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Icelandic phrasebook Travel Guide
From Wikitravel
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.
Contents |
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" but like "ow" in "now" when followed by "ng" or "nk"
- á
- like "ow" in "now"
- e
- like "e" in "met"
- é
- like "ye" in "yet"
- i
- like "i" in "bit" but like "ee" in "meet" when followed by "ng" or "nk"
- í
- like "ee" in "meet"
- o
- like "o" in "hot"
- ó
- like a cross between "aw" in "raw" and "ow" in "blow"
- u
- like "u" in "put" or like "eu" in french "Adieu" but like "oo" in "moon" when followed by "ng" or "nk"
- ú
- like "oo" in "mood"
- y
- like "i" in "bit"
- ý
- like "ee" in "meet"
- æ
- like "igh" in "high"
- ö
- like "ur" in "fur"
Consonants
- b
- same as "b" but "p" when at word end or following "m".
- d
- same as "d" but "t" when at word end.
- ð
- like "th" in "soothe" - only occurs in the middle or at the end of words.
- f
- like "f" in "fish", but like "v" in "vow" when between vowels. However, before "l" or "n" is like "b" in "bed".
- g
- like "g" in "go", same as "k" at word ends (although there are exceptions: "ég"). Sometimes like "y" in "yet" in the middle of words before "i"
- h
- like "h" in "hat", like "k" when before a consonant: f, r, v.
- hv
- like "kv" in "lock vent"
- 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". The l has more air to it, and sounds like the "ll" in "Llangollen"
- m
- like "m" in "me"
- n
- like "n" in "nurse"
- ng
- like "ng" in "finger"
- nn
- like "dn" in "hard-nosed" after "á", "æ", "í", "ó", "ú", "ý", "au", "ei", or "ey". Otherwise like English "nn" after all other vowels.
- p
- like "p" in "push" but when before "s", "k", or "t", like "f" in "fun"
- r
- rolled, like a Scottish "r"
- rl
- like "tl" in "potluck"
- rn
- like "dn" in "hard-nosed" after the above mentioned special characters.
- s
- like "s" in "sun"; NEVER like "z" in "zero"
- t
- like "t" in "take"
- tt
- "h" and "t" fused together, like a "ht" sound
- v
- like "v" in "value"
- x
- like "x" in "exit"
- þ
- like "th" in "thing"
Common diphthongs
- au
- like "ur" in "fur" (do not prononce the r) followed by "ee" in "see" but with no intervening "r" - "u(r)-ee" (or, öy - öí - öj)
- ei, ey
- like "ay" in "say"
Phrase list
Basics
|
Common signs
|
- Hello.
- Halló. (Hal-law)
- Hello. (informal)
- Sæll (to a man), sæl (to a woman). (Sightl, sighl)
- How are you?
- Hvað segirðu gott? (Kvadh sek-ir-dhu goht?)
- Fine, thank you.
- Ég segi allt gott, þakka þér fyrir. (Yeh sek-i atlt goht, thah-ka thyer fi-rir)
- What is your name?
- Hvað heitirðu? (Kvadh hay-tir-dhu?)
- My name is ______ .
- Ég heiti ______ . (Yeh hay-ti _____ .)
- Nice to meet you.
- Komdu sæll (male)/sæl (female). (Komdu sighdl/sighl.)
- Please.
- Gjörðu svo vel. (Gyer-dhu svo vel.) or Ég bið þig. (Yeh bidh thih.)
- Thank you.
- Þakka þér fyrir. (Thah-ka thyer fi-rir)
- Thanks. (informal)
- Takk. (Tahk)
- You're welcome.
- Ekkert að þakka. (Eh-kehrt adh thah-ka.)
- Yes.
- Já. (Yaw)
- No.
- Nei. (Nay)
- Excuse me. (getting attention)
- Afsakið. (ahv-sak-idh)
- Excuse me. (begging pardon)
- Fyrirgefðu. (fi-rir-gyev-dhu)
- I'm sorry.
- Því miður. (Thvee mi-dhur)
- Goodbye
- Bless. (Bless)
- Goodbye (informal)
- Bæ. (bye)
- I can't speak Icelandic [well].
- Ég tala ekki íslensku [svo vel]. (Yeh ta-la eh-ki ees-len-sku [svo vel])
- Do you speak English?
- Talarðu ensku? (Ta-lar-dhu 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! (Hyawlp!)
- Look out!
- Passaðu þig! ( Pahss-ahdhu th-igh!)
- Good morning.
- Góðan daginn. (Goe-dhan ta-kin)
- Good evening.
- Gott kvöld. (Goht kvurlt)
- Good night.
