Icelandic grammar tips

Icelandic Grammar Tips

Grasp the core to boost your understanding in Icelandic

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Welcome to Icelandic Grammar Tips! It takes a brave soul to end up here. Icelandic is famous for its four ancient cases—a challenge that has turned many back. Do you dare to face it?

It may seem like a steep mountain at the start, but you do not climb alone—we are always here to help. Conquer this peak, and you unlock the door to an ancient world full of treasure.

Introduction

Kyn

Kyn means gender.

There are three genders in Icelandic:

Masculine (karlkyn - abbreviated kk.)
Feminine (kvennkyn - abbreviated kvk.)
Neuter (hvorugkyn - abbreviated hk.)

For karlkyn word we can also use hann (he) - þeir (they, kk.)

Hesturinn er stór. Hann er sterkur. (The horse is big. He is strong.)
Hestarnir eru stórir. Þeir eru sterkir. (The horses are big. They are strong.)

For kvenkyn word we can also use hún (she) - þær (they, kvk.)

Bókin er góð. Hún er ný. (The book is good. She is new.)
Bækurnar eru góðar. Þær eru nýjar. (The books are good. They are new.)

For hvorugkyn word we can also use það (it) - þau (they, hk.)

Húsið er gamalt. Það er stórt. (The house is old. It is big.)
Húsin eru gömul. Þau eru stór. (The houses are old. They are big.)

Tala

Tala (Number) in Icelandic grammar refers to one or more than one unit.

Eintala (Singular - Abbreviated et.)Refers to one unit:

einn hundur (one dog)
ein bók (one book)
eitt hús (one house)

Fleirtala (Plural - Abbreviated ft.)Refers to two or more units:

tveir hundar (two dogs)
tvær bækur (two books)
tvö hús (two houses)

Fall

Fall/Föll (case/cases) refers to four cases in Icelandic grammar:

Nefnifall (Nominative - abbr. nf.)
Þolfall (Accusative - abbr. þf.)
Þágufall (Dative - abbr. þgf.)
Eignarfall (Genitive - abbr. ef.)

You can check for the case by placing specific prepositions/phrases in front of the word:

Nefnifall (nf.): það er... (It is.../there is) - used for the subject of the sentence.
Þolfall (þf.): um... (about/around...) - used for the direct object and after certain prepositions.
Þágufall (þgf.): frá... (from...) - used for the indirect object and after certain prepositions.
Eignarfall (ef.): til... (to/for...) - used to show possession or relationship.

For example:

et.	nf.	það er	hestur
	þf.	um	hest
	þgf.	frá	hesti
	ef.	til	hests

ft.	nf.	það eru	hestar
	þf.	um	hesta
	þgf.	frá	hestum
	ef.	til	hesta

Tíð

Tíð means tense. There are 2 tenses formed by changing the verb (sagnorð):

Nútíð (Present Tense - nt.): Describes actions or states happening now, or will happen in the near future.

Ég tala (I speak / I am speaking)
Ég skrifa (I write / I am writing)
Hún fer (She goes / She is going)
Við sjáum (We see / We are seeing)

Þátíð (Past Tense - þt.): Describes an action that was completed in the past.

Ég talaði (I spoke / I talked)
Ég skrifaði (I wrote)
Hún fór (She went)
Við sáum (We saw)

*Sagnorð (verb) are conjugated for tíð.

Stigbreyting

Stigbreyting refers to the comparison of adjectives and some adverbs. Just like in English (e.g., big, bigger, biggest), Icelandic uses different forms to express three degrees of comparison:

Frumstig (Positive Degree)
Miðstig (Comparative Degree)
Efsta stig (Superlative Degree)

Adjective: stór (big) → stærri (bigger) → stærstur (biggest)

Adverb: snemma (early) → fyrr (earlier) → fyrst (earliest)

An adjective (lýsingarorð) is in the frumstig when it does not involve a comparison. The miðstig involves comparison between two things. The efsta stig involves comparison among more than two things.

Jón er góður. (Jón is good.) - Frumstig
Sigrún er betri. (Sigrún is better.) - Miðstig
Nils er bestur. (Nils is the best.) - Efsta stig

Orðflokkar

Based on how words change their form, the entire vocabulary is divided into three grammatical categories:

Fallorð : Words that undergo fallbeyging (case inflection).
Sagnorð: Words that undergo tíðbeyging (tense conjugation).
Smáorð: Words that undergo neither case nor tense inflection.

