Breakdown of Hvort borðar gesturinn af hlaðborðinu eða fær hann réttinn sinn?
hann
he
borða
to eat
gesturinn
the guest (m)
fá
to get
af
off
eða
or
sinn
his/her/their own (sinn, sína, sitt)
hvort
whether
rétturinn
the dish (of food)
hlaðborðið
the buffet
Questions & Answers about Hvort borðar gesturinn af hlaðborðinu eða fær hann réttinn sinn?
Why start the sentence with hvort instead of just the verb borðar?
Starting with a verb makes a standard yes/no question. Putting hvort at the beginning specifically signals an "either/or" question. It tells the listener right away that they will be choosing between two alternatives linked by eða (or).
Why is hann included in the second half? Couldn't we just say eða fær réttinn sinn?
Why use sinn for "his" instead of hans?
Sinn is the reflexive possessive pronoun, meaning it refers back to the subject of the clause (hann, the guest). If you used hans, it would mean the guest is getting some other man's dish!
Does réttinn mean the physical plate?
No, réttur (here in the accusative definite form réttinn) means "dish" in the sense of a prepared meal or a course. If you meant the physical plate he eats off of, you would use the word diskurinn.
Why is hlaðborðinu in the dative case here?
It is governed by the preposition af (from/off). When af indicates the source of something or movement away from something (like taking food from a buffet), it forces the following noun into the dative case.
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