Icelandic phrasebook
Icelandic (íslenska) is the national language of 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. On the other hand, speakers of German will find many elements of Icelandic grammar familiar, as both languages retain various conjugations and declensions from Proto-Germanic, which have been lost in other Germanic languages. As Icelandic is a Germanic language, speakers of other Germanic languages such as German, English or Dutch would be able to recognise some cognates.
Most Icelanders are able to speak English as well, so learning Icelandic is generally not necessary to communicate. Nevertheless, attempts to speak Icelandic are very much appreciated by the locals.
Pronunciation guideAlthough Icelandic looks very formidable with its strange characters "þ" and "ð" and many accented vowels, once the basic rules have been learned, pronunciation is fairly straightforward.
GrammarIcelandic nouns are declined in four cases, two numbers, and the presence of the definite article. All Icelandic nouns have one of three genders assigned to them: male, female and neuter.
Phrase listNote: you should take time to learn the alphabet rather than rely on the pronunciation guides within the brackets.
Sources and licences
- Guide text adapted from the Wikivoyage article "Icelandic phrasebook" by its contributors, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read on Wikivoyage · Contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0