Icelandic phrases | Most common phrases for everyday life

Icelandic phrases – Here you will find the most common phrases in Icelandic with translation. | Free & useful

Icelandic phrases are short expressions or idioms often used in speech to be polite, express gratitude, greet or say goodbye or simply to have a pleasant conversation.

They are an important part of Icelandic culture and can be useful in different situations, both in private and business life.

Icelandic phrases you should know

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Greet someone in Icelandic

If you want to greet someone in Icelandic, it’s actually quite easy:

English	Icelandic	IPA
Welcome! in Icelandic	Velkomin!	[ˈvɛlˌkʰɔːmɪn]
Good day to you! in Icelandic	Góðan daginn!	[ˈkɔːðan ˈtaijɪn]
Good morning to you! in Icelandic	Góðan morgun!	[ˈkɔːðan ˈmɔr̥kʏn]
Good evening! in Icelandic	Gott kvöld!	[kɔht kʰvœlt]
Good to see you. in Icelandic	Gott að sjá þig.	[kɔht að ˈsjaʊ θɪɣ]
I’m glad to see you. in Icelandic	Ég er glaður að sjá þig.	[jɛɣ ɛr ˈklaːðʏr að ˈsjaʊ θɪɣ]

If you are greeted in Icelandic, the best way to respond is as follows:

English	Icelandic	IPA
Have a nice day too! in Icelandic	Njóttu dagsins líka!	[ˈnjouhtʏ ˈtaixsɪns ˈliːka]
Thanks, it’s nice to see you too.	Takk, gaman að sjá þig líka.	[tʰahk ˈkaːman að ˈsjaʊ θɪɣ ˈliːka]

How is my dialogue partner?

As in any other country, it is polite to start by asking where the person you are talking to is located. Here’s how you do it:

English	Icelandic	IPA
How are you doing? in Icelandic	Hvernig hefur þú það?	[ˈkʰvɛrtnɪk ˈhɛːvʏr θuː ðaːð]
Are you doing well? in Icelandic	Hefurðu það gott?	[ˈhɛːvʏrðʏ ðaːð kɔht]

If you are asked how you feel, you can answer with the following phrases:

English	Icelandic	IPA
Thank you for asking, I am fine. in Icelandic	Takk fyrir að spyrja, mér líður vel.	[tʰahk ˈfɪːrɪr að ˈspɪrja ˈmjɛːr ˈliːðʏr vɛːl]
Thank you, I am fine. in Icelandic	Takk, mér líður vel.	[tʰahk ˈmjɛːr ˈliːðʏr vɛːl]
Thank you, I am not doing so well. in Icelandic	Takk, mér líður ekki svo vel.	[tʰahk ˈmjɛːr ˈliːðʏr ˈɛhcɪ svɔː vɛːl]
Thanks, I’m fine. How are you doing?	Takk, mér líður vel. Hvernig hefur þú það?	[tʰahk ˈmjɛːr ˈliːðʏr vɛːl ˈkʰvɛrtnɪk ˈhɛːvʏr θuː ðaːð]

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How do I say goodbye to someone in Icelandic?

Saying goodbye to a friend or stranger in Icelandic is not that difficult. Just use the following phrases:

English	Icelandic	IPA
Goodbye! in Icelandic	Bless!	[plɛs]
Take care of yourself! in Icelandic	Passaðu þig!	[ˈpʰasaðʏ θɪɣ]
Goodbye in Icelandic	Vertu sæll / Vertu sæl	[ˈvɛr̥tʏ saitl̥ / ˈvɛr̥tʏ saitl]
See you tomorrow in Icelandic	Sjáumst á morgun	[ˈsjauːmst au ˈmɔr̥kʏn]
See you soon in Icelandic	Sjáumst fljótlega	[ˈsjauːmst ˈfljoutlɛɣa]
See you later in Icelandic	Sjáumst seinna	[ˈsjauːmst ˈseihtna]
Good night in Icelandic	Góða nótt	[ˈkouːða ˈnoust]
Sleep well in Icelandic	Sofðu vel	[ˈsɔvðʏ vɛːl]
Talk to you later. in Icelandic	Við heyrumst seinna.	[vɪð ˈheiːrʏmst ˈseihtna]
Nice to have met you! in Icelandic	Gaman að hitta þig!	[ˈkaːman að ˈhɪhta θɪɣ]

How do I introduce myself in Icelandic?

When travelling in Iceland, sooner or later you will come into contact with local people. Naturally, you’ll want to introduce yourself in Icelandic and know who you’re talking to.

