Breakdown of Sambandið er mjög sterkt.
vera
to be
mjög
very
sterkur
strong / spicy, hot (of food)
sambandið
the relationship
Questions & Answers about Sambandið er mjög sterkt.
Why does "strong" end in -t (sterkt) here?
In Icelandic, adjectives must match the gender of the noun they describe. The word for "relationship" (samband) is a neuter noun. Therefore, the base adjective sterkur drops its masculine -ur ending and takes the neuter -t ending to become sterkt.
What is the literal meaning of the word sambandið?
The base word samband is made of two parts: the prefix sam- meaning "together" and band meaning "band," "tie," or "bond." So it literally means a tie holding things together. The -ið at the very end is the attached neuter definite article, making it "the relationship."
Does samband refer to a romantic relationship, or just a general connection?
It can be both! You can use samband to talk about a romantic relationship (like the phrase að vera í sambandi which means "to be in a relationship"), an emotional bond between friends, or even a literal physical connection like an internet signal (netsamband).
This lesson focuses on hvor annar (each other). How would I say two people have a strong relationship "with each other"?
The word samband is typically used with the preposition við (with), which triggers the accusative case. If you wanted to say "They have a strong relationship with each other" for a mixed-gender couple (þau), you would say: Þau eru í sterku sambandi hvort við annað. Notice how hvort and annað are neuter to match the pronoun þau, and annað takes the accusative case because it directly follows the preposition við.
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