Breakdown of Í stuttu máli fjallar boðskapurinn um guðina.
í
in / into / to (before the hour, in telling time) / per (in frequency expressions)
um
about
stuttur
short
fjalla
to discuss
málið
the matter, the case
guðinn
the god
boðskapurinn
the message (moral, theme)
Questions & Answers about Í stuttu máli fjallar boðskapurinn um guðina.
Why does the verb fjallar come before the subject boðskapurinn?
Why is guðina in the accusative case?
The phrase fjalla um (to be about / to deal with) uses the preposition um, which always governs the accusative case when used this way. Guðina is the plural accusative form of the masculine noun guð with the definite article attached.
How does the phrase Í stuttu máli literally translate?
It translates roughly to 'in a short matter' or 'in short speech'. The neuter noun mál can mean language, speech, or case/matter. It takes the dative case here because of the preposition í, causing the adjective stuttur (short) to decline into its dative neuter form, stuttu.
What kind of noun is boðskapurinn?
It is a masculine noun featuring the suffix -skapur, which often corresponds to the English suffix '-ship' or '-hood'. Here it is in the nominative singular form with the attached definite article -inn, acting as the subject of the sentence.
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