Breakdown of Ferðamaðurinn spyr hvar upplýsingarnar eru.
vera
to be
hvar
where
spyrja
to ask
ferðamaðurinn
the tourist
Questions & Answers about Ferðamaðurinn spyr hvar upplýsingarnar eru.
How does the question word hvar work in the middle of the sentence?
Here, hvar (where) introduces an indirect question. Notice the word order: a direct question would put the verb first, like Hvar eru upplýsingarnar? (Where is the information?). But in an indirect question, the subject comes before the verb, giving us ...hvar upplýsingarnar eru. This matches how English handles indirect questions!
Why does the sentence use the plural verb eru (are) for the English word information?
Unlike English, where information is a singular concept, the Icelandic word upplýsingar is a feminine plural noun. Because the noun is plural, you must use the plural verb eru. With the plural definite article attached, it becomes upplýsingarnar (literally the informations).
How is the word ferðamaðurinn built?
It is a compound word made of ferð (journey or travel) and maður (person or man), creating ferðamaður (tourist). The ending -inn is the masculine singular definite article, giving us the tourist.
The infinitive for to ask is spyrja. Why does the verb here look like spyr?