Questions & Answers about Smakkar þú eitthvað?
Does eitthvað mean 'something' or 'anything' in this question?
It can mean both! Icelandic doesn't have a strict rule splitting 'something' and 'anything' like English does. In a question like this, eitthvað is perfectly natural for 'Are you tasting something?' or 'Do you taste anything?'. You might also hear the word nokkuð used to mean 'anything', but eitthvað is very common.
What case is eitthvað in here, and why didn't it change form?
It is in the accusative case because it is the direct object of the verb smakka (to taste). The neuter pronoun eitthvað is very convenient because its nominative and accusative forms are exactly the same, so the spelling doesn't change.
I've seen words like bragðast used for 'taste'. Why use smakkar here?
The verb smakka is used for the active action of a person tasting food or drink, like sampling a soup. Words related to bragð, like the middle-voice verb bragðast, are usually used to describe how the food itself tastes, such as 'Súpan bragðast vel' meaning 'The soup tastes good'.
How would you say 'Do you taste something?' instead of 'Are you tasting something?'
You would use this exact same sentence! Icelandic does not have a separate continuous tense with an '-ing' equivalent like English does. Smakkar þú eitthvað? covers both 'Do you taste something?' and 'Are you tasting something?'.
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