Fallorð

These fallorð change form based on fall, kyn, tala:

Greinir (Articles)
Nafnorð (Nouns)
Lýsingarorð (Adjectives)
Töluorð (Numerals, some numeral adverbs)
Fornöfn (Pronouns)

Greinir

The greinir (article) is one of the fallorð, meaning it must change its ending to achieve agreements with the noun it is attached to in:

Kyn (3 Gender: kk. kvk. hk.)
Tala (2 Number: et. ft.)
Fall (4 Case: nf. þf. þgf. ef.)

The independent article - hinn, has three gender forms in nefnifall eintala (nf. et.):

hinn (masculine singular, kk. et.)
hin (feminine singular, kvk. et.)
hið (neuter singular, hk. et.)

The plural forms in nefnifall fleirtala (nf. ft.):

hinir (kk. ft.)
hinar (kvk. ft.)
hin (hk. ft.)

The suffixed article is added as a suffix to the noun:

Karlkyn

Hestur-inn (The horse)
Stóll-inn (The chair)
Bíll-inn (The car)

Kvenkyn

Bók-in (The book)
Kona-n (The woman)
Borg-in (The city)

Hvorugkyn

Barn-ið (The child)
Hús-ið (The house)
Ljós-ið (The light)

Nafnorð

A Nafnorð (Noun) is the name of anything, such as people (Jón, Sigrún), objects (bókasafn - library, tölva - computer), or ideas (gleði - joy/happiness).

Nouns are divided into two main categories:

Sérnöfn are names for specific, unique beings or things.

Examples: Ísland, Jón, Rúv.
Sérnöfn are almost never preceded by the definite article (greinir) because they are already definite. They are always written with a capital letter (stórum upphafsstaf).

Samnöfn are names for general classes of things.

Examples: tré (tree), fugl (bird), bók (book), maður (man).

Nouns are fallorð, meaning they undergo fallbeyging for four cases (fall), and also for two numbers (tala). Nouns must also be assigned one of the three genders (kyn)

Lýsingarorð

A Lýsingarorð (adjective) is used to describe nouns.

Stóllinn er sterkur. (The chair is strong.)
Bókin er þykk. (The book is thick.)
Vatnið er kalt. (The water is cold.)

Most of lýsingarorð undergo stigbreyting. This means they change form to show degrees (e.g., góður - betri - bestur).

Adjectives are fallorð. This means that an adjective must change its ending to agree with the noun it modifies in kyn, tala, fall.

Töluorð

Töluorð (Numerals) express a specific amount or number of something. They include different types of numbers, such as:

einn (one)
tveir (two)
þriðji (third)
fjórði (fourth)
tvinnir (a set of two)
þrennir (a set of three)
tuttugur (twenty)
tvöfaldur (twofold/double)
einu sinni (once/one time)
tvisvar (twice)
þrisvar (three times)

Some töluorð are fallorð and must agree with the noun they modify in kyn (gender), tala (number), and fall (case).

For example, the number 'two' (tveir) has many forms (e.g., tveir, tvær, tvö, tveggja, tveimur, etc.).

But ellefu (eleven) doesn't change. Only the numbers 1-4 and ordinal numbers (first, second...) are declinable.

Fornöfn

Fornöfn (Pronouns) stand in place of a person or specific nouns to avoid repetition.

Bók (kvk. et.)

Er bókin þín ný? (Is the book new?)
Hún er mjög gömul. (She is very old.)

Lyklar (kk. ft.)

Hvar eru lyklarnir? (Where are the keys?)
Þeir eru á borðinu. (They are on the table.)

Börn (hk. ft.)

Eru börnin að leika sér? (Are the children playing?)
Þau eru úti í garði. (They/Them are out in the garden.)

Pronouns are fallorð. They must agree with the noun they replace in kyn, tala, and fall.

Sagnorð

Sagnorð/Sagnir (verb/verbs) have tense conjugation (tíðbeyging). They change form based on tíð (tense), persóna (person), and tala (number).

Tíð change (Að skrifa - To Write):

Ég skrifa (I write, Present)
Ég skrifaði (I wrote, Past)

Persóna/Tala change (Að hlaupa - To Run):

Ég hleyp (I run)
Þú hleypur (You run)
Við hlaupum (We run)

Smáorð

These smáorð (minor words) do not change form:

Forsetningar (Prepositions)
Atviksorð (Adverbs with some exceptions)
Samtengingar (Conjunctions)
Upphrópanir (Interjections)
Nafnháttarmerki (Infinitive Marker)

Forsetning

Forsetning (Preposition) is a smáorð that stands most often before a fallorð (a noun or pronoun) and governs the case (fall).

