Breakdown of Þið þurfið að styðja hvort annað.
þið
you (plural)
að
to (infinitive marker)
þurfa
to need
hvor annar
each other
styðja
to support
Questions & Answers about Þið þurfið að styðja hvort annað.
Why are both words in hvort annað in the accusative case?
In Icelandic, the phrase for "each other" changes based on the case that the verb requires. The verb styðja (to support) governs the accusative case. Because "each other" is the object being supported, both parts of the phrase take the accusative form: hvort and annað.
Why is hvort annað in the neuter gender here?
The neuter form hvort annað is used as the standard default when the genders of the two people are unknown or if they are a mixed-gender pair (like one man and one woman). If you were speaking specifically to two men, you would use the masculine hvor annan, and for two women, the feminine hvor aðra.
Does hvort annað tell us exactly how many people are in the group?
Yes! The word hvor (and its variations) is strictly used for exactly two people or things. If "you" (þið) referred to a group of three or more people needing to support each other, you would have to use the word hver instead, making the phrase hvert annað.
Why do we need the word að before styðja?
The verb þurfa (to need) works very similarly to English here. When you need to do an action, þurfa is followed by the infinitive marker að (to) and then the infinitive form of the main verb. So, þið þurfið að styðja literally mirrors "you need to support".
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