The Around the World phrasebook
Let's learn traveller's Icelandic
Not the school kind — the airport, taxi and dinner-table kind. Every phrase with a say-it-out-loud pronunciation.
Nobody expects you to speak fluent Icelandic. But ten words in the right places — and the market seller smiles, the driver drops the price, the waiter brings the good stuff. We've gathered 65 phrases that actually work, sorted by the moment you'll need them: the landing, the taxi, check-in, the table. Each with a pronunciation you can read aloud without cringing.
Phrasebook · 1/8
First words
| What you want to say | Icelandic | How to say it |
|---|---|---|
| Hello (formal) | Góðan dag | GOH-than DAG |
| Hello (informal) | Hæ | HAI |
| Goodbye | Bless | BLESS |
| Thank you | Takk | TAK |
| Please | Vinsamlegast | VIN-sam-leh-gast |
| Yes | Já | YOW |
| No | Nei | NEY |
| Sorry | Fyrirgefðu | FIR-i-gev-thu |
| I don't understand | Ég skil ekki | YEG skil E-ki |
| Do you speak English? | Talarðu ensku? | TA-lar-thu ENS-ku? |
Phrasebook · 2/8
Courtesy & introductions
| What you want to say | Icelandic | How to say it |
|---|---|---|
| Good morning | Góðan daginn | GOH-than DA-gin |
| Good evening | Gott kvöld | GOT kvoeld |
| How are you? | Hvernig hefurðu það? | KVERD-nig HEY-vur-thu that |
| My name is… | Ég heiti… | YEG HEY-ti… |
| Nice to meet you | Gaman að hitta þig | GA-man ath HIT-ta thig |
| I am from Israel | Ég er frá Ísrael | YEG er frao EES-rah-el |
| See you | Sjáumst | SYOWMST |
Phrasebook · 3/8
At the airport & on the flight
| What you want to say | Icelandic | How to say it |
|---|---|---|
| Where is the gate? | Hvar er hliðið? | HVAR er HLI-ðeð? |
| Is the flight delayed? | Er fluginu seinkað? | ER FLU-gin-u SEIN-kað? |
| Boarding pass | Brottfararspjald | BROT-far-ars-pjald |
| My suitcase hasn't arrived | Taskan mín er ekki komin | TAS-kan MEEN er E-ki KO-min |
| I have a connecting flight | Ég er með tengiflug | YEG er með TEN-gi-flug |
| Window/aisle seat | Gluggasæti/gangasæti | GLU-ga-sai-ti/GAN-ga-sai-ti |
| Where is passport control? | Hvar er vegabréfaeftirlit? | HVAR er VE-ga-bré-fa-eft-ir-lit? |
Phrasebook · 4/8
Transport & directions
| What you want to say | Icelandic | How to say it |
|---|---|---|
| To this address, please | Á þennan stað, takk | OW THEN-an STATH, tahk |
| How much to the center? | Hvað kostar að fara í miðbæinn? | KVAHT KOST-ar ath FAH-rah ee MITH-bai-een? |
| One ticket to… | Einn miði til… | AITN MITH-ee til… |
| Which platform? | Hvaða brautarpallur? | KVAH-tha BROY-tar-PATH-lur? |
| Where is the bus station? | Hvar er strætóstöðin? | KVAR er STRAI-toh-STETH-in? |
| Stop here, please | Stöðva hér, takk | STETH-vah HYER, tahk |
| Is it far? | Er það langt? | ER thah LANKT? |
| Turn left/right | Beygðu til vinstri/hægri | BAYG-thoo til VIN-stree/HAY-gree |
| Straight | Beint | BAINT |
Phrasebook · 5/8
Hotel & stay
| What you want to say | Icelandic | How to say it |
|---|---|---|
| I have a reservation | Ég á pöntun | YEG ow PON-toon |
| Check-in | Innritun | IN-ri-toon |
| Check-out | Útritun | OOT-ri-toon |
| Is breakfast included? | Er morgunverður innifalinn? | ER MOR-gun-ver-dhir IN-i-fa-lin |
| Room key | Herbergislykill | HER-ber-gis-li-kil |
| Wi-Fi password | Lykilorð fyrir Wi-Fi | LI-ki-lordh FE-rir VAI-fai |
| Can I leave my luggage? | Get ég skilið farangurinn minn? | GET YEG SKI-lidh FA-rang-gu-rin MINN |
| The air conditioner doesn't work | Loftkælingin virkar ekki | LOFT-kai-ling-in VIR-kar E-ki |
