How are you?
There are two main ways to ask how are you in Icelandic. Both methods are extremely common and at least one of them are used in nearly every Icelandic conversation following the initial greeting.
These two phrases are best understood as fixed expressions—groups of words that convey a specific/differnt meaning as a whole. Fixed expressions are often not literal or entirely logical in structure, but their meaning is widely recognized. Typically, altering their wording significantly disrupts their intended meaning.
| Option 1 | Option 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Question | Hvað segirðu (gott)? | Hvernig hefurðu það? |
| Answer | Ég segi... | Ég hef það... |
Example 1: Hæ, Ása. Hvað segirðu? - (Hi, Ása. How are you?)
Example 2: Sæll. Hvað segirðu gott? - (Hello. How are you?)
Example 3. Blessaður. Hvernig hefurðu það? - (Hello, how are you?)
In theory, there are endless ways to answer these questions depending on your mood, but in practice, only a few are commonly used.
| English | Icelandic |
|---|---|
| Good | gott |
| Well | ágætt |
| Fine | fínt |
| Ok | í lagi |
Conversation 1:
Person 1: Komdu sæl Kolbrún, hvað segirðu gott? - (Hello Kolbrún, how are you?)
Person 2: Ég segi allt ágætt. En þú? - (I am well. Yourself?)
Person 1: Ég segi allt gott, takk. - (I am good, thanks.)
Note: With the "ég segi" option, more often than not, the word "allt" will precede the adjective.
Conversation 2:
Person 1: Komdu sæll. - (Hello.)
Person 2: Sæll. - (Hello.)
Person 1: Hvernig hefurðu það? - (How are you doing?)
Person 2: Ég hef það fínt, takk. - (I am doing well, thanks.)
Conversation 3:
Person 1: Hvernig hefurðu það? - (How are you doing?)
Person 2: Ég hef það ágætt, takk. - (I am doing well, thanks.)
Now I Know:
- how to ask somebody how they are doing
- how to tell somebody how I am doing