Breakdown of Heilbrigður maður elskar lífið.
maðurinn
the man
elska
to love
lífið
the life
heilbrigður
healthy (of a person or living being)
Questions & Answers about Heilbrigður maður elskar lífið.
Why does "lífið" have the definite article when the English translation usually just says "loves life"?
In English, we usually leave out "the" when making general statements about abstract concepts like "life," "death," or "nature." However, Icelandic frequently attaches the definite article to these broad concepts. So the neuter noun líf (life) becomes lífið (the life) when talking about life in general.
Why does the adjective end in "-ur" here (heilbrigður)?
The adjective heilbrigður (healthy) is describing the masculine subject maður. Because there is no definite article (like "the") attached to or placed in front of the noun, we must use the "strong" form of the adjective. For masculine nouns in the nominative (subject) case, this strong ending is typically "-ur".
Does maður only mean a male person?
Not always! While maður translates directly to "man," it is also the standard Icelandic word for "person" or "human being." In the context of this proverb-like sentence, it acts as a general statement meaning "A healthy person."
What case is lífið in, and why?
It is in the accusative case because it is the direct object receiving the action of the verb elskar (loves). Because líf is a neuter noun, its accusative form looks exactly the same as its nominative (subject) form, so the word with its attached definite article remains lífið.
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