Icelandic phrasebook
From World travel guide
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.
Contents |
[edit]
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.
[edit]
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"
- ö
- like "ur" in "fur"
[edit]
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"
[edit]
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"
[edit]
Phrase list
[edit]
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.
- Gjörðu 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 kvöld. (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?)
[edit]
Problems
[edit]
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 (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
- sjötíu (syur-tee-u)
- 80
- áttatíu (owch-ta-tee-u)
- 90
- níutíu (nee-u-tee-u)
- 100
- hundruð (hun-druth)
- 200
- tvö hundruð (tvur hun-druth)
- 300
- þrjá hundruð (thryow hun-druth)
- 1000
- þúsund (thoo-sund)
- 2000
- tvö þúsund (tvur thoo-sund)
- 1,000,000
- milljón (mil-yoen)
- number _____ (train, bus, etc.)
- númer _____ (noo-mer)
[edit]
Time
[edit]
Clock time
[edit]
Duration
[edit]
Days
[edit]
Months
[edit]
Writing time and date
[edit]
Colours
[edit]
Transportation
[edit]
Bus and train
[edit]
Directions
[edit]
Taxi
[edit]
Lodging
[edit]
Money
[edit]
Eating
- Beer.
- Bjór ( )
- Bread.
- Brauð ( )
- Chocolate.
- Súkkulaði ( )
- Fish.
- Fiskur. ( )
- Food.
- Fæða, Matur ( )
- Meat.
- Kjöt. ( )
- Milk.
- Mjólk (noun), Mjólka (verb)
- Salt.
- Salt. ( )
- Water.
- Vatn ( )
[edit]
Bars
[edit]
Shopping
[edit]
Driving
[edit]
Authority
[edit]
Learning more
There is an excellent online course from the University of Iceland http://www.icelandic.hi.is/coursetest.php
