Question 1

How does the suffix -dómur form the word sjúkdómurinn in this sentence?

Accepted Answer

The suffix -dómur creates masculine abstract nouns, often describing a state, condition, or realm. Here, it is added to the root of the adjective sjúkur (sick) to form sjúkdómur (disease or sickness). The -inn at the end is simply the attached masculine definite article.

Question 2

Why does the sentence use hann at the end to mean "it"?

Accepted Answer

Pronouns in Icelandic always match the grammatical gender of the noun they replace, regardless of whether the noun is a living thing. Because sjúkdómur is a masculine noun, it must be referred to with the masculine pronoun hann rather than the neuter pronoun það.

Question 3

Is hvort sem ... eða ekki the standard way to say "whether ... or not"?

Accepted Answer

Yes! Hvort sem is a conjunction used for "whether" in conditional statements. Just like in English, you pair it with eða ekki (or not) to present two opposing possibilities. Note that it functions as a dependent clause, which is why the main clause that follows it starts with a verb.

Question 4

Why do we use skulum við here instead of just saying við reynum?

Accepted Answer

The verb skulu (shall) conjugated in the first-person plural with við is the standard way to express "let's" in Icelandic. While við reynum simply states "we try," skulum við reyna is a strong suggestion meaning "let's try." The subject and verb are inverted (skulum við instead of við skulum) because they immediately follow the dependent clause.

Hvort sem sjúkdómurinn er banvænn eða ekki, skulum við reyna að lækna hann.

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