Breakdown of Maturinn var hvorki góður né boðlegur.
vera
to be
góður
good
maturinn
the food
hvorki
neither
né
nor
boðlegur
acceptable
Questions & Answers about Maturinn var hvorki góður né boðlegur.
Does the sentence need the word ekki (not) since it is negative?
No, hvorki (neither) and né (nor) already make the sentence negative. Just like in English, adding ekki here would create an incorrect double negative, so you leave it out entirely.
Why do both góður and boðlegur end in -ur?
Both of these adjectives describe Maturinn (the food), which is a masculine noun in the nominative case. Because hvorki ... né pairs them together on equal footing, they both must take the masculine nominative ending -ur to agree with the subject.
What is the deeper meaning behind the word boðlegur?
It is derived from the verb að bjóða, which means to offer or invite. Calling something boðlegur essentially means it is fit to be offered to someone. Saying the food was neither good nor boðlegur emphasizes that it wasn't even of acceptable enough quality to serve.
Can hvorki ... né link things other than adjectives like it does here?
Absolutely! While it connects two adjectives in this sentence, it can also connect nouns, pronouns, or verbs, exactly like "neither ... nor" does in English. Just make sure the two things being linked are the same type of word.
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