Breakdown of Kynlífið skiptir máli í góðu sambandi.
skipta
to matter (as in "this matters")
sambandið
the relationship
kynlífið
the sex life
Questions & Answers about Kynlífið skiptir máli í góðu sambandi.
Why does Kynlífið have the definite article attached when the English translation is just "Sex"?
In Icelandic, abstract nouns and general concepts typically take the definite article, which is the opposite of English. When talking about sex as a general, overarching concept, you must use kynlífið (literally "the sex") rather than the indefinite kynlíf.
The word kynlíf literally translates to "sex life". Is there a different word if I just want to say "sex"?
No, kynlíf is the standard, everyday word used for "sex" in both senses: the physical act itself and a person's sexual life in general. Even though English differentiates between "sex" and "sex life," Icelandic uses kynlíf for both.
I know skipta means "to change" or "to divide." How does skiptir máli mean "matters"?
Skipta máli is a very common fixed idiom that translates to "to matter" or "to make a difference." You can think of it conceptually as something having the power to "shift the issue" or "change the matter at hand." The verb skipta governs a dative object in this meaning, which is why the neuter noun mál (matter/issue) is in the dative form máli.
Why are góðu and sambandi in the dative case here?
The preposition í can take either the accusative (when showing movement or direction into something) or the dative (when showing a static location or state). Being "in a good relationship" is a static state, so í takes the dative. Since samband is a neuter noun, its dative singular is sambandi, and the matching strong adjective form for "good" is góðu.
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