Reykjavik Language
As the country only gained full independence from Denmark in 1944, Danish is still spoken among the older generation. 'Video English' has slipped into the slang language of the city's younger inhabitants, although generally they have a good command of English, as it is an integral part of the schooling system.
Despite this trend for foreign words, Reykjavikians are fiercely proud of their language and will always look to use an Icelandic expression or word rather than use an outside replacement: 'computer', for example, is tölva, a combination of the words tala ('number') and völva ('sage').
Some of the Reykjavikians' expressions seem archaic when translated, as they stem from their rural heritage – if something is 'not much good', it is ekki epp á marga fiska ('not worth many fish'); and sauddrukkinn is to be 'as drunk as a sheep' – both colloquial expressions still used today.
Phrases
Yes - Já
No - Nei
Hello - Halló
Goodbye - Bless
Please - Viltu gjöra svo vel
Thank you - Takk (takk fyrir)
My name is … Ég heiti …
How are you? - Hvernig hefurdu thad?
I'm very well - Ég hef thad ágćtt
I feel ill - Ég er lasin
How much does it cost? - Hvad kostar thetta?
Do you speak English? - Talardu ensku?
I don't understand - Ég skil ekki
Where is …? - Hvar er …?
Entrance - Inngangur
Exit - Útgangur
Danger - Hćtta
Open - Opid
Closed - Lokad
Toilets - Salerni
Doctor - Lćknir
Hotel - Hótel
Restaurant - Veitingastadur
Beer - Bjór
Wine - Vín
Menu - Matsedill
Today - Í dag
Tomorrow - Á morgun
Monday- Mánudagur
Tuesday - Thridjudagur
Wednesday - Midvikudagur
Thursday - Fimmtudagur
Friday - Föstudagur
Saturday - Laugardagur
Sunday - Sunnudagur
One - Einn
Two - Tveir
Three - Thrír
Four - Fjórir Five Fimm
Six - Sex
Seven - Sjö
Eight - Átta
Nine - Níu
Ten - Tíu
Twenty - Tuttugu
Thirty - Thrjátíu
Forty - Fjörtíu
Fifty - Fimmtíu
Sixty - Sextíu
Seventy - Sjötíu
Eighty - Áttatíu
Ninety - Nítíu
One Hundred - Eitt hundrad
One Thousand - Eitt thúsund
Tours of Reykjavik
Fresh ideas are just one click away...
Travel Deals for Reykjavik
-
Finland Activity & adventure holidays Finnish Lapland has enormous areas of untouched wilderness and mile upon mile of wild rolling fells. This vast open countryside, sparkling in the winter sunshine, just begs to be explored by
-
Orlando Adrenaline Whether you’re enjoying the hair-raising delights of the world’s only flying rollercoaster called Manta at SeaWorld or racing through the Everglades on an airboat in search of alligators, one thing’s for
-
Cambodia Luxury holidays Today Cambodia is symbolised by awesome Angkor Wat, the largest man-made religious structure in the world. However, Cambodia is also home to some of the finest boutique hotels in the world
-
Laos Inspire Me When the French colonised Indochina they had a saying: "The Vietnamese grow the rice, the Cambodians watch the rice grow, and the Lao people listen to the rice grow." This is
-
Vietnam Cultural breaks Vietnam is a country with a rich and varied history that is now firmly focused on her bright future. This is why it has become one of the hottest destinations for
-
Dominican Republic Family holidays The Dominican Republic has soared in popularity as a tropical hotspot for families seeking sun, sand and an affordable holiday in the Caribbean. The island's main attraction is magnificent golden sand
Quick links
