Even though, English is widely spoken in Iceland, I think these words and phrases will certainly come in handy if you plan to visit or if you already live here and want to learn the language. Even if you don’t have Iceland on your bucket list, I find it is a fascinating language to listen to, especially since it has not evolved much since the 12th century. For anyone that is curious about the history of the Icelandic language check out the podcast episode I did about it.
If you find yourself interested in learning more Icelandic words and phrases after listening to this episode, head over to my Instagram account @Foreign2familiar. I teach a new Icelandic word or phrase in my Instagram stories every day.
Icelandic Letters That Are Not in the English Alphabet
Before I jump into the useful phrases, I want to point out that there are some letters in Icelandic that do not exist in English and they are the following:
Æ
ö
Ð – a “th” such as in weather
þ – a”th” sound that is unvoiced
Á
Í
Ý
I am not going to go over every word in the Icelandic alphabet because that would make this episode much longer. However, I have included a cute Youtube video below about how to pronounce Icelandic letters.
One simple rule to remember when saying Icelandic words is that the stress falls on the first syllable of a word.
I am going to start off with the most widely used words and phrases that are helpful when you are interacting with a person that speaks Icelandic. Then, I will move on to words and phrases to know when at a restaurant. Following that are useful words if a problem arises (such as needing the police, if you are sick and so on). The third section are words about common signs in Iceland. Lastly, are words for service places and titles of professionals that you might need, such as a doctor. Ok, now let’s jump into some Icelandic.
Most Widely Used Words & Phrases in Iceland
Já – Yes
Jú – Yoo and it is used for answering a negative question
Nei – No
Góðan daginn or Goðan dag – Good morning or Good afternoon. Commonly used at any time before 6 PM
Sæll – Hello (informal, to a man).
Sæl – Hello (informal, to a woman).
Hæ – Hi (pronounced just like the English word)
Gott kvöld or Goða kvöldið – Good evening – commonly used after 6 PM
Ég heiti ______ – My name is ______
Gaman að kynnast þér – Nice to meet you.
Hvað segirðu gott? – How are you? or literally What say you good?
Ég segi allt gott, þakka þér fyrir – Fine, thank you.
Hvað heitirðu? – What is your name?
Ég er frá – I am from
Weirdly enough, Icelandic people don’t have a word for “please”. The closest word they have is vinsamlegast, which means kindly.
Gjörðu svo vel, (to one person) or Gerið þið svo vel (to many people) – Here you are or if you please
Takk fyrir or Takk – Thank you.
Ekkert að þakka or Ekkert mál – You’re welcome.
Afsakið – Excuse me, (getting someone’s attention).
Fyrirgefðu – Excuse me, (begging pardon).
Ha? – I’m sorry, if you didn’t hear what they said
Því miður – I’m sorry, (regretful)
Bless or bless bless – Goodbye
Bæ – Bye
Góða nótt – Good night.
Sofðu vel – Sleep well
Ég skil ekki – I don’t understand.
Gætirðu talað hægar? – Could you speak more slowly?
Ég tala ekki íslensku- I can’t speak Icelandic
Ég tala ekki íslensku svo vel – I can’t speak Icelandic so well
Talarðu ensku? – Do you speak English?
Er einhver hér sem talar ensku? – Is there someone here who speaks English?
Hvernig segir maður _____ á íslensku? – How do you say _____ in Icelandic?
Ég tala ensku, spænsku, þysku, og smá íslensku – I speak English, Spanish, German and a little Icelandic.
Ok – Allt í lagí or ókei (used among the younger generations)
Hvar er klósettið? – Where is the toilet?
Hvar er _______ ? – Where is _______?
Hvað kostar það? – What does it cost?
Interacting at a Restaurant
Ég ætla að fá… – I would like…
Áttu til…? – Have you got any…?
Meira – More
Meira takk – More, thanks or more, please
Ekki meira takk – No more, thank you
Mjög gott – Very good
Ég er grænmetisæta – I am vegetarian
Ég er vegan – I am vegan
I am vegan. Well more aptly, I am a plant based eater and have been for almost 5 years. I have no issues with finding food in Iceland. In fact, many restaurants have vegan options on the menu. If you are not sure, just call the restaurant to make sure.
