Questions & Answers about Svarar hann ekki einu barni?
Why is the word for "one" einu instead of eitt or einn?
The number "one" has to match the gender, number, and case of the noun it describes. Here, it describes barni (child), which is a neuter noun in the dative case. The neuter dative form of the number one is einu.
Why is the object barni in the dative case?
The verb svara (to answer) always takes its object in the dative case. This means the person or thing being answered is forced into the dative. The dictionary form barn changes to the dative form barni.
Why does the sentence start with the verb Svarar?
To ask a yes/no question in Icelandic, you move the verb to the very front of the sentence. While English uses helping words like "does" ("Doesn't he answer?"), Icelandic just swaps the verb and the subject: Svarar hann ekki? (literally: "Answers he not?").
Can I put ekki at the beginning of the sentence to mean "doesn't"?
No, ekki can't start a question like "doesn't" does in English. In Icelandic questions, the verb must come first, followed immediately by the subject (hann), and only then the negative word ekki.