Governing 1 fall:

um governs þolfall, þf.
frá governs þágufall, þgf.
til governs eignarfall, ef.

Governing 2 föll:

Some prepositions can govern two different cases:

fara í stofuna - go into the room. (þf.)
vera í stofunni - be in the room. (þgf.)

*When using a preposition in Icelandic, you must memorize the case it governs.

Atviksorð

As a smáorð, most adverbs (atviksorð) do not change form for case, gender, or number.

However, as we saw with stigbreyting, some adverbs do change form for comparison (e.g., oft - oftar - oftast).

Adverbs stand mainly with verbs (sagnir), adjectives (lýsingarorð), and specify how, where, when, or how often an action occurs.

núna (now): Ég er að borða núna. (I am eating now.)
oft (often): Hann les oft. (He reads often.)
inni (inside): Barnið er inni. (The child is inside.)
þarna (there, over there): Bíllinn stendur þarna. (The car is standing there.)
vel (well): Hún syngur vel. (She sings well.)
hratt (quickly, fast): Þeir hlaupa hratt. (They run fast.)

Samtengingar

Samtengingar (conjunctions) connect words, phrases, or clauses.

Viltu kaffi eða te? (Do you want coffee or tea?)
Hann segir að hann ætli að koma. (He says he's going to come.)
Ég tala hvorki frönsku né spænsku. (I speak neither French nor Spanish.)
Ef veðrið verður gott ætlum við út úr bænum (If the weather is nice, we'll go out of town.)
Við keyptum það þótt það væri dýrt. (We bought it, although it was expensive.)

As a smáorð, samtengingar do not change form.

Upphrópanir

Upphrópanir (Interjections) are smáorð to express emotions.

Úff, þetta var erfitt. (Ugh, that was difficult.)
Jæja, við skulum byrja. (Well, let's begin.)
Vá! Húsið er risastórt. (Wow! The house is huge.)
Ha? Hvað sagðirðu? (Huh? What did you say?)

Nafnháttarmerki

Nafnháttarmerki (Infinitive Marker) is just one word, að (to), which stands before a verb in the infinitive form (the base form of the verb, often ending in -a), and is therefore easy to recognize.

Hann reynir að hlaupa á hverjum degi. (He tries to run every day.)
Það er mikilvægt að skilja reglurnar. (It is important to understand the rules.)

Common abbreviations

Icelandic	Meaning	Abbr.
karlkyn	Masculine Gender	kk.
kvennkyn	Feminine Gender	kvk.
hvorugkyn	Neuter Gender	hk.
nefnifall	Nominative Case	nf.
þolfall	Accusative Case	þf.
þágufall	Dative Case	þgf.
eignarfall	Genitive Case	ef.
eintala	Singular Number	et.
fleirtala	Plural Number	ft.
nútíð	Present Tense	nt.
þátíð	Past Tense	þt.
sagnorð	Verb	s.
nafnorð	Noun	n.
lýsingarorð	Adjective	l.
fornafn	Pronoun	fn.

Why using abbreviations?

Efficiency and Space-Saving

Icelandic has a complex grammatical structure with many forms and nuances. Abbreviations allow textbooks and dictionaries to convey detailed information about words (such as their kyn, fall, tíð, and tala) concisely, without lengthy descriptions that would clutter the text.

Aiding Memorization and Pattern Recognition

By using consistent abbreviations, learners are prompted to recognize and grammatical patterns.

Standard Practice in Materials

The use of specific abbreviations is standard in Icelandic language resources, including dictionaries, style guides, and course materials. Learning these abbreviations is essential for effectively using these resources.

While abbreviations can seem daunting at first, they serve as a practical shorthand that helps learners efficiently navigate and master the intricate rules of Icelandic grammar.

kafli I

Með greini and án greinis

Með greini and án greinis describe the two possible forms of a noun based on its definiteness:

með greini: with the article (Definite)
án greinis: without the article (Indefinite)

	Án Greinis	Með Greini
kk	hestur (a horse)	hesturinn (the horse)
kk	steinn (a stone)	steinninn (the stone)
kk	penni (a pen)	penninn (the pen)
kvk	borg (a city)	borgin (the city)
kvk	kona (a woman)	konan (the woman)
kvk	kirkja (a church)	kirkjan (the church)
kvk	stúlka (a girl)	stúlkan (the girl)
hk	barn (a child)	barnið (the child)
hk	ljós (a light)	ljósið (the light)
hk	borð (a table)	borðið (the table)

Ákveðinn greinir

Ákveðinn greinir refers to the word hinn and suffix used to mean "the," which indicates a specific person, place, or thing.

