af hverju / hvers vegna
Why (Af Hverju)
af hverju and hvers vegna both mean why: Af hverju ertu þreytt? (Why are you tired?)
How It Works
Two ways to say why
- af hverju, literally from what, is the most common, in speech and in writing.
- hvers vegna, literally for the sake of what, is also everyday Icelandic and appears a lot in writing.
Use either one. A third word, hví, is old-fashioned and rare today.
Word order
The question phrase counts as one unit in first place, so the verb comes next: Af hverju kemurðu ekki? (Why aren't you coming?) See The Verb Comes Second. A very short question needs no verb: Af hverju ekki? (Why not?)
Answering
Start with Because (af því að) and keep normal statement order: Af því að ég er veik. (Because I'm sick.) A more formal answer uses Because (vegna þess að).
Spelling
af hverju is always two words. The joined spelling afhverju is common online but is not correct.
Examples (5)
- Af hverju ertu að læra íslensku? – Af því að mig langar að búa hér.
Why are you learning Icelandic? – Because I want to live here.
Word by Word: From what are-you to learn Icelandic? – Because me longs to live here.
- Hvers vegna kemurðu ekki?
Why aren't you coming?
Word by Word: For-what's-sake come-you not?
The verb comes right after hvers vegna, and ekki after þú.
- Af hverju ertu svona þreytt?
Why are you so tired?
Word by Word: From what are-you so tired?
þreytt is the form used when talking to a woman.
- Hvers vegna lokar búðin svona snemma?
Why does the shop close so early?
Word by Word: For-what's-sake closes the-shop so early?
- Af hverju ekki?
Why not?
Word by Word: From what not?
Common Mistakes
Keeping statement order after af hverju.
Af hverju þú ert að læra íslensku?Af hverju ertu að læra íslensku?af hverju counts as the first part of the sentence, so the verb must come next, before the subject.
Writing af hverju as one word.
Afhverju ertu svona þreytt?Af hverju ertu svona þreytt?The official Icelandic spelling rules write af hverju as two words.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Why-questions build on hvað.
Related Patterns
- af því aðBecause (Af Því Að)
af því að (because) is the usual start of the answer.
Level 1 - vegna þess aðBecause (Vegna Þess Að)
vegna þess að is a more formal because that matches hvers vegna.
Level 3 - The Verb Comes Second
The verb comes right after the why-phrase.
Level 1 - þess vegnaThat Is Why (Þess Vegna)
þess vegna (that is why) is the matching answer word for hvers vegna.
Level 3
Words in This Pattern
Practice af hverju / hvers vegna in Bubblegum
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