Aðbúnaðurinn er góður.

The dictionary form is aðbúnaður.

The ending -inn is the definite article attached to the noun, so:

• aðbúnaður = accommodation / conditions / facilities / living conditions
• aðbúnaðurinn = the accommodation / the conditions / the facilities

In Icelandic, the definite article is usually added to the end of the noun instead of being a separate word like English the.

Because Icelandic usually expresses the as a suffix.

Here, -inn is the masculine singular nominative definite ending. So:

• aðbúnaður = an accommodation / accommodation / conditions
• aðbúnaðurinn = the accommodation / the conditions

This is very normal in Icelandic. Instead of putting a separate word before the noun, Icelandic often attaches the article directly to it.

Grammatically, it is singular in this sentence.

That can feel a little strange to an English speaker, because the natural English translation may sometimes use a plural idea, such as the conditions are good. But in Icelandic, aðbúnaðurinn is a singular noun, so the verb and adjective are also singular:

• aðbúnaðurinn = singular
• er = singular is
• góður = singular masculine form of good

So even if English might prefer conditions are, Icelandic treats this noun as singular.

Er is the 3rd person singular present form of vera (to be).

So:

• ég er = I am
• þú ert = you are
• hann/hún/það er = he/she/it is

Since aðbúnaðurinn is a singular noun, Icelandic uses er:

• Aðbúnaðurinn er góður. = The accommodation/conditions is good / are good

Because Icelandic adjectives must agree with the noun they describe or refer to.

Here, góður agrees with aðbúnaðurinn, which is:

• masculine
• singular
• nominative

So the adjective takes the form góður.

Compare:

• masculine singular: góður
• feminine singular: góð
• neuter singular: gott
• plural: góðir / góðar / góð

This kind of agreement is one of the most important features of Icelandic grammar.

Because after vera (to be), the adjective is usually predicative, and predicative adjectives are not made definite in the same way as the noun.

So Icelandic says:

• Aðbúnaðurinn er góður.

not:

• Aðbúnaðurinn er góðurinn.

In English terms, this is like saying The accommodation is good, not The accommodation is the good.

The noun is definite, but the adjective after er stays in its normal agreeing form.

It is masculine.

You can tell that from the adjective form góður, which is the masculine singular nominative form of good. If the noun were feminine or neuter, the adjective would change:

• masculine: góður
• feminine: góð
• neuter: gott

So this sentence also helps you learn the noun’s gender.

No. In aðbúnaður, the letters að are just part of the noun itself.

A learner may notice that Icelandic often uses að before an infinitive, like að fara = to go, but that is not what is happening here. In aðbúnaður, you are dealing with one whole noun, not the infinitive marker plus another word.

So you should learn aðbúnaður as a single vocabulary item.

A careful approximate pronunciation is:

ATH-boo-na-thur-inn er GOH-thur

A few useful notes:

• ð is like the th in this (though pronunciation can vary by position)
• ú is a long oo sound
• au in ður does not sound like English ow here; the ending needs to be learned by ear
• the rolled or tapped r is important in Icelandic

If you want to sound natural, it is best to listen to native audio, because Icelandic spelling and pronunciation do not always match English expectations.

It can vary by context.

Aðbúnaður is a broad word and can refer to things like:

• living conditions
• accommodation
• facilities
• circumstances people are provided with
• the general quality of someone’s material situation

So the exact English wording depends on the situation. In one context it might mean The facilities are good, and in another The living conditions are good.

That is normal: one Icelandic noun can cover several English expressions.

Yes, but Aðbúnaðurinn er góður is the normal, straightforward order.

This is the basic pattern:

• subject + verb + adjective

So:

• Aðbúnaðurinn = subject
• er = verb
• góður = predicative adjective

In some contexts, especially in questions or for emphasis, word order can change, but for a simple statement this is the standard form and the one learners should use first.