As mentioned in the introduction, hinn and suffix change by the noun after them.

When to Use the Suffix vs. Hinn

The choice between the suffix (e.g., -inn) and the separate word hinn is based on whether an adjective is present in the noun phrase.

Rule A: Noun Alone

When you have a noun and simply want to say "The [Noun]," the suffix is used.

Bók (A book) → Bókin (The book)
Hús (A house) → Húsið (The house)

Rule B: Noun with Adjective (The Common Way)

In everyday spoken and standard written Icelandic, even when an adjective is present, the preferred method is to put the suffix on the noun and use the Weak Declension for the adjective.

Góður maður (A good man) → Góði maðurinn (The good man)
Stórt tré (A big tree) → Stóra tréð (The big tree)

Rule C: Formal/Literary

Place hinn before the adjective, and the noun itself does not take the suffix.

Hinn góði maður (The good man)
Hið stóra tré (The big tree)

Rule D: Use Hinn as a Pronoun

The word hinn is also a pronoun meaning "the other" or "the former." In this case, hinn is not greinir.

Ég tók rauða eplið, ekki hitt. (I took the red apple, not the other one.)
Viltu þessa bók eða hina? (Did you want this book or the other one?)

Ákveðinn greinir - hinn

How to Use the hinn Table:

Identify the Noun's Properties:

Tala (et. ft.)
kyn (kk. kvk. hk.)
fall (nf. þf. þgf. ef.)

Find the Correct hinn Form

Form the Noun Phrase:Place the correct hinn form before the adjective.

*The adjective itself must take the weak declension form.

*The noun must remain in its indefinite form (án greinis).

Example:

"The long road" (Road = vegur, kk. et. nf.)

hinn (from the table)
langi (weak form of the adjective langur - long)
vegur (the noun is án greinis)
Result: hinn langi vegur

		kk.	kvk.	hk.
et.	nf.	hinn	hin	hið
	þf.	hinn	hina	hið
	þgf.	hinum	hinni	hinu
	ef.	hins	hinnar	hins
ft.	nf.	hinir	hinar	hin
	þf.	hina	hinar	hin
	þgf.	hinum	hinum	hinum
	ef.	hinna	hinna	hinna

Ákveðinn greinir - suffix

How to Use the Suffix Tables

Identify the Noun's Properties:

Tala (et. ft.)
kyn (kk. kvk. hk.)
fall (nf. þf. þgf. ef.)

Find the Correct Box

Attach to the Noun

Example:

"The books" (books = bækur, kvk. ft. nf.)

nar (from the table)
Result: bækurnar

		kk.	kvk.	hk.
et	nf.	inn	in	ið
	þf.	inn	ina	ið
	þgf.	inum	inni	inu
	ef.	ins	innar	ins
ft	nf.	nir	nar	in
	þf.	na	nar	in
	þgf.	unum	unum	unum
	ef.	anna	anna	anna

Find the suffix online

Soon you will find out that the suffix table cannot apply to all the Icelandic words you learn. So it's time to introduce BÍN to help you overcome the situation.

BÍN stands for Beygingarlýsing íslensks nútímamáls (Inflectional description of modern Icelandic). It is an incredibly powerful and essential online resource maintained by the Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies.

How to use BÍN

Access the BÍN website.
Enter the word.
Find the Table you need.

Beyging

Beyging refers to the systematic change in the form of a word to express a grammatical function or attribute.

Greinir is a feature that undergoes Beyging.

In Icelandic, greinir is not fixed (like English "the"). Instead, it must be inflected (beygt) to agree with the noun it modifies.

This is why the BÍN database, the Beygingarlýsing (elucidation of inflection), is so vital—it lists all the possible beyging forms for every word.

You got the tool!

Now that you understand the concept of beyging and why the simple suffix table has limitations.

For the following chapters, you can always click on the BÍN link provided to instantly check the full table for any word!

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kafli II

Nafnorð

Nafnorð (nouns) are divided based on what they refer to:

Hlutaheiti (Concrete/Physical Nouns)

borð (table), bíll (car), kona (woman), dyr (door).

Hugmyndaheiti (Abstract Nouns)

gleði (joy), friður (peace), frelsi (freedom), heilsa (health).

Safnheiti (Collective Nouns)

fólk (people), sandur (sand), fé (livestock), tæki (equipment).

Kyn

Every noun belongs to one of three genders (kk. kvk. hk.).

Tala

Nafnorð have two numbers:

Eintölu (Singular)
Fleirtölu (Plural)

*Note: Some nouns are only used in singular (eintölu) (like safnheiti such as fólk), and some are only used in plural (fleirtölu) (like dyr - door).

