45 different ways to say the word “green,” but if you want a beer just say “I want beer.”
As one Icelandic language teacher told her foreign students: “F#%& the grammar! You’ll never get it right, so let’s just talk.” Hmm, encouraging. But when you consider that there are 45 different ways just to say the word “green,” and then you have to think about cases, genders, and conjugation (whatever that is), you realize that she’s on to something.
Learning Icelandic is like getting a tattoo on your arse: it’s time consuming, painful, and you rarely get a chance to show it off. It’s an old language, not that different from Old Norse, and Icelanders don’t expect visitors to master much of it on their romantic mini-breaks. But speaking just a little will impress their socks off. Just don’t expect anybody to buy you a drink for it.
Thanks
“Takk”
Luckily, the most useful Icelandic word also happens to be the easiest to pronounce. Say what you see.
I want beer
Ég vil bjór “Yeg vill byor”
Say bjór the same way you’ve been incorrectly saying Björk all this time, just drop the K.
Please
Um, there isn’t a word for please.
If you want a beer, just say “I want beer”. Then just say takk a lot to make up for your appallingly bad manners.
Where is the train station?
There isn’t a train station either, forget about it.
Where is Björk?
Hvar er Björk? “Kvarr er B-yeurk?”
Okay, that cute letter with the little dots over it? It’s not pronounced “o.” Impress all your friends by saying her name the Icelandic way — you won’t be annoying at all.
You’re standing on my foot
Þú stendur á fæti mínum “Thoo stender ow feitee meenum”
Handy in nightclubs.
How much does this cost?
Forget it, you don’t want to know.
One hot dog with everything.
Eina með öllu “Ayna meth utloo”
Tough to pronounce, but well worth it, trust us.
Where is _____?
Hvar er _____? “Kvath er _____?”
Insert location of your choosing. We suggest “your place.”
9 Comments
Hahaha, thanks Annie for the one & only good laugh of this day!!!
;]
Very useful, but when you say more than takk it’s very likely that the other person starts to speak Icelandic. Then is the moment to say:
Ég ekki talar islensku
um, the Icelandic word for please is Vinsamlegast. but its stupid, and is never used unless we are picking a fight or are over 80 years old(and picking a fight with other old people)
If anyone is interested, then there is a good book called “Colloquial Icelandic” by Daisy L. Neijmann. It’s really good, I found it well useful.
No, I’m not Daisy. I’m Rhys. I email Daisy.
What she didn’t tell me was that there’s an accompanying CD. I dan’t have this yet.
You’ve got me hooked now, I MUST know more about the 45 words for green. Excuse my ignorance, I’d kinda figured Iceland was just white … kiddin’!
Amanda,
The REALLY crazy thing is that they all rhyme with “peanut”. Strange language indeed…
Funny, it’s looking a little like hungarian language. You are sure that you are not teaching us some insane bad words?:-)
Ég er læra islensku.
well i don’t know i can have chance to be in iceland, but i’m enjoying it !! ( i’m sad that i couldn’t say that in icelandic … YET !!!!! )
but it’s really really make me puke when im learnig
grammar part ……
and thank u for letting me know that ‘vinsamlegast’sounds stupid .
I WAS PRACTICING IT !!!!!! hahaha
takk fyrir!
ég var á íslandi síðasta vika og reyndi að tala (ok, ég reyndi að SKILJA) íslensku. og ég skildi nærri engin…
but these phrases are really funny and helpful…
oh, and if you would like to say “please” you could then use “gertu svo vel” or “gerið svo vel” (if there’s more than one you’re talking to)
kveðjur frá sviss?
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