Yes/No Questions
Swap the subject and the verb: Þú býrð hér (You live here) becomes Býrð þú hér? (Do you live here?).
How It Works
Statement and question
- Þetta er kaffi. → Er þetta kaffi? (Is this coffee?)
- Jón kemur í kvöld. → Kemur Jón í kvöld? (Is Jón coming tonight?)
- Þau eru heima. → Eru þau heima? (Are they at home?)
With two verbs
When there is a helper verb such as vilja or ætla, only that verb moves. The second verb stays at the back: Þú vilt koma → Vilt þú koma? The same happens with vera að: Ert þú að vinna? (Are you working?)
With þú
After the verb, þú is usually joined to it: Talarðu íslensku?, Viltu kaffi? Both the joined and the separate forms are correct. See Joined Forms (ertu, viltu, talarðu).
Answering
Answer with já or nei. If the question has ekki in it and your answer is yes, say jú: see Yes, No and Jú.
This is the same verb movement that puts the verb second in statements, described in The Verb Comes Second. A question word such as hvar or hvað can stand in front of the verb, as in Hvar býrðu?
Examples (6)
- Talar þú íslensku?
Do you speak Icelandic?
Word by Word: Speak you Icelandic?
talar comes first, then þú. There is no word for do.
- Er þetta kaffi?
Is this coffee?
Word by Word: Is this coffee?
- Býrð þú hér?
Do you live here?
Word by Word: Live you here?
- Kemur Jón í kvöld?
Is Jón coming tonight?
Word by Word: Comes Jón in evening?
The subject can be a name or a noun, and it still comes right after the verb.
- Viltu koma með?
Do you want to come along?
Word by Word: Want-you come with?
Only vilt moves to the front. koma stays after the subject.
- Eru þau heima?
Are they at home?
Word by Word: Are they at-home?
Common Mistakes
Adding gera as a helper verb, like English do.
Gerir þú tala íslensku?Talar þú íslensku?Icelandic has no do-question. Move the real verb to the front instead: Talar þú, Býrð þú, Vinnur þú.
Moving the second verb to the front instead of the helper verb.
Koma viltu með?Viltu koma með?Only the finite verb, the one that changes for the person, moves to the front. The infinitive stays after the subject.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Yes/no questions build on the verb-second statement.
Related Patterns
- ertu / viltu / talarðuJoined Forms (Ertu, Viltu, Talarðu)
After the verb, þú usually joins it: Talarðu íslensku?
Level 1 - já / nei / júYes, No and Jú
These are the words that answer a yes/no question.
Level 1 - ekkiNot (Ekki)
In a question, ekki comes after the subject: Ertu ekki svangur?
Level 1 - Indirect Questions
Inside a longer sentence a yes/no question starts with hvort and keeps statement order.
Level 4 - Tag Questions
A statement can also become a question with a tag such as er það ekki?
Level 4
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice Yes/No Questions in Bubblegum
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