Click the link to check the words on BÍN

Fall

Nouns decline into four cases (nf. þf. þgf. ef.). The choice of case is determined by prepositions, verbs, or the noun's function in the sentence.

Greinir

Nafnorð can be með greini or án greinis.

Sterk og veik beyging

Sterk Beyging (Strong Declension)

Sterk beyging are generally older, more irregular, and tend to change the vowel in their stem when forming the plural.

Fótur (foot) → Fætur (feet)
Bók (book) → Bækur (books)
Fjall (mountain) → Fjöll (mountains)
Sonur (son) → Synir (sons)
Móðir (mother) → Mæður (mothers)
Barn (child) → Börn (children)

Veik Beyging (Weak Declension)

Veik beyging are generally more regular and predictable.

Penni (pen) → Pennar (pens)
Stúlka (girl) → Stúlkur (girls)
Kona (woman) → Konur (women)
Nemi (student) → Nemar (students)
Vika (week) → Vikur (weeks)
Húfa (hat) → Húfur (hats)

*The best way to memorize the beyging is to always learn the base noun with its Nominative Plural form

*Use BÍN to find out the kyn for each word

Sterk beyging

Some sterk beyging words in 3 genders are list below. Check out the whole table on BÍN.

Karlkyn (et. → ft.)

hestur (horse) → hestar (horses)
sjúklingur (patient) →sjúklingar
galdur (magic) → galdrar
jökull (glacier) → jöklar
læknir (doctor) → læknar
gestur (guest) → gestir
drengur (boy) → drengir
guð (god) → guðir
matur (food) → matar
vinur (friend) → vinir
faðir (father) → feður
sonur (son) → synir
bróðir (brother) → bræður

Kvenkyn

skál (bowl) → skálar
hlíð (slope) → hlíðar
stöð (station) → stöðvar
lifur (liver) → lifrar
sól (sun) → sólir
ást (love) → ástir
þörf (need) → þarfir
strönd (beach) → strendur
önd (duck) → endur
mjólk (milk) → no fleirtala
nótt (night) → nætur
mús (mouse) → mýs
móðir (mother) → mæður
dóttir (daughter) → dætur
systir (sister) → systur

Hvorugkyn

hús (house) → hús
barn (child) → börn
tré (tree) → tré
vatn (water) → vötn
ljós (light) → ljós
land (country) → lönd
orð (word) → orð
fjall (mountain) → fjöll
nafn (name) → nöfn
ár (year) → ár

Veik beyging

Some veik beyging words in 3 genders are list below. Check out the whole table on BÍN.

Karlkyn (et. → ft.)

nemandi (student) → nemendur
penni (pen) → pennar
frændi (uncle) → frændur
pabbi (dad) → pabbar
jakki (jacket) → jakkar

Kvenkyn

stofa (office) → stofur
tunga (tongue) → tungur
lygi (lie) → lygar
kona (woman) → konur
stelpa (girl) → stelpur
frænka (aunt) → frænkur

Hvorugkyn

auga (eye) → augu
hjarta (heart) → hjörtu
eyra (ear) → eyru
lunga (lung) → lungu
bjúga (sausage) → bjúgu

Lýsingarorð

Lýsingarorð (adjectives) have also sterk and veik beyging, just like nafnorð

When to use sterk and veik beying

Use sterk beyging when the noun is án greinis:

góður maður (a good man)
góð bók (a good book)

Use veik beyging when the noun is með greini or is preceded by a pronoun (like hinn).

hinn góði maður (the good man)
góða bókin (the good book)

Stigbreyting

Adjectives also change form to indicate comparison, known as Stigbreyting (see introduction).

Óregluleg Stigbreyting

Some lýsingarorð follow irregular patterns

góður (good) - betri (better) - bestur (best)
illur (bad/evil) - verri (worse) - verstur (worst)
gamall (old) - eldri (older) - elstur (oldest)
mikill (large/great) - meiri (larger/more) - mestur (largest/most)
lítill (small) - minni (smaller/less) - minnstur (smallest/least)

Miðstig

While lýsingarorð in frumstig and efsta stig have both sterk and veik beyging, miðstig only have veik beyging.

Since the comparative form already implies a comparison and a specific context, it is treated as a definite adjective (like when you say "the better car").

Hún er ríkari (kvk. nf.) - She is richer.
Ég sá stærra (hk. þf.) hús (hk. þf.). - I saw a larger house.
Við ræddum við eldri (kk. þgf.) manninum (kk. þgf.). - We talked to the older man.
Strákurinn er minni (kk. nf.) en stelpan (kvk. nf.). - The boy is smaller than the girl.
Ég keypti betri (kk. þf.) bílinn (kk. þf.) en þú. - I bought the better car than you.

