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Endurvinnslan er góð fyrir umhverfið.

Endurvinnslan er góð fyrir umhverfið.
Recycling is good for the environment.

Breakdown of Endurvinnslan er góð fyrir umhverfið.

vera
to be
góður
good
fyrir
for
endurvinnslan
recycling
umhverfið
environment
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Questions & Answers about Endurvinnslan er góð fyrir umhverfið.

Why does endurvinnsla have -n at the end in Endurvinnslan?

-n is part of the definite article attached to the noun.

  • endurvinnsla = recycling (indefinite)
  • endurvinnslan = the recycling (definite)
    This is how Icelandic usually marks the: it’s added as a suffix rather than a separate word.
What gender is endurvinnsla, and how can I tell?

Endurvinnsla is feminine. One clue is the definite form endurvinnslan, because -in / -n is a common feminine definite ending in the nominative singular (though you often need to learn gender with the noun).

Why is the adjective góð and not góður or gott?

Adjectives agree with the noun in gender, number, and case.
Here the subject Endurvinnslan is:

  • feminine
  • singular
  • nominative (because it’s the subject)

So góður (masc.) and gott (neut.) would not match; góð is the correct feminine singular nominative form.

Is er just the verb to be? Does it change with the subject?

Yes, er is the present tense of að vera (to be). Icelandic verbs do change for person/number, but in the 3rd person singular it’s er, which works for hann/hún/það and for singular nouns like Endurvinnslan.

Why is the word order Endurvinnslan er góð... and not something else?

This is the neutral Icelandic pattern Subject + Verb + Complement:
Endurvinnslan (subject) + er (verb) + góð (subject complement).
Icelandic word order is fairly flexible, but this is the most basic, statement-style order.

What does the preposition fyrir mean here, and what case does it take?

Here fyrir means for (in the sense of beneficial to). In this meaning it normally governs the accusative.

Why is it umhverfið and not umhverfi?

Umhverfi means environment (indefinite).
Umhverfið means the environment (definite).
After fyrir, the noun is in the accusative, but neuter singular nouns like umhverfi often look the same in nominative and accusative; the clear change you see is the definite ending -ð in umhverfið.

How do I pronounce Endurvinnslan er góð fyrir umhverfið?

A practical learner-friendly guide:

  • Endurvinnslan: stress on the first syllable EN-; the nn is long-ish; the sl cluster is pronounced clearly.
  • er: like ehr (short).
  • góð: like goath (the ó is like o in go, long; ð is a voiced “th” sound like in this, often quite soft).
  • fyrir: roughly FIH-rir (first syllable stressed).
  • umhverfið: stress on UM-; hv is often like kv; final -ðið has a soft voiced ð.

(Exact pronunciation varies a bit by speaker and speed.)

Could I also say Endurvinnsla er góð fyrir umhverfið without the definite ending?

You can, but it changes the feel:

  • Endurvinnslan er góð... = Recycling (as a concept / the recycling practice) is good...
  • Endurvinnsla er góð... can sound more like some recycling / recycling (as an activity) is good..., and may feel less natural as a general statement unless the context supports the indefinite form. In general, Icelandic often prefers the definite form for broad, generic statements like this.
Does góð ever change because of umhverfið (the environment)?
Not here. Góð describes Endurvinnslan (the subject), not umhverfið. So it agrees with Endurvinnslan. The phrase fyrir umhverfið is just a prepositional phrase explaining for what/whom it’s good.