Any parent knows the struggle of putting a stubborn toddler to bed. To express that a situation remains unchanged regardless of circumstances—saying "no matter what"—Icelandic uses the invariable word sama followed by a question word. While sama translates to "the same," here it functions as "it matters not."
| No matter what I try, the boy resists stubbornly. | Sama hvað ég reyni, strákurinn þráast við. |
Other Interrogative Words
Pair sama with other question words (like hvar for "where" or hver for "who"). The phrase can sit at the beginning or end of the sentence.
| He stomps his feet, no matter where we are. | Hann stappar fótunum, sama hvar við erum. |
| No matter who talks to him, he always resists stubbornly. | Sama hver talar við hann, hann þráast alltaf við. |
Use sama hvaða directly before a noun for "no matter which."
| No matter what lullaby I sing, he does not listen. | Sama hvaða vögguvísu ég syng, hann hlustar ekki. |
Use sama hvenær for "no matter when."
| No matter when I turn off the light, she is awake. | Sama hvenær ég slekk á ljósinu, hún er andvaka. |
"No Matter How"
In English, we say "no matter how" followed by an adjective or adverb (e.g., "no matter how heavy"). In Icelandic, you don't use the word for "how" (hvernig) here. Instead, use sama hvað and place the adjective or adverb later in the clause.
| No matter how much she yawns, she refuses to sleep. | Sama hvað hún geispar mikið, hún neitar að sofa. |
| No matter how heavy his eyelids are, he is still awake. | Sama hvað augnlokin eru þung, hann vakir ennþá. |
Shortening to "Sama hvað"
Just as in English, you can drop the rest of the clause and end a sentence with sama hvað (no matter what) if the context is clear.
| She doesn't bother to listen to the bedtime story, no matter what. | Hún nennir ekki að hlusta á kvöldsöguna, sama hvað. |