Reikninginn, takk – The bill, please
Skál – cheers!
Menu / Food
Matseðill – Menu
Forréttir – Starters or appetizers
Súpa – Soup
Brauð – Bread
Smjör – Butter
Sósa – Sauce
Kjötréttir Meat Dishes
Hangikjöt – Smoked lamb
Svínakjöt – Pork
Kjöt – Meat
Lambakjöt – Lamb
Nautakjöt – Beef
Kjúklingur – Chicken
Fiskréttir – Fish Dishes
Fiskur – Fish
Þorskur – Cod
Lax – Salmon
ýsa – Haddock
Lúda – Halibut
Rækjur – Prawns or shrimp
Silungur/Bleikja – Trout
Grænmeti Vegetables
Kartöflur – Potatoes
Franskar – fries or chips
Blómkál – Cauliflower
Grænar baunir – Peas
Rauðkál – Red cabbage
Sveppir – Mushrooms
Gulrætur – Carrots
Salat – Salad
Agurka -Cucumber
Tomat – tomato
Eftirréttir Desserts
ís – Ice-cream
Kaka/Terta – Cake
Drykkir Drinks
Te – Tea
Kaffi – Coffee
Mjólk – Milk
Sykur – Sugar
Appelsínusafi – Orange juice
Bjór – Beer
Pilsner – Low-alcohol beer
Hvítvín – White wine
Rauðvín – Red wine
Vatn – Water
Kampavín – champagne
Communicating a Problem
Hjálp! – Help!
Varúð!- Look out!
Farðu í burtu. Or just “farðu” – Leave me alone.
Ekki snerta mig! – Don’t touch me!
Ég kalla á lögregluna – I’ll call the police.
Lögregla! Police!
Stopp! Þjófur! – Stop! Thief!
Ég þarf smá hjálp – I need a little help.
Það er áríðandi. – It’s an emergency.
Ég er týndur (male) – I’m lost.
Ég er týnd (female) – I’m lost.
Taskan mín er týnd. – My bag is missing.
Seðlaveskið mitt er týnt. – My wallet is missing.
Ég er veikur (male) – I’m sick.
Ég er veik (female)- I’m sick.
Ég er særður – I’ve been injured.
Ég þarf lækni – I need a doctor.
Má ég nota símann þinn? Can I use your phone?
Signs/Services/Health Professionals
Snyrting – Toilet
Opið – Open
Lokað – Closed
Hætta – Danger
Bannað – Forbidden
Tjaldstæði – Campsite
Sundlaug – Swimming pool
Inngangur/Inn – Entry
Útgangur/út – Exit
Bílastæði – Parking
Áætlun – Schedule
Flugvöllur – Airport
Blindhæð – Blind summit (road sign)
Jeppavegur – Jeep track
Lögreglan – Police
Sjúkrahús – Hospital
Heilsugæslustöð – Health Centre
Læknir – Doctor
Tannlæknir – Dentist
Banki – Bank
Hraðabanki – ATM
Póstur – Post Office
Apótek – Chemist or pharmacy
Verkstæði – Mechanic/garage
Random Fact about Iceland
Now that you’ve learned some useful Icelandic words and phrases, I am going to move on to the random fact about Iceland
Shockingly, at least it was shocking to me, is that Icelandic was only named as the official language of Iceland in 2011! That same year, Icelandic Sign Language was also recognized and became the first official language of Iceland’s deaf community.
Icelandic word of the day
One of the most Icelandic words you can say is Jæja. It is translates to “well” but it can convey so much more than that. Depending on how you say it, you can get across a whole range of emotions. The Reykjavík Grapevine published a hilarious video about how to have a full conversation in Icelandic using only 3 words.
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Þakka þér kærlega fyrir að hlusta (og að lesa) og sjáumst fljótlega
Thank you kindly for listening (and reading) and see you soon!