Breakdown of Er heimalærdómurinn búinn eða fáið þið að spila tölvuleikinn aðeins lengur?
vera
to be
þið
you (plural)
spila
to play
að
to (infinitive marker)
fá
to get
eða
or
heimalærdómurinn
the homework
búinn
finished
aðeins
slightly
lengur
longer
tölvuleikurinn
the computer game
Questions & Answers about Er heimalærdómurinn búinn eða fáið þið að spila tölvuleikinn aðeins lengur?
How does fáið þið að spila express permission in this sentence?
The verb fá literally means "to get". However, when you combine it with að plus an infinitive verb (like að spila, to play), it expresses having permission. In this structure, fáið þið að spila translates naturally to "do you get to play" or "are you allowed to play".
Why does the sentence use búinn instead of the common phrase er búið?
Búinn (finished or done) acts as an adjective here and must match the gender of the noun it describes. Because heimalærdómurinn (the homework) is a masculine noun, we use the masculine nominative form búinn. You often hear er búið as a general "it is finished", but that is the neuter form, used when no specific masculine or feminine noun is driving the grammar.
Wait, doesn't aðeins mean "only"? Why is it translated as "a bit" here?
Aðeins is a very flexible word. While it frequently means "only" or "just", its meaning changes slightly depending on the context. When placed directly in front of a comparative adverb or adjective like lengur (longer), it translates to "a little bit" or "slightly". Therefore, aðeins lengur means "a bit longer".
Why is the word for "the computer game" spelled tölvuleikinn here?
It is in the accusative case because it is the direct object of the verb spila (to play). The base word for "game" is leikur, which is a masculine noun. In the accusative case, leikur loses its "-ur" ending and becomes leik. When you add the accusative definite article for "the", it becomes leikinn. Combined with tölva (computer), you get tölvuleikinn.
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