Word
Langar þig í pastasalatið, eða ertu frekar til í ostabakkann?
Meaning
Do you want the pasta salad, or are you rather up for the cheese platter?
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Lesson
Breakdown of Langar þig í pastasalatið, eða ertu frekar til í ostabakkann?
vera
to be
þú
you
langa
to want
í
in / into / to (before the hour, in telling time) / per (in frequency expressions)
Questions & Answers about Langar þig í pastasalatið, eða ertu frekar til í ostabakkann?
What does vera til í mean in this sentence, and what case follows it?
The phrase vera til í is an idiomatic construction meaning "to be up for" or "willing to have" something. The preposition í dictates the case here, governing the accusative. This is why the masculine noun ostabakki (cheese platter) becomes ostabakkann with the definite article.
How does vera til í differ in nuance from langa í?
Both express a desire, but langa í translates to a more direct wanting or craving, like "Do you want the pasta salad?" Meanwhile, vera til í means being agreeable to or open to an option, like "Are you up for the cheese platter?" It makes the second option sound like a casual suggestion.
Why do we say Langar þig instead of Langar þú?
The verb langa is an impersonal verb. It requires the person experiencing the desire to be in the accusative case. Therefore, the nominative pronoun þú changes to the accusative þig.
Why is there an -a- in the middle of ostabakkann?