Icelandic phrasebook

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Icelandic is spoken in Iceland. It is a North Germanic language, related to Danish, Swedish, and Norwegian, but unlike them retains the full set of conjugations and declensions that Old Norse had. That and its lack of Latinate words make it a difficult language for English speakers.

Icelandic nouns are declined in four cases, two numbers, and the presence of the definite article. Verbs have person and number, including the dual, which is used with pronouns.

Some phrases in this phrasebook still need to be translated. If you know anything about this language, you can help by plunging forward and translating a phrase.

icelandic phrasebook Travel Guide : 1 Pronunciation guide 1.1 Vowels 1.2 Consonants 1.3 Common diphthongs 2 Phrase list 2.1 Basics 2.2 Problems 2.3 Numbers 2.4 Time 2.4.1 Clock time 2.4.2 Duration 2.4.3 Days 2.4.4 Months 2.4.5 Writing time and date 2.5 Colours 2.6 Transportation 2.6.1 Bus and train 2.6.2 Directions 2.6.3 Taxi 2.7 Lodging 2.8 Money 2.9 Eating 2.10 Bars 2.11 Shopping 2.12 Driving 2.13 Authority 3 Learning more

Pronunciation guide

Although Icelandic looks very formidable with its strange characters "þ" and "ð" and many accented vowels, once the basic rules have been learnt, pronunciation is fairly straightforward. Note that stress ALWAYS falls on the first syllable of any word.

Vowels

Some vowels in Icelandic can have accent marks which modify the sound of each vowel.

a 

like "a" in "hat"

á 

like "ow" in "now"

e 

like "e" in "met"

é 

like "ye" in "yet"

i 

like "i" in "bit"

í 

like "ee" in "meet"

o 

like "o" in "hot"

ó 

like "oe" in "hoe"

u 

like "u" in "put"

ú 

like "oo" in "mood"

y 

like "i" in "bit"

ý 

like "ee" in "meet"

æ 

like "igh" in "high"

o 

like "ur" in "fur"

Consonants

b 

like "b" in "bed"

d 

like "d" in "dead"

ð 

like "th" in "soothe" - only occurs in the middle or at the end of words.

f 

like "f" in "fish" at the beginning of words. Like "v" in "vet" elsewhere.

g 

like "g" in "go" at the beginning of words. Like a soft "ch" in Scottish "loch" in the middle or at the end of words. Sometimes like "y" in "yet" in the middle of words before "i"

h 

like "h" in "hat"

hv 

like "kv" in "kvetch"

j 

like "y" in "yet"

k 

like "k" in "kill"

kk 

like "chk" in Scottish "Loch Carron"

l 

like "l" in "like"

ll 

like "tl" in "potluck"

m 

like "m" in "me"

n 

like "n" in "nurse"

ng 

like "ng" in "finger"

nn 

like "dn" in "hard-nosed"

p 

like "p" in "push"

r 

rolled, like a Scottish "r"

rl 

like "tl" in "potluck"

rn 

like "dn" in "hard-nosed"

s 

like "s" in "sun"; NEVER like "z" in "zero"

t 

like "t" in "take"

tt 

like "cht" in Scottish "Loch Tay"

v 

like "v" in "value"

x 

like "x" in "exit"

þ 

like "th" in "thing"

Common diphthongs

au 

like "ur" in "fur" followed by "ee" in "see" but with no intervening "r" - "u(r)-ee"

ei, ey 

like "ay" in "say"

Phrase list

Basics

Hello. 

Halló. (Hal-loe)

Hello. (informal) 

Sæll (to a man), sæl (to a woman). (Sighdl, sighl)

How are you? 

Hvað segirðu gott? (Kvath say-ir-thu gocht?)

Fine, thank you. 

Ég segi allt gott, þakka þér fyrir. (Yeh say-i atlt gocht, thach-ka thyer fi-rir)

What is your name? 

Hvað heitirðu? (Kvath hay-tir-thu?)

My name is ______ . 

Ég heiti ______ . (Yeh hay-ti _____ .)

Nice to meet you. 

