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Það að sogskálarnar nota snertinguna til að smakka matinn er ótrúlegt.

Það að sogskálarnar nota snertinguna til að smakka matinn er ótrúlegt.
The fact that the suction cups use the touch to taste the food is incredible.
From Lesson 490:Noun clauses (það að)·Icelandic

Questions & Answers about Það að sogskálarnar nota snertinguna til að smakka matinn er ótrúlegt.

Why do we use Það að at the beginning of the sentence instead of just Að?
Það að literally means 'it that' but is best translated as 'the fact that'. It is used here to turn an entire clause (the suction cups using touch to taste) into a noun-like subject for the main verb er. While Að alone can sometimes introduce a subject clause, Það að grounds it and strongly emphasizes the factual nature of the statement.
Why is the adjective ótrúlegt in the neuter singular form?
When a whole clause (like our Það að phrase) acts as the subject of a sentence, any adjectives describing it must take the neuter singular form. Even though the subject inside the clause is plural (sogskálarnar), the main verb er and the adjective ótrúlegt are reacting to the 'fact' itself, which Icelandic treats as a neuter singular concept.
Why do snertinguna and matinn have definite articles when the English translation says 'use touch to taste food'?
Icelandic frequently attaches the definite article to general concepts, senses, or substances when they are being applied in a specific, active context. Here, snertinguna refers specifically to the octopus's sense of touch, and matinn refers to its prey, whereas English tends to drop the article for general nouns.
How is the vocabulary word sogskálarnar built?
It is a compound of sog (suction or sucking) and skálarnar (the bowls or cups). Skálarnar is the feminine plural definite form of the noun skál. This is a great example of how Icelandic builds highly descriptive vocabulary by sticking simpler, everyday nouns together.
The word að appears twice in this sentence. Is it doing the same job both times?
No, it serves two completely different grammatical functions here. In Það að, að acts as a conjunction (that) tying the main clause to the sub-clause. Later, in til að smakka (in order to taste), að is an infinitive marker (to) that pairs with the preposition til to express purpose.

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