gerðu svo vel

Please and Here You Are

Level 1

Gerðu svo vel means here you are or go ahead. To ask politely, use a question such as Má ég fá ...? (May I have ...?).

How It Works

English uses please in many places. Icelandic splits that job between a few phrases.

Offering: gerðu svo vel. It literally means do so well. Say it when you hand something over, invite someone in, or invite people to start eating. To more than one person, say gerið þið svo vel. You will also often hear gjörðu svo vel, an older form of the same phrase.

  • Gerðu svo vel, hér er kaffið. Here you are, here is the coffee.
  • Gerið þið svo vel, maturinn er tilbúinn. Help yourselves, the food is ready.

Asking: use a question. A request sounds polite when you ask it as a question:

  • Má ég fá vatn? May I have some water? (see má ég fá)
  • Viltu hjálpa mér? Will you help me?

For an extra-polite request, use gætirðu or mætti ég.

Yes please and no thanks. Answer an offer with Já, takk (yes, please) or Nei, takk (no, thank you). When you really beg for something, gerðu það works like an eager please!

In writing: vinsamlegast. Signs, emails and announcements use vinsamlegast (kindly, please) with a command: Vinsamlegast lokið hurðinni. (Please close the door.)

Examples (6)

  1. Gerðu svo vel, hér er kaffið.

    Here you are, here's the coffee.

    Word by Word: Do so well, here is the-coffee.

  2. Gerið þið svo vel, maturinn er tilbúinn.

    Help yourselves, the food is ready.

    Word by Word: Do you(plural) so well, the-food is ready.

    Gerið þið speaks to more than one person.

  3. Má ég fá vatn?

    May I have some water?

    Word by Word: May I get water?

  4. Viltu hjálpa mér?

    Will you help me?

    Word by Word: Want-you help me?

  5. Viltu kaffi? – Já, takk.

    Would you like coffee? – Yes, please.

    Word by Word: Want-you coffee? – Yes, thanks.

  6. Vinsamlegast lokið hurðinni.

    Please close the door.

    Word by Word: Kindly close the-door.

    A typical written notice.

Common Mistakes

  • Using gerðu svo vel as the please in a request.

    Gerðu svo vel, má ég fá vatn?
    Má ég fá vatn?

    Gerðu svo vel is what the person giving says. When you ask for something, the polite question alone is enough, and you can add takk.

  • Saying the one-person form to a group.

    Gerðu svo vel, krakkar, maturinn er tilbúinn.
    Gerið þið svo vel, krakkar, maturinn er tilbúinn.

    Gerðu speaks to one person. For several people, use gerið þið.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

gerðu svo velLevel 1Please and Here You Are

Learn This First

gerðu svo vel pairs with takk.

Words in This Pattern

má éggjörðu svo vel