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Pronunciation guide

English / Islandic / German
Englisch / Isländisch / Deutsch

English / Englisch

Islandic / Isländisch
Íslensku

German / Deutsch

 

 

 

the most important

 

das Wichtigste

yes

ja

no

nei

nein

Please!

Gjörðu svo vel!
(to one person)
Gerið þið svo vel!
(to many people)

Bitte!

Thank you!

Þakka þér fyrir!
Takk!

Danke!

Hello!

Halló!

Hallo!

Goodbye!

Bless!

Auf Wiedersehen!

Excuse me! Sorry!

Fyrirgefðu!

Entschuldigung!

 

 

 

Who?
(personal pronouns)

 

Wer?
(Personalpronomen)

I

ég

ich

you

þið, þér, þú

du

he

hann

er

she

hún

sie

it

það

es

we

vér

wir

you

þú

ihr

they

þeir (m), þær (f), þau (n)

sie

 

 

 

Verbs

 

Verben

ask

beiða, biðja, bjóða, spyrja

fragen

be

liggja, vera

sein

can

brúsi, dós

können

come

koma

kommen

do

gera

tun

drink

drekka

trinken

eat

borða, éta

essen

feel

finna til, þykja

fühlen

find

finna, hitta

finden

go

fara, ganga

gehen

have, own

eiga

haben

hear

heyra, hlusta á

hören

help

bjarga, hjálpa

helfen

know, recognize  

þekkja

wissen

laugh

hlátur, hlæja

lachen

learn

frétta, læra

lernen

like

líkindi

mögen

love

elska, unna

lieben

play

leika

spielen

read

lesa

lesen

remember

muna

erinnern (sich)

see

sjá

sehen

sleep

sofa

schlafen

smell

lykt, lykta

riechen

smile

bros, brosa

lächeln

speak

ávarpa

sprechen

taste

bragðast

schmecken

tell

segir (tells)

erzählen

think

hugsa

denken

try

reyna

versuchen

use

nota

benutzen

write

skrifa

schreiben

 

 

 

Questions

 

Fragen

from where?

hvaðan?

woher?

how much?

 

wie viel?

how?

hve, hvernig

wie?

what?

hvað? hvaða?

was?

when?

hvenær?

wann?

where?

hvar?

wo?

where? whereto?

 

wohin?

which?

 

welche/r?

who?

er, hver, hvor, sem?

wer?

whom?

við hvern?

wem?

whom?

við hvern?

wen?

whose?

hvers?

wessen?

why?

af hverju?

warum?

 

 

 

Where?
(statements of place)

 

Wo?
(Ortsangaben)

here

hére

hier

in

á

in

on

á

auf

over

yfir

über

to

zu / nach

under

undir

unter

 

 

 

How? (adjektives)

 

Wie? (Adjektive)

big

mikill

groß

clever

duglegur, röskur

klug

cool

svalur

kühl

easy

auðveldur, þægur

einfach

fast

fljótur

schnell

friendly

alúðlegur, vingjarnlegur

freundlich

good

góður

gut

happy

glaður

glücklich

hard

fast, harður

hart

high

hár

hoch

little

lítill, smár

klein

new

nýr

neu

slow

hægur

langsam

soft

mjúkur

weich

warm

hlýr

warm

 

 

 

When? (time data)

 

Wann? (Zeitangaben)

after

eftir

nach

again

aftur

wieder

always

alltaf

immer

before

áður en

bevor

now

núna

jetzt

often

oft

oft

sometimes

 

manchmal

still

ennþá

noch

then, at that time

þá

dann

time

tími

Zeit

 

 

 

important words (nouns)

 

wichtige Worte (Nomen)

animal

dýr

Tier

book

bók

Buch

child

barn

Kind

compromise

spilla fyrir, stofna í hættu

Kompromiss

computer

tölva

Computer

dictionary

orðabók

Wörterbuch

friend

vinur

Freund, Freundin

fun

gaman, fjör

Spaß

future

framtíð, vætanlegur

Zukunft

human being

mann-, maður

Mensch

hunger

hungur, sultur

Hunger

internet

Internet

Internet

joy

gleiði

Freude

love

ást

Liebe

past

framhjá

Vergangenheit

peace

friður, grið

Frieden

people

fólk

Leute

relaxation

slökun

Entspannung

sleep

sofa

Schlaf

sun

sól

Sonne

thing

hlutur

Ding

thirst

dipsia, dipsesis

Durst

toilet, (amerikanisch:) bathroomt

klósettið

Toilette

 

 

 

Miscellaneous

 

Sonstiges

a, an

 

ein, eine

the

 

der, die, das

this

þessi

dies

and

og

und

because

vegna

weil

but

en

aber

if

ef

wenn, falls

all

allur

alle, alles

almost

nærri

fast

also

sömuleiðis, einnig

auch

many

marg/ur

viele

much

hinn, hið

viel

not

ekki

nicht

only

aðeins

nur

or

eða

oder

very

mjög

sehr

with

með

mit

 

 

 

Numbers

 

Zahlen

zero

núll

null

one

einn (masculine)
ein (feminine)
eitt (neuter)

eins

two

tveir (masculine)
tvær (feminine) 
tvö (neuter)

zwei

three

þrír (masculine)
þrjár (feminine)
þrjú (neuter)

drei

four

fjórir (masculine)
fjórar (feminine)
fjögur (neuter)

vier

five

fimm

fünf

six

sex

sechs

seven

sjö

sieben

eight

átta

acht

nine

níu

neun

ten

tíu

zehn

No responsibility is taken for the correctness of this information.