English	Icelandic	IPA
My name is Jonas. in Icelandic	Ég heiti Jónas.	[jɛɣ ˈheiːtɪ ˈjouːnas]
What is your name? in Icelandic	Hvað heitir þú?	[kʰvaːð ˈheiːtɪr θuː]
What is your surname? in Icelandic	Hvert er eftirnafn þitt?	[kʰvɛr̥t ɛr ˈɛftɪrˌnapn θɪht]
What is your first name? in Icelandic	Hvert er skírnarnafn þitt?	[kʰvɛr̥t ɛr ˈscirnarˌnapn θɪht]
What is your surname? in Icelandic	Hvað heitir þú í eftirnafni?	[kʰvaːð ˈheiːtɪr θuː iː ˈɛftɪrˌnapnɪ]

If you want to tell people where you come from, the following sentences are useful:

English	Icelandic	IPA
Where do you come from? in Icelandic	Hvaðan ert þú?	[ˈkʰvaːðan ɛr̥t θuː]
I am from London.	Ég er frá London.	[jɛɣ ɛr frau ˈlɔnˌtɔn]
Are you from Birmingham?	Ertu frá Birmingham?	[ˈɛr̥tʏ frau ˈbœrːmɪŋham]
No, I’m from Madrid.	Nei, ég er frá Madríd.	[neiː jɛɣ ɛr frau maˈdriːð]
Great, I’m from Madrid too.	Frábært, ég er líka frá Madríd.	[ˈfrauːpairst jɛɣ ɛr ˈliːka frau maˈdriːð]
Where do you live? in Icelandic	Hvar býrðu?	[kʰvar ˈpʏrðʏ]
I live in Berlin.	Ég bý í Berlín.	[jɛɣ piː iː ˈpɛrˌliːn]

If you have problems with your Icelandic, it is good to know which languages are still spoken:

English	Icelandic	IPA
Do you speak English?	Talarðu ensku?	[ˈtʰaːlarðʏ ˈɛnskʏ]
Yes, I speak English.	Já, ég tala ensku.	[jauː jɛɣ ˈtʰaːla ˈɛnskʏ]
Yes, I speak some English.	Já, ég tala smá ensku.	[jauː jɛɣ ˈtʰaːla ˈsmauː ˈɛnskʏ]
No, I do not speak any English.	Nei, ég tala ekki ensku.	[neiː jɛɣ ˈtʰaːla ˈɛhcɪ ˈɛnskʏ]
I only speak English.	Ég tala bara ensku.	[jɛɣ ˈtʰaːla ˈpaːra ˈɛnskʏ]
I understand some Icelandic.	Ég skil smá íslensku.	[jɛɣ skɪl ˈsmauː ˈistlɛnskʏ]

Useful sentences with ‘I am…’

The following sentences will help you orientate yourself in Icelandic and express your wishes and concerns:

English	Icelandic	IPA
I am English.	Ég er Englendingur.	[jɛɣ ɛr ˈɛɪŋlɛnˌtɪŋkʏr]
I am injured. in Icelandic	Ég er slasaður.	[jɛɣ ɛr ˈslaːsaðʏr]
I am here. in Icelandic	Ég er hér.	[jɛɣ ɛr çɛːr]
I am hungry. in Icelandic	Ég er svangur.	[jɛɣ ɛr ˈsvauŋkʏr]
I am thirsty. in Icelandic	Ég er þyrstur.	[jɛɣ ɛr ˈθɪr̥stʏr]
I am a single person. in Icelandic	Ég er einhleypur.	[jɛɣ ɛr ˈeiːn̥l̥eiːpʏr]
I need help! in Icelandic	Ég þarf hjálp!	[jɛɣ θarf çal̥p]
I am tired. in Icelandic	Ég er þreyttur.	[jɛɣ ɛr ˈθreihtʏr]
I am happy. in Icelandic	Ég er glaður.	[jɛɣ ɛr ˈklaːðʏr]
I am sad. in Icelandic	Ég er sorgmæddur.	[jɛɣ ɛr ˈsɔrkmaiðʏr]
I am in love. in Icelandic	Ég er ástfanginn.	[jɛɣ ɛr ˈaustˌfauŋkɪn]
I am ill. in Icelandic	Ég er veikur.	[jɛɣ ɛr ˈveiːkʏr]
I am ready. in Icelandic	Ég er tilbúinn.	[jɛɣ ɛr ˈtʰɪlˌpuɪn]
I am busy. in Icelandic	Ég er upptekinn.	[jɛɣ ɛr ˈʏhpˌtʰɛːkɪn]
I am lost. in Icelandic	Ég er týndur.	[jɛɣ ɛr ˈtʰiːntʏr]
I am a tourist. in Icelandic	Ég er túristi.	[jɛɣ ɛr ˈtʰuːrɪstɪ]
I am new here. in Icelandic	Ég er nýr hér.	[jɛɣ ɛr ˈniːr çɛːr]
I am confident. in Icelandic	Ég er sjálfsöruggur.	[jɛɣ ɛr ˈsjalsˌœːrʏkʏr]
I am proud. in Icelandic	Ég er stoltur.	[jɛɣ ɛr ˈstɔltʏr]
I am a teacher. in Icelandic	Ég er kennari.	[jɛɣ ɛr ˈcʰɛnːarɪ]
I am late. in Icelandic	Ég er seinn.	[jɛɣ ɛr ˈseihtn]
I am 30 years old. in Icelandic	Ég er þrítugur.	[jɛɣ ɛr ˈθriːtʏɣʏr]
I am in a hurry. in Icelandic	Ég er að flýta mér.	[jɛɣ ɛr að ˈfl̥iːta ˈmjɛːr]
I am happy. in Icelandic	Ég er glaður.	[jɛɣ ɛr ˈklaːðʏr]
I am surprised. in Icelandic	Ég er hissa.	[jɛɣ ɛr ˈhɪsa]
I am angry. in Icelandic	Ég er reiður.	[jɛɣ ɛr ˈreiːðʏr]

