Breakdown of Peningar skipta ekki máli.
ekki
not
peningurinn
the money
málið
the matter, the case
skipta
to matter (skipta máli)
Questions & Answers about Peningar skipta ekki máli.
Why is the verb skipta in the plural form when English says "money does"?
In English, "money" is a singular noun, but in Icelandic, the word for money in general is the plural noun peningar (the singular peningur means a coin). Because the subject is plural, the verb must also be the plural skipta.
I thought skipta meant "to change" or "to divide". How does it mean "matter" here?
You are right about the basic meanings of skipta! However, skipta máli is a very common fixed idiom that means "to matter" or "to make a difference".
Why is the word mál written as máli here?
The verb skipta forces the noun that follows it to be in the dative case. The word mál (which can mean issue, case, or language) is a neuter noun, and its dative form is máli.
Why does ekki go in the middle of the phrase skipta máli?
In Icelandic main clauses, the main verb must be the second piece of information. So the verb skipta comes right after the subject Peningar. The negation word ekki (not) directly follows the verb, splitting the idiom into skipta ekki máli.
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