Übersetzung ohne Gewähr.

Pronunciation guide from http://wikitravel.org/en/Icelandic_phrasebook

Although 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. 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. Vowels can come in long or short forms. In Icelandic, all vowels can be long or short. Vowels are long when they are in single syllable words, or when they form the penultimate syllable in two syllable words.

A a 

  • (Short) like "a" in "land", (long) like "a" in "car"; or like "ow" in "now" when followed by "ng" or "nk".
  • Á á 
    • Like "ow" in "now".
  • E e 
    • (Short) like "e" in "met", (long) like "ea" in "bear".
  • É é 
    • Like "ye" in "yes".
  • I i 
    • (Short) like "i" in "bit", (long) same "i" but lengthened; or like "ee" in "meet" when followed by "ng" or "nk".
  • Í í 
    • Like "ee" in "meet".
  • O o 
    • (Short) like "o" in "hot", (long) like "or" in "door".
  • Ó ó 
    • Like "o" in "snow".
  • U u 
    • (Short) like "u" in "put", (long) the same short "u" but lengthened; or like "oo" in "moon" when followed by "ng" or "nk".
  • Ú ú 
    • Like "oo" in "moon".
  • Y y 
    • Same as Icelandic "i": (short) like "i" in "bit", (long) same "i" but lengthened; or like "ee" in "meet" when followed by "ng" or "nk".
  • Ý ý 
    • Same as Icelandic "í": like "ee" in "meet".
  • Æ æ 
    • Like "i" in "mile".
  • Ö ö 
    • (Short) like "ur" in "fur" but shorter, (long) like "ur" in "fur"; (do not pronouce the "r").

     

    Consonants

    B b 

    • Like "b" in "bed", or like "p" when at word end or following "m".
  • D d 
    • Like "d" in "day", or like "t" when at word end.
  • Ð ð 
    • Like "th" in "that", (only occurs in word middle and word end).
  • F f 
    • Like "f" in "fish", or like "v" in "van" when between vowels; or when before "l" or "n", like "b" in "bed".
  • G g 
    • Like "g" in "go", or like "k" in "kill" when in word middle; it is lost after "á", "ó", "u" when followed by "a" or "u" in the next syllable or when at word end.
  • H h 
    • Like "h" in "hat", or like "k" when before a consonant; (never silent like "honour").
  • J j 
    • Like "y" in "yes".
  • K k 
    • Like "k" in "kill".
  • L l 
    • Like "l" in "like".
  • M m 
    • Like "m" in "me".
  • N n 
    • Like "n" in "nurse".
  • P p 
    • Like "p" in "push", or like "f" in "far" when before "s", "k", or "t".
  • R r 
    • Rolled, like Scottish "r".
  • S s 
    • Like "s" in "sun"; (never like "z" in "zero").
  • T t 
    • Like "t" in "take".
  • V v 
    • Like "v" in "value".
  • X x 
    • Like "x" in "exit".
  • Þ þ 
    • Like "th" in "thing".
  •  

    Common diphthongs and letter combinations

    au 

    • Like "ur" in "fur" (do not prononce the r) followed by "ee" in "see" but with no intervening "r" - "u(r)-ee", similar to "oy" in "boy".
  • ei, ey 
    • Like "ay" in "say".
  • gi, gj 
    • Like "gy" in "drag-you" at word start; like "y" in "yes" in word middle or at word end.
  • hv 
    • Like "kv" in "lock vent".
  • kk 
    • Like "chk" in Scottish "Loch Carron".
  • ll 
    • Like "tl" in "settle". Similar to Welsh "ll" (double L) but more aspirated (has more air to it).
  • ng 
    • Like "nk" in "thinker", not "ng" in "finger".
  • nn 
    • Like "dn" in "hard-nosed" when after "á", "é", "í", "ó", "ú", "ý", "æ", "au", "ei", or "ey"; or like "nn" in "tunnel" after "a", "e", "i", "o", "u", "y" or "ö".
  • pp 
    • Like "h" and "p" fused together, similar to "hop" without the "o".
  • rl 
    • Like "dl" in "riddle" similar in form to Welsh "ll" (double L) but said harder.
  • rn 
    • Like "dn" in "hard-nosed" when after "á", "é", "í", "ó", "ú", "ý", "æ", "au", "ei", or "ey".
  • tt 
    • Like "h" and "t" fused together, similar to "hut" without the "u".

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