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Questions & Answers about Við bjóðum þér vatn og köku.
Why is it þér and not þig?
Because bjóða selects the dative for the recipient: pattern bjóða e‑m e‑ð (offer someone something). þér is dative singular; þig is accusative and would be incorrect here. For several people, use dative plural ykkur: Við bjóðum ykkur …
What case are vatn and köku, and why does kaka become köku?
They are direct objects, so accusative. Vatn is neuter; nominative and accusative singular are identical, so it stays vatn. Kaka is a feminine noun that takes -u in the oblique singular, and that ending triggers u‑umlaut: a → ö. Hence nominative kaka → accusative köku.
What does the verb form bjóðum tell me? How does bjóða conjugate?
bjóðum is present tense, 1st person plural (we). Useful forms:
- Present: ég býð, þú býður, hann/hún/það býður, við bjóðum, þið bjóðið, þeir/þær/þau bjóða
- Past: ég bauð, við buðum
- Supine/participle used with hafa/vera: boðið
The vowel alternations (ý/ó/au/u) are regular for this strong verb.
Can I say Við bjóðum vatn og köku þér with the indirect object after the direct object?
That order is possible but sounds odd. Neutral Icelandic order is Subject – Verb – Indirect object (dative) – Direct object (accusative): Við bjóðum þér vatn og köku. Move the indirect object after the direct object only for special emphasis.
Is þér here a polite/formal “you”?
No. Here þér is simply the dative singular of ordinary þú. The old-fashioned polite system (Þér, yður) is rarely used today. In modern use: singular þú/þér, plural þið/ykkur.
What’s the difference between bjóða e‑m e‑ð and bjóða upp á e‑ð?
- bjóða e‑m e‑ð emphasizes the recipient: offer someone something. Example: Við bjóðum þér vatn og köku.
- bjóða upp á e‑ð emphasizes what is on offer/available or being served. Example: Við bjóðum upp á vatn og köku (menu, sign, general availability). You can combine them to address a person politely: Við bjóðum þér upp á vatn og köku.
How would I say this to more than one person?
Use dative plural ykkur for the recipient: Við bjóðum ykkur vatn og köku.
How do I say “the water and the cake” here?
Use definite accusative forms: Við bjóðum þér vatnið og kökuna.
- vatn → vatnið (neuter definite -ið)
- kaka → kökuna (accusative singular definite -na, with u‑umlaut of the stem)
Do I need a preposition for “to you” in Icelandic?
No. Many verbs mark this through case alone. bjóða takes the recipient in the dative without a preposition: bjóða þér e‑ð corresponds to English “offer something to you.”
Can bjóða also mean “to invite”?
Yes, in certain patterns:
- bjóða e‑m í X = invite someone to/for X. Examples: Við bjóðum þér í kaffi (for coffee), Við bjóðum þér í mat (to dinner). In the exact sentence Við bjóðum þér vatn og köku, the default reading is offering/serving, not inviting. Add í to make the invitation meaning explicit.
Any pronunciation tips for this sentence?
- þ in þér is the voiceless th (as in English “thin”).
- ð in við/bjóðum is the voiced th (as in “this”).
- é sounds like j + e: þér ≈ “th-yehr.”
- ó is a long o ≈ “byo-thum” (the bj sounds close to English p+y).
- ö is like German/French ö/eu: köku ≈ “kø-ku.”
- Pronounce both consonants at the end of vatn: “vatn.”
Can I add “both” to stress the two items?
Yes. Use bæði … og …: Við bjóðum þér bæði vatn og köku.