Breakdown of Við byrjum með lítið af fjármagni.
lítill
small / a little (small amount)
við
we
byrja
to start
með
with
af
of (in quantity expressions)
fjármagnið
the capital
Questions & Answers about Við byrjum með lítið af fjármagni.
Why do we use lítið af instead of just putting lítið directly in front of the noun?
When talking about an uncountable mass or concept (like capital, time, or coffee), Icelandic usually prefers using the neuter singular forms mikið (much) or lítið (little) followed by af (of). So instead of saying 'little capital', you literally say 'a little of capital' (lítið af fjármagni).
Why does fjármagn end with an -i here?
The preposition af always forces the noun that follows it into the dative case. Fjármagn is a neuter mass noun, and adding -i is the standard way to form the dative for this type of word, giving us fjármagni.
What case is the word lítið in after the preposition með?
It is in the accusative case. The preposition með (with) takes the accusative when it means having, holding, or starting with something. Here, lítið acts as a neuter pronoun meaning 'a little amount'. Because it is a neuter word, its nominative and accusative forms look exactly the same.
How is the compound noun fjármagn built?
It is made from fé (money or wealth, which turns into the prefix fjár- in compound words) and magn (amount or quantity). Put them together, and you get 'money-amount', which is how Icelandic expresses capital or funding.
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