Breakdown of Hún spyr hvort brauð sé uppáhalds maturinn minn.
vera
to be
brauð
the bread
hún
she
spyrja
to ask
matur
the food
minn
my
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Questions & Answers about Hún spyr hvort brauð sé uppáhalds maturinn minn.
Why is the verb sé used instead of er in the subordinate clause?
In Icelandic, indirect questions require the subjunctive mood to express uncertainty or supposition. Although in a straightforward statement you would use er (the indicative form of “to be”), in this indirect question the verb is correctly rendered as sé, which is the subjunctive form.
What is the role of hvort in this sentence?
Hvort introduces an indirect yes/no question. It functions similarly to the English “whether” and signals that the clause is not a direct query but rather a reported or embedded question.
Why does the possessive minn come after the noun maturinn?
In Icelandic, possessive pronouns typically follow the noun in definite noun phrases. Thus, maturinn minn literally means “the food my,” which is rendered in natural English as “my favorite food.”
How does the adjective uppáhalds function in the phrase uppáhalds maturinn minn?
Uppáhalds is an adjective meaning “favorite.” In Icelandic, when an adjective modifies a definite noun (here maturinn is in the definite form), the adjective takes its weak (definite) form and is placed before the noun. The possessive, in turn, follows the noun, completing the phrase.
What overall sentence structure is used, and why does it not end with a question mark?
The sentence is an indirect question embedded in a statement: “Hún spyr hvort brauð sé uppáhalds maturinn minn.” Although it contains a question within it—shown by the use of hvort and the subjunctive sé—the main clause (“Hún spyr…”) is a statement reporting someone’s inquiry. As a result, it is punctuated with a full stop rather than a question mark.