Short Fixed Phrases

This lesson will serve two purposes: (1) to provide a good bank of useful pre-constructed phrases, and (2) to provide background vocabulary necessary for the next two units.

Pre-constructed phrases reduce the mental effort and time needed to form sentences, making conversations smoother and more fluid. In fact, most conversations rely on a small set of frequently repeated phrases. By learning these, you unlock a whole new level of conversational ability.

Additionally, pre-constructed phrases serve as useful grammatical reference points when forming your own sentences. You can compare your new sentences to these known correct structures, identifying and adjusting any inconsistencies. This powerful technique can be applied to any Icelandic sentence or phrase you know to be grammatically sound—use it to your advantage as often as possible!

Set 1

Ég skil. - (I understand.)
Geturðu endurtekið? - (Could you repeat?)
Að sjálfsögðu. - (Of course.)
Fyrirgefðu. - (Sorry.)
Talarðu ensku/íslensku? - (Do you speak English/Icelandic?)
Bara - (Only)

Conversation:
Person 1: Hvað heitirðu? - (What is your name?)
Person 2: Ég skil ekki. Geturðu endurtekið? - (I don't understand. Can you repeat that?)
Person 1: Já. Hvað heitir þú? - (Sure. What is your name?)
Person 2: Fyrirgefðu, ég skil ekki. Talarðu ensku? - (Sorry, I don't understand. Do you speak English?)
Person 2: Nei, ég tala bara íslensku. Fyrirgefðu. - (No, I only speak Icelandic. Sorry.)

Set 2

Afsakið. - (Excuse me, used to politely get attention)
Ég veit... - (I know, referring to a fact)
Hvar er...? - (Where is...?)
Það er allt í lagi. - (It's ok.)
Ekkert að þakka. - (No problem.)

Conversation:
Person 1: Afsakið! Hvar er Hallgrímskirkja? - (Excuse me, where is Hallgrim's Church?)
Person 2: Ég veit ekki. Fyrirgefðu. - (I don't know. Sorry.)
Person 1: Það er allt í lagi. Takk fyrir! - (That's ok. Thanks!)
Person 2: Ekkert að þakka. - (No problem.)

Set 3

Þekkirðu - (Do you know / Are you familiar with, used for people or places, not facts)
Flott - (Great, interjection)
Heyrðu - (Hey, used to get attention or to refresh the conversation)
Er það ekki? - (Isn't that so or Right?)

Conversation:
Person 1: Góðan daginn. - (Good day.)
Person 2: Daginn. - (Good day.)
Person 1: Heyrðu, þú ert frá Íslandi, er það ekki? - (Hey, you're from Iceland, right?)
Person 2: Jú. Ég er frá Íslandi. - (Yes. I am from Iceland.)
Person 1: Flott! Þekkirðu Björk? - (Great! Do you know Björk?)
Person 2: Nei. - (No.)

Now I Know:

• many short phrases that can be widely applied