Breakdown of Hvort ætlar hún að velja skelfiskinn eða kjötið?
hún
she
að
to (infinitive marker)
ætla
to intend
eða
or
velja
to choose
kjötið
the meat
hvort
whether
skelfiskurinn
the shellfish
Questions & Answers about Hvort ætlar hún að velja skelfiskinn eða kjötið?
Why does this question start with hvort instead of the verb ætlar?
In Icelandic, hvort is used to introduce alternative questions where there is a choice between two things (linked here by eða). It signals right away that the listener is being asked to pick between option A and option B, rather than just asking a yes or no question about her intentions.
Would it be wrong to leave out hvort and just start with Ætlar hún...?
Can we still use hvort if there are three or more options on the menu?
No, hvort strictly implies a choice between exactly two alternatives (the shellfish or the meat). If she were choosing between three or more dishes, you would drop hvort and either start with the verb ætlar, or use a question word like hvaða (which).
Why are skelfiskinn and kjötið in the accusative case here?
They are the direct objects of the verb velja (to choose). In Icelandic, the thing being chosen takes the accusative case. Since the sentence specifies the shellfish and the meat, both nouns also have their definite articles attached: the masculine skelfiskur becomes skelfiskinn, and the neuter kjöt becomes kjötið.
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