owns this car?) Inside the clause, ekki normally follows the verb, as in other subordinate clauses: Ég skil ekki af hverju hún kemur ekki.

Yes/no questions use hvort. A question without a question word needs hvort (whether): Veistu hvort búðin er opin? Don’t use ef here: ef means if only in a condition.

Indicative or subjunctive?

• After verbs like vita, muna, sjá and skilja, with a plain fact, the ordinary indicative is normal: Veistu hvenær búðin opnar?
• After spyrja (ask) or velta fyrir sér (wonder), and when you report a question in the past, the subjunctive is common: Hún spurði hvað klukkan væri. Hann spurði hvar ég byggi.

There is a grey zone, and native speakers vary. When you report what someone asked, the subjunctive is the safe choice (see reported speech).

Prepositions. A preposition can come before the question word or stay at the end: Ég veit ekki við hvern hún talaði or Ég veit ekki hvern hún talaði við (see prepositions at the end).