Get ég fengið reikninginn, vinsamlegast?

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Breakdown of Get ég fengið reikninginn, vinsamlegast?

• geta: to be able
• fá: to get
• reikningurinn: the bill

Questions & Answers about Get ég fengið reikninginn, vinsamlegast?

Why is the verb first in Get ég instead of Ég get?

Icelandic yes/no questions typically start with the finite verb (verb–subject order). So the statement would be Ég get fengið reikninginn., but the question inverts it to Get ég fengið reikninginn?

Why is fengið used instead of the infinitive fá?

With the modal verb geta (can/be able to), Icelandic commonly uses the supine (often identical in form to the past participle) of the main verb. Fá has the supine fengið, so you get get(a) + fengið. Examples:

• Ég get gert það. (from gera → gert)
• Geturðu talað hægar? (from tala → talað)
• Get ég fengið… (from fá → fengið)

What’s going on with the ending in reikninginn?

• Reikningur is a masculine noun meaning bill/check (restaurant, invoice).
• Fá governs the accusative case, and you want the definite form (the bill).
• Masculine definite accusative singular of reikningur is reikninginn (base reikning-
  • definite ending -inn).