Breakdown of Ég veit ekki hvort gestgjafinn biður okkur um að kæla veitingarnar.
ég
I
ekki
not
að
to (infinitive marker)
okkur
us
vita
to know (a fact, information)
hvort
whether
biðja
to ask for (biðja um)
veitingarnar
the refreshments
kæla
to chill
gestgjafinn
the host
Questions & Answers about Ég veit ekki hvort gestgjafinn biður okkur um að kæla veitingarnar.
Why do we need um before að kæla?
This is part of the specific structure for indirect commands with the verb biðja (to ask). The pattern is biðja + accusative object + um að + infinitive. The preposition um is required here to link the request to the action (að kæla).
Since okkur can be both accusative and dative, which case is it here?
It is in the accusative case. The verb biðja takes an accusative object for the person being asked. It is a good reminder that while okkur looks the same in both cases, the grammar rules of the specific verb still apply!
Why use hvort instead of ef for 'whether' or 'if' in this sentence?
Both words can mean 'if' in English, but they have different jobs in Icelandic. You use ef for conditionals (for example, 'I will go if you go'). You use hvort for indirect questions or when there are two possibilities, like knowing or not knowing a yes/no fact: Ég veit ekki hvort... (I don't know whether...).
How is the word gestgjafinn (the host) formed?
It is a compound word that combines gestur (guest) and gjafi (giver) to make gestgjafi (literally: guest-giver). The -nn at the end is the attached definite article, making it 'the host' in the nominative case.
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