Question 1

Why does the sentence start with Á hótelinu instead of the subject?

Accepted Answer

Icelandic commonly follows a verb-second (V2) pattern in main clauses: whatever comes first (here, the location phrase Á hótelinu) is followed by the finite verb (er), and then the subject (móttakan).  
So Á hótelinu er móttakan... is normal and means the same as a more “neutral” order like Móttakan er opin á hótelinu allan daginn (with slightly different emphasis).

Question 2

Why is it á hótelinu and not á hótelið?

Accepted Answer

The preposition á takes:
- dative when it means location (being somewhere): á hótelinu
- accusative when it implies movement toward/onto somewhere: á hótelið (roughly “onto/to the hotel,” depending on context)

Here it’s about where the reception desk is open (location), so you use dative: á hótelinu.

Question 3

What exactly is hótelinu grammatically?

Accepted Answer

It’s hótel (hotel), neuter, with the definite article attached, in the dative singular form:  
- nominative: hótel / hótelið  
- dative: hóteli / hótelinu

The -nu is the “the” part (definite), plus the dative ending.

Question 4

Why is móttakan written with -an at the end?

Accepted Answer

Icelandic usually expresses the by attaching an ending to the noun. móttaka is a feminine noun meaning “reception (desk)” and móttakan means the reception.  
So:
- móttaka = a reception / reception (indefinite)
- móttakan = the reception (definite)

Question 5

Why is it er (singular) and not something else?

Accepted Answer

Because the subject is móttakan (the reception), which is singular. Icelandic verbs agree with the subject in number (and person), so you get er = “is” (3rd person singular).

Question 6

Why is opin used, not opið or opinn?

Accepted Answer

Opin is the feminine singular nominative form of the adjective meaning open. Predicate adjectives (after to be) agree with the subject in gender, number, and case.  
Since móttakan is feminine singular nominative, the adjective must match:
- masculine: opinn
- feminine: opin
- neuter: opið

So móttakan er opin is correct.

Question 7

Is opin a verb form (like “opens”), or an adjective?

Accepted Answer

It’s an adjective meaning open. The structure is literally is open, not “opens.”  
If you wanted a verb idea like “the reception opens…”, you’d use a verb such as opna (to open), but that’s a different sentence type.

Question 8

Why is it allan daginn and what case is that?

Accepted Answer

Allan daginn means all day (long) and it’s in the accusative because Icelandic commonly uses the accusative for duration of time.  
Base forms:
- dagur = “day”
- daginn = “the day” (accusative singular definite)
- allan matches daginn (masculine accusative singular): allur → allan

So allan daginn is literally “all the day.”

Question 9

Could I also say Á hótelinu er móttaka opin allan daginn (without the definite -n)?

Accepted Answer

You can, but it changes the nuance. Without the definite ending, móttaka is more like a reception or “reception (as a general thing).” In a hotel context, you usually mean the specific reception desk/service, so móttakan (the reception) is the natural choice.

Question 10

Where does the word á go if I want a more straightforward word order?

Accepted Answer

You can move the location phrase later in the sentence, and it still works. For example:
- Móttakan er opin allan daginn á hótelinu.
- Móttakan er á hótelinu opin allan daginn. (less common, but possible)

Starting with Á hótelinu is often used to set the scene first, and it triggers the V2 order: Á hótelinu er...

Á hótelinu er móttakan opin allan daginn.

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