Breakdown of Góð líkamsstaða bætir blóðrásina.
góður
good
bæta
to improve
líkamsstaðan
the posture
blóðrásin
the blood circulation
Questions & Answers about Góð líkamsstaða bætir blóðrásina.
The word for "body" is líkami. Why is there an "s" in the middle of líkamsstaða?
When joining nouns to make a compound word, Icelandic usually uses the genitive (possessive) case for the first word. The genitive of the weak noun líkami is normally líkama, but over time, an -s was tacked onto the root to form compounds. This is why you see the prefix líkams- in words like líkamsstaða (posture) and líkamsrækt (fitness/gym).
We are learning about root nouns changing vowels in the plural via i-umlaut. How does that connect to this sentence?
The English translation says "improves blood circulation", but blóðrásina has the definite article attached (-ina). Why?
Icelandic uses the definite article much more frequently than English when referring to abstract ideas, general concepts, or bodily systems. While English leaves it off, Icelandic literally says "improves the blood circulation" because it is a specific, known system within the body.
Why is blóðrásina in the accusative case here?
It is the direct object of the verb bæta (to improve). It is important to memorize that bæta takes the accusative case for the thing being improved, because if you use the closely related phrasal verb bæta við (to add to), the object must be in the dative case instead!
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