Breakdown of Bros sérhvers skjólstæðings var ómetanlegt.
vera
to be
brosið
the smile
sérhver
every single
skjólstæðingurinn
the client
ómetanlegur
invaluable
Questions & Answers about Bros sérhvers skjólstæðings var ómetanlegt.
How does the word sérhvers decline in this sentence?
Sérhvers is the masculine singular genitive form of sérhver (every single). It is in the genitive case because it modifies skjólstæðings (of a client). To decline sérhver, you simply take the prefix sér-, which never changes, and attach the normal declension of hver. Because the masculine genitive of hver is hvers, the resulting word is sérhvers.
Why is there no definite article attached to Bros if the English translation says 'The smile'?
In Icelandic, when a noun is followed immediately by a possessive genitive phrase like sérhvers skjólstæðings (of every single client), the initial noun usually drops its definite article. Forcing the article here to make it Brosið sérhvers skjólstæðings would sound unnatural to native speakers.
Why does the adjective ómetanlegt end in -t instead of matching the genitive case of the client?
The adjective ómetanlegt (invaluable) describes the subject of the sentence, which is Bros (smile), not the client. Because Bros is a neuter noun in the nominative singular, the adjective must also be in the neuter nominative singular, which requires the -t ending.
What is the literal breakdown of the vocabulary word skjólstæðings?
The nominative base word is skjólstæðingur, which means a client, patient, or ward. It is a compound of skjól (shelter or protection) and a suffix derived from the verb standa (to stand). It literally describes someone standing in your shelter. In this sentence, it takes the -s ending to form the genitive case.
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