Breakdown of Síminn var bilaður hvort eð er, þannig að þessi klaufaskapur skiptir ekki máli.
vera
to be
ekki
not
síminn
the telephone
þessi
this (m/f)
bilaður
broken
málið
the matter, the case
skipta
to matter (skipta máli)
þannig að
so / with the result that
hvort eð er
anyway
klaufaskapurinn
the clumsiness
Questions & Answers about Síminn var bilaður hvort eð er, þannig að þessi klaufaskapur skiptir ekki máli.
How does the phrase hvort eð er function in this sentence?
It translates directly to "anyway" or "in any case." As the lesson notes, it is an invariable phrase, meaning it never changes its form to match gender, number, or case. Notice that it sits at the very end of the first clause, which is the exact same place you would naturally put "anyway" in English.
Why does the word for "broken" end in -ur (bilaður)?
Here, bilaður acts as an adjective describing síminn (the phone). Since sími is a masculine noun in the nominative case, the adjective must agree with it. If we were talking about a neuter word like tækið (the device), it would be tækið var bilað.
Is þannig að the most natural way to say "so" in this context?
Yes. While þannig normally means "thus" or "in that way," adding að turns it into a conjunction meaning "so that" or "therefore." It is perfectly suited for linking a cause (the phone was already broken) to an effect (the clumsiness does not matter).
What causes the word mál to become máli at the end of the sentence?
The verb skipta dictates that its object must be in the dative case. The fixed phrase skipta máli is the standard Icelandic way to say "to matter" or "to make a difference," and because of the verb, the neuter noun mál takes its dative form máli.
How is the word klaufaskapur constructed?
It comes from the noun klaufi (a clumsy person) combined with the suffix -skapur. This suffix is similar to "-ness" or "-ship" in English, turning a description of a person into a general noun for that trait (clumsiness).
Learn Síminn var bilaður hvort eð er, þannig að þessi klaufaskapur skiptir ekki máli and more in Icelandic
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free