Breakdown of Nákvæmnin skiptir máli og við skoðum sérhvert smáatriði.
og
and
við
we
skoða
to look at
skipta
to matter (skipta máli)
smáatriðið
the detail
sérhver
every single
nákvæmnin
the precision
Questions & Answers about Nákvæmnin skiptir máli og við skoðum sérhvert smáatriði.
Why is sérhver in the neuter form sérhvert here?
It agrees with the neuter noun smáatriði (detail) in the accusative case. The verb skoða (to inspect) takes a direct object in the accusative. Because smáatriði is neuter, its nominative and accusative forms are identical, and the distributive pronoun takes the matching neuter accusative form sérhvert.
Does the verb skipta always mean "to matter"?
By itself, skipta usually means "to change", "to divide", or "to switch". However, the fixed phrase skipta máli is an idiom that means "to matter" or "to make a difference". Notice that máli is in the dative case here, as skipta governs the dative when used in this phrase.
What gender is the noun nákvæmni (precision), and how is the definite article attached?
Nákvæmni is a feminine noun. In Icelandic, abstract nouns ending in -i are very often feminine and do not change their spelling across the four cases in the singular. To say "the precision", you simply attach the feminine nominative definite article -n to the end, giving us nákvæmnin.
How is the word smáatriði constructed?
It is a compound noun made of the prefix smá- (small or minor) and the neuter noun atriði (item, point, or issue). Together they literally translate to "small item", which is the standard Icelandic word for a "detail".
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