How do you say hello and thank you in Icelandic?
In Icelandic, hello is "Góðan daginn" (pronounced go-than da-guinn) and thank you is "Takk fyrir" (pronounced tak fi-rir). These basic expressions will help you interact with Icelanders during your trip.
Essential politeness formulas
"Góðan daginn" is the formal way to say hello in Icelandic, literally "good day". For a more casual context, Icelanders also use "Halló" or "Hæ" (equivalent to "hi").
"Takk fyrir" means thank you and translates literally to "thanks for". A shorter version exists with simply "Takk".
Other useful expressions
- Goodbye : "Bless" (pronounced bless)
- Please : "Takk" (same word as thank you)
- Excuse me : "Afsakið" (af-sa-kith)
- Do you speak English? : "Talar þú ensku?" (ta-lar thou en-skou)
To remember
Most Icelanders speak English perfectly, but using a few Icelandic words will always be appreciated. Modern Icelandic remains very close to Old Norse and is one of the best-preserved languages in Europe.