Complete Guide to Essential Icelandic Language Basics

The small population, where Iceland is located, and the relatively isolated nature of the language throughout history means that it remains closely linked to how Icelandic ancestors would have communicated. This means that Icelandic is a curious language and a notoriously difficult one to learn from scratch. Its runic alphabet sets it apart from other European scripts. To make matters more difficult, pronunciation and script have a complicated relationship, so pronouncing place names you see on road signs is a challenge in itself!

But don’t worry too much - despite Icelandic being the official language, English is incredibly widely spoken and to a very high standard. You will have no problem getting around speaking English, but knowing a few local phrases can’t hurt!

Greetings In Icelandic

If you are sitting down at a restaurant or just arrived at a tour meeting point, or even need to get someone’s attention, greetings can be a great quick thing to learn in a local language. There are many types of greetings, so we’ll run through a few basic ones.

Hello In Icelandic

Hæ and Halló

These are very quick and basic Icelandic phrases that are very similar to English. Both these can be used fairly informally, so greeting friends or people you already know rather than strangers or at a business meeting, for example. 

Good Morning / Afternoon

Góðan daginn and Gott kvöld

For greeting strangers or shopkeepers, consider a slightly more formal take. “Góðan dag” or “góðan daginn” is a good morning or good day, pronounced like “go-than-n die-in”. If you’re greeting people on an evening, “góða kvöldið” or “gott kvöld” is more appropriate, with the ð being a “th” sound. 

Health & Happiness

Heill og sæll

A traditional greeting in Icelandic which you might not hear often but is common in Icelandic literature is “heill og sæll”. This is a very warm greeting, with modern spins on that being “Komdu sæll”, which is a greeting and a term of endearment. While you might not use this one, it’s good to know it when you hear it around Iceland!

Goodbye in Icelandic

Bless or bæ

If you’re parting ways, a common way to say goodbye is “bless” or the double “bless bless”. A more casual form is simply “bæ” which sounds very similar to its English translation.

Politeness in Icelandic

Like in most other countries, you can be polite in Icelandic by using your basic “please” and “thank you” phrases. These are not expected of you, but it can be a great way to show locals that you’re trying!

Please

Vinsamlegast

Like in other Germanic languages, “please” is not something that is commonly said in Icelandic, so a direct translation is difficult. “Vinsamlegast” is the closest translation available.

Thank You in Icelandic

Takk or Takk fyrir

These are simple words to express thanks in Icelandic - your regular “thanks” would be takk, or “thanks very much” would be “takk fyrir”, pronounced “thah-kah th-yeh-r”.

Sorry

Því miður

If you need to express regret or if you have done something wrong, saying “sorry” goes a long way! This might take some practice as this phrase involves a lot of non-English sounds, but the pronunciation is “thvee mi-dhur”.

Other Basic Phrases In Iceland

If you are looking to learn more than just your basic phrases in Icelandic, here are a few more things that you might find useful on your trip. 

I Don’t Understand

Ég skil ekki

If someone is speaking solidly in Icelandic to you or you have missed some instruction, you might need to express your lack of understanding to someone who doesn’t understand English. This is pronounced “yek skil ek-hi”.

Yes and No

Já and Nei

Very simply, these are pronounced as “yaw” and “nay”.

How Are You?

Hvað segirðu gott?

Literally translating to “what say you good”, this is the Icelandic way to enquire about how someone is doing.

Excuse Me

Afsakið

This word is used if you are attempting to get someone else's attention, for help or to ask a question, pronounced: “av-sak-idh”.

Pronouncing Popular Places in Iceland

Icelandic place names are no walk in the park. You might see the jumble of runic consonants and give up, but there is some satisfaction to be found in nailing it in front of a local! So here are some of the most popular places to visit in Iceland and how to pronounce them correctly in Iceland.

• Reykjavík - (ray-k-ya-vik)
• Hallgrímskirkja - (hatl-krims-kirkya)
• Seljalandsfoss - (sel-ya-lands-foss)
• Vatnajökull - (vaat-nah-yo-ku-tl)
• Eyjafjallajökull - (ei-ya f-yeah-t-la yo-kut-l)
• Þingvellir - (think-vetle)
• Akureyri - (akure-eh-ree)

Take some of these learnings with you as you embark on your Icelandic road trip and impress the locals with just a few phrases. If you need any assistance, our office staff are always happy to help! Happy travels.