Konmdu sæll (male)/sæl (female). (Komdu sighdl/sighl.)

Please. 

Gjorðu svo vel. (Gyerthu svo vel.)

Thank you. 

Þakka þér fyrir. (Thach-ka thyer fi-rir)

Thanks. (informal) 

Takk. (Tach-k)

You're welcome. 

Ekkert að þakka. (Ekkehrt ath thakka.)

Yes. 

Já. (Yow)

No. 

Nei. (Nay)

Excuse me. (getting attention) 

Afsakaðu. (ahf-sahk-athu)

Excuse me. (begging pardon) 

Fyrirgefðu. (fi-rir-gyev-thu)

I'm sorry. 

Því miður. (Thvee mi-thur)

Goodbye 

Bless. (Bless)

Goodbye (informal) 

Bæ. (bye)

I can't speak Icelandic well. 

Ég tala ekki íslensku svo vel. (Yeh ta-la ech-ki ees-len-sku swo vel)

Do you speak English? 

Talarðu ensku? (Ta-lar-thu en-sku?)

Is there someone here who speaks English? 

Er einhver hér sem talar ensku? (Er ayn-kver hyer sem ta-lar en-sku?)

Help! 

Hjálp! (Hyowlp!)

Look out! 

Passaðu þig! ( Pahss-ahthu th-igh!)

Good morning. 

Góðan daginn. (Goe-than da-yin)

Good evening. 

Gott kvold. (Gocht kvurld)

Good night. 

Góða nótt. (Goe-tha noe-cht)

I don't understand. 

Ég skil ekki. (Yeh skil ech-ki)

Where is ... ? 

Hvar er ... ? (Kvar er?)

Where is the toilet? 

Hvar er klósettið? (Kvar er kloe-sett-ith?)

Problems

Numbers

1 

einn (aydn)

2 

tveir (tvayr)

3 

þrír (threer)

4 

fjórir (fyoe-rir)

5 

fimm (fim)

6 

sex (sex)

7 

sjo (syur)

8 

átta (owch-ta)

9 

níu (nee-u)

10 

tíu (tee-u)

11 

ellefu (ed-le-vu)

12 

tólf (toe-lv)

13 

þrettán (threch-town)

14 

fjórtán (fyoer-town)

15 

fimmtán (fim-town)

16 

sextán (sex-town)

17 

sautján (su(r)-ee-tyown)

18 

átján (ow-tyown)

19 

nítján (nee-tyown)

20 

tuttugu (tuch-tu-ghu)

21 

tuttugu einn (tuch-tu-ghu aydn)

22 

tuttugu tveir (tuch-tu-ghu tvayr)

23 

tuttugu þrír (tuch-tu-ghu threer)

30 

þrjátíu (throw-tee-u)

40 

fjórutíu (fyoe-ru-tee-u)

50 

fimmtíu (fim-tee-u)

60 

sextíu (sex-tee-u)

70 

sjotíu (syur-tee-u)

80 

áttatíu (owch-ta-tee-u)

90 

níutíu (nee-u-tee-u)

100 

hundruð (hun-druth)

200 

tvo hundruð (tvur hun-druth)

300 

þrjá hundruð (thryow hun-druth)

1000 

þúsund (thoo-sund)

2000 

tvo þúsund (tvur thoo-sund)

1,000,000 

milljón (mil-yoen)

number _____ (train, bus, etc.) 

númer _____ (noo-mer)

Time

Clock time

Duration

Days

Months

Writing time and date

Colours

Transportation

Bus and train

Directions

Taxi

Lodging

Money

Eating

Beer. 

Bjór ( )

Bread. 

Brauð ( )

Chocolate. 

Súkkulaði ( )

Fish. 

Fiskur. ( )

Food. 

Fæða, Matur ( )

Meat. 

Kjot. ( )

Milk. 

Mjólk (noun), Mjólka (verb)

Salt. 

Salt. ( )

Water. 

Vatn ( )

Bars

Shopping

Driving

Authority

Learning more

There is an excellent online course from the University of Iceland http://www.icelandic.hi.is/

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