Questions & Answers about Ég bið um reikninginn.
Could I use the verb spyrja here instead of biðja?
No, and this is a common mix-up! In Icelandic, spyrja means to ask a question to get information. When you are requesting an item or a service (like asking for the bill), you must use biðja um.
Why does the verb look like bið instead of its infinitive form biðja?
Bið is the 'I' form (first-person singular present tense) of the verb biðja (to ask). It is a slightly irregular verb, so the -ja drops completely when you say ég bið (I ask).
Why do we need the word um in this sentence?
The combination biðja um is a fixed phrase that specifically means 'to ask for' an object. If you used biðja on its own, it would sound more like you are praying or formally requesting a person to do something.
Why is the word for 'the bill' reikninginn instead of its dictionary form reikningurinn?
The preposition um always forces the following noun into the accusative case. The base word for 'bill' is reikningur (a masculine noun). In the accusative, it drops the -ur ending to become reikning. Finally, we add the accusative definite article (the 'the' ending) -inn, resulting in reikninginn.