Word
Sterkleikinn og nákvæmnin skipta miklu máli.
Meaning
The strength and the precision matter a lot.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of Sterkleikinn og nákvæmnin skipta miklu máli.
og
and
mikill
great, much (adjective)
málið
the matter, the case
skipta
to matter (as in "this matters")
Questions & Answers about Sterkleikinn og nákvæmnin skipta miklu máli.
How is the noun sterkleikinn formed, and what is its base word?
It is formed from the adjective sterkur (strong) by adding the suffix -leiki, which creates masculine abstract nouns. The base noun is sterkleiki (strength). Because it is a weak masculine noun ending in a vowel, the definite article is just -nn, making it sterkleikinn (the strength).
What about nákvæmnin? How does the -ni suffix work here?
Nákvæmnin (the precision) comes from the adjective nákvæmur (precise or accurate). Adding -ni creates a feminine abstract noun, nákvæmni. A great bonus for learners is that feminine nouns ending in -ni do not change their endings in any of the four singular indefinite cases. To say 'the precision', we just add the feminine definite article -n, giving us nákvæmnin.
Why are we using the dative phrase miklu máli?
The verb skipta governs the dative case when used in the fixed phrase skipta máli, which means 'to matter' or 'to make a difference'. Because the noun mál is neuter, the adjective mikill (much or great) must take the dative neuter singular form, becoming miklu.
Is there a difference between sterkleiki and the simpler word styrkur?