Learn Icelandic: Það er auðvelt að gera sprotafyrirtækið arðbært. - It is easy to make the startup profitable.

Það er auðvelt að gera sprotafyrirtækið arðbært.

It is easy to make the startup profitable.

Breakdown of Það er auðvelt að gera sprotafyrirtækið arðbært.

vera

to be

það

it / there (existential) / the one (n)

gera

to do / to make (something) + adjective

að

to (infinitive marker)

Questions & Answers about Það er auðvelt að gera sprotafyrirtækið arðbært.

How is the word sprotafyrirtæki formed?

It is a great example of an Icelandic neologism (newly created word). It combines sproti (a shoot, sprout, or small branch) with fyrirtæki (company). Metaphorically, a startup is a "sprout company" that is just beginning to grow.

What is the literal meaning of the adjective arðbært?

It translates to "profitable." It is made up of the noun arður (profit, yield, or dividend) and the suffix -bær, which means "bearing" or "capable of" (similar to the English suffix "-able"). Literally, it means "profit-bearing."

Why does arðbært end in -t here instead of its dictionary form arðbær?

In this sentence, arðbært is an object complement describing the noun sprotafyrirtækið. Because fyrirtæki is a neuter word and is the direct object (in the accusative case) of the verb gera, the adjective must agree with it. The neuter singular accusative form of arðbær is arðbært.

Can you always use gera to mean "make" when talking about causing a state or condition?

Yes, in the structure gera + object + adjective (like gera sprotafyrirtækið arðbært), the verb gera perfectly mirrors the English use of "make" to mean causing something to become a certain way. Just remember that the adjective must always agree with the object in gender, number, and case.