Wine & Spirits

1. Viinnit allattorsimaffiat takusinnaavara?

   May I see the wine list?

   Usage

   Requesting the wine list at a restaurant

   Grammar Note

   viinni is "wine". A wine list is viinnit allattorsimaffiat ("where the wines are written down").

2. Kalaallit Nunaanneersumik imigassamik innersuussinnaavit?

   Can you recommend a local wine / spirit?

   Usage

   Asking for a local drink recommendation

   Grammar Note

   Danish anbefale is innersuuppaa (half-transitive innersuussivoq) or -mik kajumissaarpaa. "From Greenland" is built like Kalaallit Nunaanneersoq. The paraphrase for "local" is taamaallaat qanittumi atortoq ("used only nearby"); there is no adjective for "local" applied to goods, so the origin is named instead.

3. Rødviinni / hvidviinni / roséviinni piumavara.

   I'd like red / white / rosé wine

   Usage

   Ordering a specific type of wine

   Grammar Note

   Danish rødvin is rødviinni and hvidvin is hvidviinni (with the alternative viinni qaamasoq, "light wine"). Rosé has no dedicated word; the form here applies the same rule of adding -i to the Danish word.

4. Viinnisorfik / puiaasaq piumavara.

   I'd like a glass / bottle please

   Usage

   Ordering by glass or bottle

   Grammar Note

   viinnisorfik is "wine glass" and puiaasaq is "bottle" (also flaske = puiaasaq and drikkeglas = imertarfik). The ordering frame is the same as Rødviinni … piumavara.

5. Nerisassamut tassunga viinni suna naleqquppa?

   Which wine pairs well with this dish?

   Usage

   Asking for a food and wine pairing suggestion

   Grammar Note

   naleqquppoq is "is suitable for, goes with" (Danish passer til); what it goes with takes the allative -mut. nerisassaq is "dish, food".

6. Aalakoornartua qanoq kimittigaa?

   What is the alcohol content?

   Usage

   Asking about the alcohol percentage

   Grammar Note

   alkoholprocent is aalakoornartua [kimittussusia], and stærk for spirits is kimittooq, as in imigassat kimittuut ("strong drinks"). The degree question qanoq …-tigaa is formed like qanoq issitsigaa? ("how cold is it?") and qanoq takitigaa?.

7. Viinni una sukkuisattoq.

   This wine is dry

   Usage

   Describing wine tasting notes

   Grammar Note

   "med lavt sukkerindhold / ~ vin = viinni sukkuisattoq" (the sweet counterpart is tungusunnitsoq). There is no word for "fruity" (frugtagtig) or "smooth" (afkølet); kimikitsoq, offered for mild, means "weak; ineffectual" ("svag, virkningsløs"), so applied to wine it reads as "watery", an insult rather than a compliment.

8. Viinnit usserniarpakka.

   I'd like to do a wine tasting

   Usage

   Requesting a wine tasting

   Grammar Note

   usserpaa is "tastes it, tries it"; an example is viinni usseriassagit! ("try the wine!").

9. Viinni ussersinnaavara?

   May I taste this wine?

   Usage

   Asking if tasting samples are available

   Grammar Note

   usserpaa is "tries it, tastes it", as in viinni usseriassagit! "try the wine!" Adding the ability affix -sinnaa- turns it into a request to taste.

10. Tungusunnippallaanngitsoq piumavara

    Not too sweet, please

    Usage

    Requesting something not too sweet

    Grammar Note

    Danish sød (of taste) is tungusunnitsoq and "smager sødt" is tungusunnippoq; honey, tungusunnitsuut, shares the root. The excessive affix -vallaar- appears as -pallaar- after p. kissaat means "wish, hope" and has nothing to do with sweetness.

11. Viinni una sumit piva?

    What region is this wine from?

    Usage

    Asking about the wine's region of origin

    Grammar Note

    viinni is "wine" (viinnisorfik "wine glass"). The question combines sumit with the example muteq taanna Nummit pivoq ("that fashion came from Nuuk"); the interrogative piva? appears in the example sumut piva?. A region itself is nunap ilaa (Danish område, egn), but since the answer is a place name the question is asked with sumit. viinnissaq means "grape".

12. Kasuutta! Skåleerta!

    Cheers! / Let's toast!

    Usage

    A toast expression

    Grammar Note

    "skål! = kasuutta!"; skåleerneq and skåleerutigaat also exist. Both the Danish-derived skåleerta! and the native kasuutta! are in use and can stand together.

13. Imigassaq aalakoornartortaqanngitsoq peqarpa?

    Do you have non-alcoholic options?

    Usage

    Asking for non-alcoholic options

    Grammar Note

    "en ~ drik = imigassaq aalakoornartortaqanngitsoq" (aalakoornartoq "something intoxicating", -taqanngitsoq "containing none of it"). The existential peqarpa? is "er der noget? = peqarpa?".

14. Neriniartarfiup viinnia sorleq?

    What's the house wine?

    Usage

    Asking about the house wine

    Grammar Note

    There is no word for "house wine", so this says "the restaurant's wine". Restaurant is neriniartarfik, and the possessed viinnia is formed like telefonia ("his telephone"). Relative case plus possessed form is the same pattern as Helikopterit mittarfiat sumiippa?. Noun + sorleq? follows tiitorfik sorleq? ("which cup?"). vinissaa collides with viinnissaq "grape".

15. Viinni una nillerpa?

    Is this wine chilled?

    Usage

    Checking if the wine is chilled

    Grammar Note

    nillerpoq is "is cold", and nillertoq is used for a cold object (nillaarissoq if it is ice-cold to the touch).

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