# Icelandic: Can you repeat that?



## Alxmrphi

Hey all / happy beers,

I am having trouble with my translation of modals in Icelandic, so I've thought of a typical sentence I might use if in Iceland. To say "Can you repeat that?" which of the following is ok to use?

I'm interesting in knowing if they are correct or not, and which are the best to use.Mátt þú endurtaka það?
Mætti þú endurtaka það?

Gætti þú endurtaka það?
Geturðu endurtaka það?​Or I don't know if you use the past subjunctive of the verb to get the meaning either. Though I think (and I hope someone can confirm) that the past subjunctive of the verb is just to get_ would + verb_, is that right?

So I'm thinking maybe the present tense of* mega* and *geta *is for *can*.
Then using the past subjunctive it makes it more polite and it's the same as English* could*.

And the past subjunctive of the verb is for "would" (so endurtæki þú það? is would you repeat that?) ?

Ugh this is all so confusing!!
Can someone mark what I think might be correct? :

Mátt þú endurtaka það? -> Can you repeat that?
Mætti þú endurtaka það? -> Could you repeat that?

Geturðu endurtaka það? -> Can you repeat that?
Gætti þú endurtaka það? -> Could you repeat that?

 Endurtæki þú það? -> Would you repeat that?

​Takk!


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## Tjahzi

This thread is far too interesting to be left unanswered.

Hm, there is one thing that confuses me. Why do you want to use the past tense? As in, why not present? After all, we are talking about a future action here. 

Either this is just how it should be and I'm unaware of it, or you're mislead by the fact that English uses past tense of _will _and _can_ to indicate subjunctive.  

Apart from that, have you considered [Repeat-IMP. that (please)] or [Repeat-PRES.+SUB. that (please)]? (I'm aware of the lack of a perfect equivalent of _please_, but you get my point, I believe.)


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## Alxmrphi

> Hm, there is one thing that confuses me. Why do you want to use the past  tense? As in, why not present? After all, we are talking about a future action here.


For the same reason you use past forms in English, to be more polite.
I wasn't sure if that's what it should be. You use past forms for future actions with English modals.

None of this is for me to indicate subjunctive, but to use the correct form (which I thought was subjunctive) to make a request that matched the pattern of English modals.



> Apart from that, have you considered [Repeat-IMP. that (please)] or  [Repeat-PRES.+SUB. that (please)]? (I'm aware of the lack of a perfect  equivalent of _please_, but you get my point, I believe.)


I know the imperative is used a lot more, and it has less of a 'command' style to it in Icelandic, but I wanted to figure out how the modals work, so didn't talk about the imperative form.
I just chose_ Can you repeat that?_ as a starting point to talk about translating modals, not to find out the most effective way to ask someone to repeat something .

I remember in another post there was the line _sem flestir ættu _(past subjunctive)_ að kannast við_, "_which many people *should* recognise_".
So that's the sort of thing I have seen and wanted to ask about, present meaning but with past subjunctive form.

*Edit:* too much time has passed for me to amend my original post, but I meant to write *mátt* instead of *mátti*.


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## Tazzler

I don't think "mega" is correct as that is more like asking for permission like English "may". "geta" on the other hand is asking about someone's ability just like English "can" and so would be used. I think the past subjunctive to translate "could" i(as a polite request) s correct . I see it rather often anyways. Remember though that the Þú-form in the past tense and past subjunctive has an "r" at the end: "gætir þú" or "gætirðu" and so on. Also remember that after "geta" you use the past participle: "geta endurtekið". As for the past subjunctive in requests, I'm not sure so wait for pollodia or someone.


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## Silver_Biscuit

Ég mundi segja bara "Gætirðu endurtekið þetta".
Yep, mega is used to talk about permission, as in "Þú mátt ekki gera það", or "Má ég fá klaka?", as I was asked this afternoon


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## kepulauan

Silver_Biscuit said:


> Ég mundi segja bara "Gætirðu endurtekið þetta"



Wouldn't it be nice to have a "first prize" smiley?

"geturðu + [past part.]" or "viltu + [infinitive]" also work. Some would argue that _gætirðu_ is more polite.


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## Alxmrphi

Now taking Tazzler's note, about the past subjunctive having the "r" at the end, which would naturally imply the cliticization of þú to -ðu, I see that using the past subjunctive of geta does imply more politeness than the plain present tense (which also implies the same question, just a different register of it).

Thanks guys, your answers have helped me solve something that has been bothering me for a while.
Now SB, did you give them the ice? 

*Edit:* update your profile Silver_Biscuit, now you're living in Reykjavík (jealous much!!!)


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## kepulauan

Can I have some ice too? (to annoy the "may I" camp )

No wait, it's snowing! Won't be needed.


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## Silver_Biscuit

Alxmrphi said:


> Now SB, did you give them the ice?



Já, eftir hann var búinn að borða eplið sitt.  It was an ice _lolly_ he was after, by the way, rather than just ice.


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