How to Look Up a Lýsingarorð Table on BÍN

Access the BÍN website.
Enter the word.
Find the Table you need.

*Tip: If you have trouble finding the base form, you can check the box next to "Leita að beygingarmynd" (Search for inflectional form) and type in any form of the adjective.

Efsta stig

The Efsta Stig is used to express "the most [adjective]" or the "-est" and, just like the Frumstig, it uses both the sterk and veik beyging.

The choice between them depends entirely on the greinir of the noun.

Nafnorð án greinis, use sterk beyging:

Þetta er bestur (kk. nf.) köttur (kk. nf.). - This is the best cat
Hún er best (kvk. nf.). - She is the best.

Nafnorð með greini, use veik beyging:

Besti (kk. nf. veik) vinurinn (kk. nf.) minn kom. - The best friend of mine came.
Ég valdi hina bestu (kvk. þf. veik) bók. - I chose the very best book.

Töluorð

Frumtölur (Cardinal Numbers)

The numbers 1, 2, 3, and 4 fully inflect for Case (nf., þf., þgf., ef.) and Gender (kk., kvk., hk.).

The plural forms of einn (einir, einar, ein) are often used as indefinite pronouns meaning "some" or "a few."

tveir (2), þrír (3), fjórir (4) are highly irregular and complex, changing across cases and genders (e.g., tveir, tvær, tvö, and þrír, þrjár, þrjú).

Numbers 5 and up don't have to change form.

hundrað (100), þúsund (1000), milljón (million), and billjón (billion) are treated as nouns and are therefore inflected:

Hundrað and þúsund are generally hvorugkyn.
Milljón and billjón are kvenkyn

Raðtölur (Ordinal Numbers)

Ordinal numbers behave like Lýsingarorð. They generally follow the veik beyging pattern. They must agree with the noun they modify in fall, kyn, and tala.

*only the first four frumtölur change form, while all raðtölur change form like lýsingarorð.

Blönduð Tölurorð (Mixed Numerals)

Blönduð tölurorð covers words that express a quantity but are not simple cardinal or ordinal numbers. They often relate to fractions, proportions, measurements, or time units.

helmingur (Half / A Half Portion)
þriðjungur (A Third)
fjórðungur (A Quarter / One Fourth)
tvisvar (Twice)
þrisvar (Three Times)
tvennir (Two sets of / Two kinds of)

Fornöfn

Fornöfn (pronouns) classifies into several major groups:

Persónufornöfn (Personal Pronouns) - ég (I), þú (you).
Afturbeygt fornafn (Reflexive Pronoun) - sig (oneself).
Eignarfornöfn (Possessive Pronouns) - minn (my/mine).
Ábendingarfornöfn (Demonstrative Pronouns) - hinn, sá (that one).
Tilvísunarfornöfn (Relative Pronouns) - sem (who/which).
Spurnarfornöfn (Interrogative Pronouns) - hver (who).
Óákveðin fornöfn (Indefinite Pronouns) - einhver (someone).

Persónufornöfn

Icelandic personal pronouns decline fully across the four cases. The use of the correct case is determined by the pronoun's function in the sentence (subject, direct object, indirect object) or by the prepositions/verbs it follows.

Þú (nf.) ert vinur minn (ef.). - You are my friend.
Viltu hitta mig (þf.) eftir vinnu? - Do you want to meet me after work?
Hún gaf þér (þgf.) bókina. - She gave you the book.
Þau sakna okkar (ef.). - hey miss us.
Hann (nf.) keypti nýjan bíl. - He bought a new car.
Ég sé hana (þf.) oft í búðinni. - I often see her in the shop.
Þetta tilheyrir því (þgf.). - This belongs to it.
Liturinn á bílnum hans (ef.) er rauður. - The color of his car is red.

	I	You	We	You ft.
nf.	ég	þú	við	þið
þf.	mig	þig	okkur	ykkur
þgf.	mér	þér	okkur	ykkur
ef.	mín	þín	okkar	ykkar

kk.	kvk.	hk.	kk./kvk./hk.
hann	hún	það	þeir/þær/þau
hann	hana	það	þá/þær/þau
honum	henni	því	þeim
hans	hennar	þess	þeirra

Afturbeygt fornafn

The reflexive pronoun (afturbeygt fornafn) in Icelandic is used when the object of the verb is the same person as the subject. It indicates that the action "reflects back" onto the subject.

