Breakdown of Við þurfum að kaupa annaðhvort flugmiðann eða matinn.
við
we
kaupa
to buy
maturinn
the food
að
to (infinitive marker)
þurfa
to need
eða
or
annaðhvort
either
flugmiðinn
the flight ticket
Questions & Answers about Við þurfum að kaupa annaðhvort flugmiðann eða matinn.
How do we use the 'annaðhvort... eða' structure in this sentence?
This is a correlative conjunction meaning 'either... or'. You place annaðhvort immediately before the first option (flugmiðann) and eða right before the second option (matinn). Note that annaðhvort is written as a single word here, which is the standard spelling when used as a conjunction.
Why are the nouns 'flugmiðann' and 'matinn' in the accusative case?
Both of these nouns are the direct objects of the verb að kaupa (to buy), which always requires its object to be in the accusative case. The conjunction annaðhvort... eða just links the two choices together without changing their grammatical case.
Can I move 'annaðhvort' earlier in the sentence, like in English where we sometimes say 'We either need to buy...'?
No, Icelandic is much stricter about placement. The word annaðhvort must go exactly before the first item in the choice. Because the choice here is between the ticket and the food, it has to go right before flugmiðann.
How do the definite articles (the 'the' part) work on 'flugmiðann' and 'matinn'?
Both base words are masculine: flugmiði (flight ticket) and matur (food). In the accusative case, they become flugmiða and mat. To make them definite, we attach the accusative masculine suffixes, resulting in flugmiðann and matinn.
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