Phrasebook · 6/8
Restaurant & food
| What you want to say | Icelandic | How to say it |
|---|---|---|
| Table for two | borð fyrir tvo | BORTH fi-RIR TVO |
| The menu, please | matseðilinn, takk | MAT-sedh-i-lin, TAKK |
| What do you recommend? | hvað mælirðu með? | KVA-dh MAY-lir-dhu MEDH |
| The bill, please | reikninginn, takk | REIK-ning-in, TAKK |
| Tap water | kranavatn | KRAN-a-vatn |
| I have a nut allergy | ég er með hnetuofnæmi | YEG er medh HNE-tu-ov-NAI-mi |
| No meat | ekkert kjöt | E-kert KYOT |
| It was excellent | það var frábært | THADH var FRAU-bairt |
| Can I pay by card? | get ég borgað með korti? | GET YEG BOR-gath medh KOR-ti |
Phrasebook · 7/8
Shopping & money
| What you want to say | Icelandic | How to say it |
|---|---|---|
| How much does it cost? | Hvað kostar þetta? | kvað KOS-tar HE-ta |
| It's too expensive | Þetta er of dýrt | HE-ta er ov DEERT |
| Do you accept cards? | Takið þið kort? | TA-kid thid KORT |
| I'm just looking | Ég er bara að skoða | YEG er BA-ra að SKO-da |
| Can I have a receipt? | Get ég fengið kvittun? | GET yeg FENG-id KVIT-un |
| Where is an ATM? | Hvar er hraðbanki? | kvar er HRATH-banki |
| A smaller size | Minni stærð | MIN-ni STAIRð |
Phrasebook · 8/8
Emergencies & health
| What you want to say | Icelandic | How to say it |
|---|---|---|
| Help! | Hjálp! | HYOWL-p! |
| Call a doctor. | Hringdu í lækni. | HRING-doo ee LAYK-nee. |
| Call the police. | Hringdu á lögregluna. | HRING-doo ow LUR-eh-glu-na. |
| Where is a pharmacy? | Hvar er apótek? | KVAR er AH-po-tek? |
| I don't feel well. | Mér líður ekki vel. | MYER LEE-dur EH-kee vel. |
| I'm lost. | Ég er týndur. | YEG er TEEND-ur. |
| I need a hospital. | Ég þarf sjúkrahús. | YEG tharv SYOO-kra-hoos. |
| It hurts here. | Það er vont hér. | THAD er VONT hyer. |
Q&A
Answers to your questions
How do you say "thank you" in Icelandic?
"Takk" (TAK). It's one of the five words worth knowing by heart before you land.
How much Icelandic do I need for a trip?
Not much. Five or six courtesy words (hello, thank you, please, sorry, yes/no) open doors, and another ten to fifteen phrases for fixed situations — a taxi, check-in, the restaurant bill — cover almost any trip. The rest: a camera-translation app.
Can you get by in English where Icelandic is spoken?
In city centres, hotels and tourist sites — usually yes, especially with younger people. Outside them — markets, transport, small towns — a few words of the local language make a real difference and are warmly received.
Which countries have Icelandic as an official language?
Icelandic is a main language in 1 countries: Iceland.
What's the difference between the formal and casual greeting?
Most languages have a formal "hello" for strangers, service staff and elders, and an everyday version for friends and peers. As a traveller it's always safer to open with the formal one — nobody is offended by too much politeness.
How do you politely ask someone to speak English?
"Talarðu ensku?" (TA-lar-thu ENS-ku?) — "do you speak English?". Lead with "excuse me" in the local language and it comes across as respectful.
About this page
Written and checked by the Around the World team. We compare prices across the major providers, cross-check official sources, and update when something changes. We have no stake in any one provider — links are affiliate links, and the price is the same for you.
Sources: Phrasebook: the Around the World team · Language-to-country: Around the World data