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)
eða
or
til
to
frekar
rather
pastasalatið
the pasta salad
ostabakkinn
the cheese platter
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?
This is a compound word formed from ostur (cheese) and bakki (platter/tray). In Icelandic compound nouns, the first word often takes the genitive form to link them together. The genitive plural of ostur is osta, resulting in ostabakki.
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