Icelandic phrasebook
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.
==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"
- 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"
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"
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"
Phrase list
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?)
Time
Clock time
Duration
Days
Months
Writing time and date
Colours
Transportation
Bus and train
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 ( )
- Bread.
- Brauð ( )
- Chocolate.
- Súkkulaði ( )
- Fish.
- Fiskur. ( )
- Food.
- Fæða, Matur ( )
- Meat.
- Kjöt. ( )
- Milk.
- Mjólk (noun), Mjólka (verb)
- Salt.
- Salt. ( )
- Water.
- Vatn ( )
Bars
Shopping
Driving
Authority
Learning more
There is an excellent online course from the University of Iceland http://www.icelandic.hi.is/ >