Apologising in Icelandic

Here’s how to apologise to a Icelandic speaker:

English	Icelandic	IPA
I apologise. in Icelandic	Ég biðst afsökunar.	[jɛɣ ˈpɪðst ˈafˌsœːkʏnar]
Sorry, that was not the intention.	Afsakið, það var ekki ætlunin.	[ˈavˌsaːcɪð ðaːð var ˈɛhcɪ ˈaihtlʏnɪn]
Sorry, I did not do it on purpose.	Afsakið, ég gerði það ekki viljandi.	[ˈavˌsaːcɪð jɛɣ ˈcɛrðɪ ðaːð ˈɛhcɪ ˈvɪljantɪ]
Sorry, that was very clumsy of me.	Afsakið, þetta var mjög klaufalegt hjá mér.	[ˈavˌsaːcɪð ˈθɛhta var mjœːɣ ˈkʰlœiːvaˌlɛxt çau mjɛːr]

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More information about the Icelandic Intermediate Course.

Useful signs and notices in Icelandic

Useful signs and messages in Icelandic that you will often see.

English	Icelandic	IPA
Entrance in Icelandic	Aðgangur	[ˈaðˌkauŋkʏr]
Toilet in Icelandic	Snyrting	[ˈstnɪr̥tiŋk]
Exit in Icelandic	Útgönguleið	[ˈuːtˌkœŋkʏˌleiːð]
Attention! in Icelandic	Athugið!	[ˈaːtʰʏˌjɪːð]
Police in Icelandic	Lögregla	[ˈlœːɣrɛkla]
Emergency services in Icelandic	Neyðarþjónusta	[ˈneiːðarˌθjouːnʏsta]
Fire brigade in Icelandic	Slökkvilið	[ˈslœhkˌvɪˌlɪːð]
Passage forbidden. in Icelandic	Óheimilt að fara hér um.	[ˈouːˌheiːmɪlt að ˈfaːra çɛːr ʏm]
Caution! in Icelandic	Varúð!	[ˈvaːruð]
This building is under video surveillance.	Þessi bygging er undir myndavélareftirliti.	[ˈθɛsɪ ˈpɪkcɪŋk ɛr ˈʏntɪr ˈmɪntaˌvjɛːlaˌrɛftɪrlɪtɪ]

Numbers to 25 in Icelandic

Counting in Icelandic is not that difficult. Here are the numbers in Icelandic from 1 to 25.

