Breakdown of Við biðjum hann um að bera bakkann og klakann inn.
og
and
hann
he
við
we
að
to (infinitive marker)
inn
in (motion inwards)
bera
to carry
biðja
to ask for (biðja um)
bakkinn
the tray
klakinn
the ice (substance, e.g., ice cubes)
Questions & Answers about Við biðjum hann um að bera bakkann og klakann inn.
Why do we use um að here instead of just að for "to carry"?
This sentence uses the structure for making an indirect command or request. The verb biðja (to ask) pairs with the preposition um when you are asking for something. When you ask someone to do an action, it becomes biðja + person + um að + infinitive verb (bera). It translates literally as asking someone "about to" do something.
Why is the person being asked (hann) in the accusative case here? Doesn't a person receiving a message usually take the dative case?
Yes, many verbs involving telling, helping, or giving take the dative case for the person. However, biðja is a common exception that takes the person being asked in the accusative case. That is why we use the accusative hann (him) rather than the dative honum.
What case are bakkann and klakann in, and how are these words formed?
They are in the accusative case because they are the direct objects being carried. Both come from weak masculine nouns: bakki (tray) and klaki (ice). Their base accusative forms are bakka and klaka. When we attach the definite article for "the", it simply adds -nn, giving us bakkann and klakann.
Why do we use inn for "inside" instead of inni?
In Icelandic, adverbs of place change depending on whether there is motion. Because the action involves moving the items from the outside to the inside, we use the directional form inn. If the tray and ice were already sitting inside and not moving, we would use the stationary form inni.
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