- Góða nótt. (Goe-dha noe-ht)
- I don't understand.
- Ég skil ekki. (Yeh skil eh-ki)
- Sure.
- Vissulega. (Vee-soo-lay-kah)
- OK.
- Allt í lagí. (Atlt ee lak-i)
- Where is ... ?
- Hvar er ... ? (Kvar er?)
- Where is the toilet?
- Hvar er klósettið? (Kvar er klow-sett-idh?)
Problems
Numbers
- 1
- einn (aydn)
- 2
- tveir (tvayr)
- 3
- þrír (threer)
- 4
- fjórir (fyoe-rir)
- 5
- fimm (fim)
- 6
- sex (sex)
- 7
- sjö (syur)
- 8
- átta (ohw-ta)
- 9
- níu (nee-u)
- 10
- tíu (tee-u)
- 11
- ellefu (e-tle-vu)
- 12
- tólf (toe-lv)
- 13
- þrettán (threh-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 (tuh-tu-ghu)
- 21
- tuttugu einn (tuh-tu-ghu aydn)
- 22
- tuttugu tveir (tuh-tu-ghu tvayr)
- 23
- tuttugu þrír (tuh-tu-ghu threer)
- 30
- þrjátíu (thryow-tee-u) (-ow, as in; cow)
- 40
- fjórutíu (fyoe-ru-tee-u)
- 50
- fimmtíu (fim-tee-u)
- 60
- sextíu (sex-tee-u)
- 70
- sjötíu (syur-tee-u)
- 80
- áttatíu (owh-ta-tee-u)
- 90
- níutíu (nee-u-tee-u)
- 100
- hundruð (hun-drudh)
- 200
- tvö hundruð (tvur hun-drudh)
- 300
- þrjá hundruð (thryow hun-drudh)
- 1000
- þúsund (thoo-sunt)
- 2000
- tvö þúsund (tvur thoo-sunt)
- 1,000,000
- milljón (mil-yoen)
- number _____ (train, bus, etc.)
- númer _____ (noo-mer)
Time
Clock time
Duration
Days
Sunday Sunnudagur (sun-u-ta-koor) Monday Mánudagur (mown-ut-ak-oor) Tuesday þriðjudagur (thridh-yut-ak-oor) Wednesday Miðvikudagur Thursday Fimmtudagur Friday Föstudagur Saturday Laugardagur
Months
January janúar February febrúar March mars April april May maí June júní July júlí August agúst September september October október November nóvember December desember
Writing time and date
Colours
red rauður yellow gulur green grænn blue blár purple purpuralitur, rauðfjólublár black svartur white hvítur brown brúnn
Transportation
Bus and train
- Bus (in towns)
- Strætó (stright-o)
- Bus (long distance)
- Rúta/á ætlunarbíll
- Where is the bus station?
- Hvar er biðstöðin?
- Where is the bus stop?
- Hvar er strætóstöðin?
- Does this bus go to ... ?
- Fer þessi rúta (strætó) til ... ?
- What time does it leave?
- Hvenær fer hún?
- What time does it arrive?
- Hvenær kemur hún til?
- When is the next bus to ... ?
- Hvenær fer næsta rúta (strætó) til ... ?
Directions
Taxi
Lodging
Money
- How much does it/that cost?
- Hvað kostar það? (Kvath costah thath)
- Where's the bank?
- Hvar er bankinn? (Kvar airr bankinn)
Eating
- Beer.
- Bjór (Bee-y-oe-hrr)
- Bread.
- Brauð (Brr-u(r)-ee-th) (-th, is soft, as in 'soothe')
- Chocolate.
- Súkkulaði (S-ooh-kk-eu-la-thi) (-eu, as in french 'Adeu') (-i, as in 'pin') (-th, is soft, as in 'soothe')
- Fish.
- Fiskur. (Fiss-k-eu-r )
- Food.
- Fæða, Matur (Maa-t-eu-r)
- Meat.
- Kjöt. (Ki-u(r)-t) (-Ki, as in japaneese life-force or Ai-ki-do/ Aikido)
- Milk.
- Mjólk (noun), Mjólka (verb) (Myoe-l-k) (Myoe-l-kaa)
- Salt.
- Salt. (Saal-t)
- Water.
- Vatn (Vaa-ah-dn)
(A Note on Pronounciation: The - stripe is not a pause. It is only meant as a means to break down the word to understandable peaces. Pleas pronounce the words with continuity, flow and adequite swiftness; befitting a single words cohesive unity.)
Bars
Shopping
Driving
Authority
Learning more
There is an excellent online course from the University of Iceland http://www.icelandic.hi.is/