English	Icelandic	IPA
1 in Icelandic	Einn	[ˈeitn̥]
2 in Icelandic	Tveir	[ˈtʰvɛiːr]
3 in Icelandic	Þrír	[θriːr]
4 in Icelandic	Fjórir	[ˈfjouːrɪr]
5 in Icelandic	Fimm	[fɪmː]
6 in Icelandic	Sex	[sɛks]
7 in Icelandic	Sjö	[sjœː]
8 in Icelandic	Átta	[ˈauʰta]
9 in Icelandic	Níu	[ˈniːʏ]
10 in Icelandic	Tíu	[ˈtʰiːʏ]
11 in Icelandic	Ellefu	[ˈɛtlɛvʏ]
12 in Icelandic	Tólf	[tʰoulv]
13 in Icelandic	Þrettán	[ˈθrɛhtauːn]
14 in Icelandic	Fjórtán	[ˈfjouːr̥tauːn]
15 in Icelandic	Fimmtán	[ˈfɪmːtauːn]
16 in Icelandic	Sextán	[ˈsɛkstauːn]
17 in Icelandic	Sautján	[ˈœiːtjauːn]
18 in Icelandic	Átján	[ˈauːtjauːn]
19 in Icelandic	Nítján	[ˈniːtjauːn]
20 in Icelandic	Tuttugu	[ˈtʏhtʏɣʏ]
21 in Icelandic	Tuttugu og einn	[ˈtʏhtʏɣʏ ɔɣ ˈeitn̥]
22 in Icelandic	Tuttugu og tveir	[ˈtʏhtʏɣʏ ɔɣ ˈtʰvɛiːr]
23 in Icelandic	Tuttugu og þrír	[ˈtʏhtʏɣʏ ɔɣ θriːr]
24 in Icelandic	Tuttugu og fjórir	[ˈtʏhtʏɣʏ ɔɣ ˈfjouːrɪr]
25 in Icelandic	Tuttugu og fimm	[ˈtʏhtʏɣʏ ɔɣ fɪmː]

The colours in Icelandic

The most common colours in Icelandic with phonetic transcription for pronunciation.

English	Icelandic	IPA
Red in Icelandic	Rauður	[ˈrœiːðʏr]
Blue in Icelandic	Blár	[plauːr]
Green in Icelandic	Grænn	[kraitn̥]
Yellow in Icelandic	Gulur	[ˈkʏːlʏr]
Black in Icelandic	Svartur	[ˈsvar̥tʏr]
White in Icelandic	Hvítur	[ˈkʰviːtʏr]
Orange in Icelandic	Appelsínugulur	[ˈahpɛlˌsiːnʏˌkʏːlʏr]
Purple in Icelandic	Fjólublár	[ˈfjouːlʏˌplauːr]
Pink in Icelandic	Bleikur	[ˈpleiːkʏr]
Brown in Icelandic	Brúnn	[pruːtn̥]

Days of the week, months and seasons in Icelandic

Of course, you will also need the days of the week in Icelandic and the pronunciation of the months and seasons in dialogues and daily communication in Icelandic.

English	Icelandic	IPA
Monday in Icelandic	Mánudagur	[ˈmauːnʏˌtaːɣʏr]
Tuesday in Icelandic	Þriðjudagur	[ˈθrɪðʏˌtaːɣʏr]
Wednesday in Icelandic	Miðvikudagur	[ˈmɪðvɪkʏˌtaːɣʏr]
Thursday in Icelandic	Fimmtudagur	[ˈfɪmːtʏˌtaːɣʏr]
Friday in Icelandic	Föstudagur	[ˈfœstʏˌtaːɣʏr]
Saturday in Icelandic	Laugardagur	[ˈlœiːɣarˌtaːɣʏr]
Sunday in Icelandic	Sunnudagur	[ˈsʏnʏˌtaːɣʏr]
January in Icelandic	Janúar	[ˈjaːnuˌar]
February in Icelandic	Febrúar	[ˈfɛpruˌar]
March in Icelandic	Mars	[mar̥s]
April in Icelandic	Apríl	[ˈaːpril]
May in Icelandic	Maí	[maiː]
June in Icelandic	Júní	[ˈjuːni]
July in Icelandic	Júlí	[ˈjuːli]
August in Icelandic	Ágúst	[ˈauːkʊst]
September in Icelandic	September	[ˈsɛptɛmˌpɛr]
October in Icelandic	Október	[ˈɔkʰtouˌpɛr]
November in Icelandic	Nóvember	[ˈnouːvɛmˌpɛr]
December in Icelandic	Desember	[ˈtɛːsɛmˌpɛr]
Spring in Icelandic	Vår / Vor	[voːr]
Summer in Icelandic	Sumar	[ˈsʏːmar]
Autumn / Fall in Icelandic	Haust	[hœyst]
Winter in Icelandic	Vetur	[ˈvɛːtʏr]

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More information about the Icelandic Business Course.

Additional links

• The different ways of learning languages
• Learning vocabulary successfully
• Motivated language learning
• It is so easy to train your understanding of a language at the same time
• Learning languages quickly? – Is it possible?
• The different types of learners when learning languages

More information about the Icelandic Course for Children.