The reflexive pronoun is gender-neutral and has the same form in the singular and the plural, but it is unique because it lacks a nominative case (nf.).

Hann þvær sig. - He washes himself.
Þau sjá sig í speglinum. - They see themselves in the mirror.
Ég ætla að kaupa mér bók. - I am going to buy a book for myself.

Afturbeygt fornafn vs. Persónufornöfn

Hann gefur sér (He gives to himself).
Hann gefur honum (He gives to him, a different man).

	kk. kvk. hk. et. ft.
nf.	(Does not exist)
þf.	sig
þgf.	sér
ef.	sín

Eignarfornöfn

Eignarfornöfn (Possessive Pronouns) are essential for showing ownership in Icelandic.

Þetta er sonur minn. - This is my son.
Ég sé köttinn þinn (þf.). - I see your cat.
Húsið mitt (hk. nf.) er stórt. - My house is big.
Jón keypti bók handa bróður sínum (þgf.). - Jón bought a book for his (own) brother.
Hún tók bílinn sinn (þf.). - She took her (own) car.

	kk.	kvk.	hk.
nf.	minn	mín	mitt
þf.	minn	mína	mitt
þgf.	mínum	minni	sínu
ef.	míns	minnar	míns
nf.	mínir	mínar	mín
þf.	mína	mínar	mín
þgf.	mínum	mínum	mínum
ef.	minna	minna	minna

	kk.	kvk.	hk.
nf.	þinn	þín	þitt
þf.	þinn	þína	þitt
þgf.	þínum	þinni	þínu
ef.	þíns	þinnar	þíns
nf.	þínir	þínar	þín
þf.	þína	þínar	þín
þgf.	þínum	þínum	þínum
ef.	þinna	þinna	þinna

	kk.	kvk.	hk.
nf.	sinn	sín	sitt
þf.	sinn	sína	sitt
þgf.	sínum	sinni	sínu
ef.	síns	sinnar	síns
nf.	sínir	sínar	sín
þf.	sína	sínar	sín
þgf.	sínum	sínum	sínum
ef.	sinna	sinna	sinna

Ábendingarfornöfn

The Ábendingarfornöfn (Demonstrative Pronouns) in Icelandic are equivalent to "this," "that," and "the other" in English. They are used to point out specific things.

Ég keypti þennan bíl. (I bought this car.)
Gefðu þessum mönnum kaffi. (Give coffee to these men.)
sá hlær best sem síðast hlær. (He who laughs last laughs best.)
Þú átt rétt á hinni bók. (You are entitled to the other book.)

	kk.	kvk.	hk.
nf.	þessi	þessi	þetta
þf.	þennan	þessa	þetta
þgf.	þessum	þessari	þessu
ef.	þessa	þessarar	þessa
nf.	þessir	þessar	þessi
þf.	þessa	þessar	þessi
þgf.	þessum	þessum	þessum
ef.	þessara	þessara	þessara

	kk.	kvk.	hk.
nf.	sá	sú	það
þf.	þann	þá	það
þgf.	þeim	þeirri	því
ef.	þess	þeirrar	þess
nf.	þeir	þær	þau
þf.	þá	þær	þau
þgf.	þeim	þeim	þeim
ef.	þeirra	þeirra	þeirra

	kk.	kvk.	hk.
nf.	hinn	hin	hitt
þf.	hinn	hina	hitt
þgf.	hinum	hinni	hinu
ef.	hins	hinnar	hins
nf.	hinir	hinar	hin
þg.	hina	hinar	hin
þgf.	hinum	hinum	hinum
ef.	hinna	hinna	hinna

Tilvísunarfornöfn

Tilvísunarfornöfn (Relative Pronouns) are used to introduce a relative clause, which provides additional information about a noun in the main clause. The primary relative pronoun is sem.

Bókin sem er á borðinu er mín. - The book, which is on the table, is mine.
Ég hitti manninn sem ég sá í gær. - I met the man whom I saw yesterday.
Strákarnir sem hlupu í burtu voru ungir. - The boys who ran away were young.
Við elduðum lambakjötið sem þau keyptu í morgun. - We cooked the lamb, which they bought it this morning.

Spurnarfornöfn

The Spurnarfornafn (Interrogative Pronoun) hver is the Icelandic equivalent of "who," "what," or "which" when asking a question.

