Icelandic is a North Germanic language that has changed remarkably little since the Viking Age — modern Icelanders can still read the medieval sagas in their original form. The language preserves grammatical features that other Scandinavian languages lost centuries ago, making it one of the more complex European languages to learn fully. The good news for travellers is that English is spoken almost universally across Iceland, from Reykjavik to remote highland farms. We still recommend learning a handful of phrases, both for practical place-name pronunciation and for the genuine delight Icelanders show when visitors attempt their language.
Greetings and Basics
| English | Icelandic | Pronunciation |
|---|
| Hello | Halló | HAL-loh |
| Good day | Góðan daginn | GOH-than DIE-in |
| Good evening | Gott kvöld | got KVUHLD |
| How are you? | Hvað segir þú? | kvath SAY-ir thoo |
| Fine, thank you | Fínt, takk | feent, tahk |
| Please | Vinsamlegast | VIN-sahm-leh-gahst |
| Thank you | Takk (fyrir) | tahk (FIR-ir) |
| You’re welcome | Ekkert að þakka | EH-kehrt ath THAH-kah |
| Excuse me | Afsakið | AHF-sah-kith |
| Yes / No | Já / Nei | yow / nay |
| I don’t understand | Ég skil ekki | yeh skil EH-kee |
| Do you speak English? | Talarðu ensku? | TAH-lar-thoo EN-skoo |
| Goodbye | Bless | bless |
Getting Around
| English | Icelandic | Pronunciation |
|---|
| Where is…? | Hvar er…? | kvar ehr |
| How much is a taxi to…? | Hvað kostar leigubíll til…? | kvath KOS-tar LAY-goo-beetl til |
| Left / Right / Straight | Vinstri / Hægri / Beint áfram | VIN-stree / HYE-gree / baynt OW-frahm |
| Bus stop | Strætóstöð | STRY-toh-stuhth |
| Airport | Flugvöllur | FLOOG-vuht-loor |
| Hotel / Guesthouse | Hótel / Gistihús | hoh-TEHL / GIS-tee-hoos |
| Petrol station | Bensínstöð | BEN-seen-stuhth |
| How far is it? | Hversu langt er? | KVER-soo langt ehr |
| I need help | Ég þarf hjálp | yeh tharf hyowlp |
| Road closed | Vegur lokaður | VEH-goor LOH-kah-thoor |
Food and Dining
| English | Icelandic | Pronunciation |
|---|
| The menu, please | Matseðilinn, takk | MAHT-seh-thil-in, tahk |
| The bill, please | Reikninginn, takk | RAYK-ning-in, tahk |
| Water | Vatn | vahtn |
| Coffee | Kaffi | KAH-fee |
| Beer | Bjór | byohr |
| Delicious | Ljúffengt | lyoof-FENGT |
| I am vegetarian | Ég er grænmetisæta | yeh ehr GRYNE-meh-tee-SYE-tah |
| Fish | Fiskur | FIS-koor |
| Lamb | Lamb | lahm-b |
| Cheers! | Skál! | skowl |
Numbers
| Number | Icelandic | Pronunciation |
|---|
| 1 | Einn | aytn |
| 2 | Tveir | tvair |
| 3 | Þrír | threer |
| 4 | Fjórir | FYOH-reer |
| 5 | Fimm | fim |
| 6 | Sex | sex |
| 7 | Sjö | syuh |
| 8 | Átta | OWT-ah |
| 9 | Níu | NEE-oo |
| 10 | Tíu | TEE-oo |
Emergency Phrases
| English | Icelandic | Pronunciation |
|---|
| Help! | Hjálp! | hyowlp |
| I need a doctor | Ég þarf lækni | yeh tharf LYKE-nee |
| Call the police | Hringdu í lögregluna | HRING-doo ee LUH-greh-gloo-nah |
| Hospital | Sjúkrahús | SYOO-krah-hoos |
| I’m lost | Ég er villtur/villt | yeh ehr VILT-oor / vilt |
| It’s an emergency | Þetta er neyðartilfelli | THEH-tah ehr NAY-thar-til-FEL-ee |
| Pharmacy | Apótek | ah-POH-tehk |
| Emergency number: 112 | Neyðarlínan: 112 | NAY-thar-LEE-nahn |
The most important pronunciation tip for Icelandic is mastering the unique letters. “Þ/þ” (thorn) sounds like the “th” in “think.” “Ð/ð” (eth) sounds like the “th” in “this.” The double “ll” is pronounced as “tl” (so “fjall” is “fyatl”). The accent marks on vowels change the sound entirely: “a” is like “ah” but “á” is like “ow.” Do not worry about getting everything perfect — Icelanders speak excellent English and will happily switch if needed. But attempting “takk fyrir” at a cafe counter or “bless” when leaving a shop will always be met with a warm response.