Hvað (nf.) er þetta? - What is this?
Hvað (nf.) ertu að gera? - What are you doing?
Hver (nf.) er maðurinn? - who is the man?
Hvers (ef.) er þessi bók? - Whose book is this?
Fyrir hverja (kvk. þf.) keyptir þú blóm? - For whom (female) did you buy flowers?
Viltu tala við hverjum (kk. þgf. ft.) í hópnum? - Do you want to talk to whom (plural) in the group?

	kk.	kvk.	hk.
nf.	hver	hver	hvert, hvað
þf.	hvern	hverja	hvert, hvað
þgf.	hverjum	hverri	hverju
ef.	hvers	hverrar	hvers
nf.	hverjir	hverjar	hver
þf.	hverja	hverjar	hver
þgf.	hverjum	hverjum	hverjum
ef.	hverra	hverra	hverra

Óákveðin fornöfn

Óákveðin fornöfn (Indefinite Pronouns) is a large group of words. Here list some common words and how to use them.

Allur (All, Whole)

Ég sá alla (kk. þf.) hundana. - I saw all the dogs.
Það er snjór á öllu (hk. þgf.) svæðinu. - There is snow in the entire area.

Annar Hver (Every Other)

Hann fer í sund annan hvern dag (þf. kk.). - He goes swimming every other day.
Bókin fjallar um eitt þema á öðru hverju ári (þgf. hk.). - The book discusses one theme every other year.

Annar Hvor (Either One of the Two)

Þú getur valið annan hvorn (þg. kk.) bílinn. - You can choose either one of the two cars.

Báðir (Both)

Ég sá báða (þf. kk.) hundana. - I saw both the dogs.
Hún gaf báðum (þgf. kvk.) stúlkunum gjöf. - She gave both the girls a gift.

Einhver (Someone, Anyone)

Eitthvað (nf. hk.) er að gerast. - Something is happening.
Hann hefur einhverja (kvk. þf.) hugmynd. - He has some idea.

Enginn (No one, None, Not any)

Ég sá engan (kk. þf.) í húsinu - I saw no one in the house.
Hún sagði ekkert (hk. þf.). - She said nothing.

Hvor (Which of the two, Either)

Hvor (kk. nf.) er bróðir þinn? - Which of the two is your brother?
Hvor vill þetta, hann eða hún? - Either one wants this, him or her?

Hveror Hvor?

To decide which pronoun to use, simply count the items you are asking about:

Hvor: Exactly Two
Hver: Three or More

Hvorugur (Neither)

Ég hitti hvorugan (kk. þf.) þeirra. - I met neither (of the two men) of them.
Hvorugur (kk. nf.) vildi fara heim. - Neither (of the two men) wanted to go home.

Neinn (Not Any, No One)

When used in a question, neinn often translates to "any" or "anyone." The expected answer is usually negative.

Ertu með neinn pening (þf. kk.)? - Do you have any money?
Hefurðu keypt neitt (þf. hk.) í dag? - Have you bought anything (neuter) today?

Nokkur (Some, Any)

Viltu nokkuð að drekka? - Do you want something to drink?
Er nokkurt skip (nf.) á sjónum? - Is any ship (neuter) at sea?

Sumur (Some / A Certain)

Sumar (kvk. nf. ft.) sögur eru sannar. - Some stories are true.
Sumir hafa rétt fyrir sér. (Some people are right.)

Ýmis (Various, Diverse)

Það eru ýmis (hk. nf. ft.) verkefni í gangi. - There are various projects underway.
Ýmsir (nf. kk. ft.) hafa sagt álit sitt - Various people have given their opinion.

*Check the beyging tables on BÍN

kafli III

Sagnorð

Sagnorð (verb) are defined as words that conjugate (inflect) in Icelandic based on several categories:

Persóna (Person)
Tala (Number)
Tíð (Tense)
Hættir (Moods)
Mynd (Voice)

Persóna, tala

Sagnorð must agree with its Subject in both persóna (Person) and tala (Number). This agreement is achieved by changing the verb's ending.

Eintala, et.

Ég fara (I go)
Þú farar (You go - singular, informal)
Hann/hún/það farar (He/She/It goes)

Fleirtala, ft.

Við förum (We go)
Þið farið (You go)
Þeir/þær/þau fara (They go)

Personuleg vs. Ópersónuleg

Persónuleg Notkun: The verb is used personally when it has a clear subject in the Nominative case (nf.).

Hann (nf.) hlær. (He laughs.)
Við (nf.) hljópum. (We ran.)

Ópersónuleg Notkun (Impersonal Usage)

The verb is used impersonally when it does not take a nf. subject. The verb in this case almost remains in the 3rd person singular.

Mér (þgf.) finnst gaman. - I enjoy it.
Mig (þf.) langar í kaffi. - I want coffee.

Ópersónuleg notkun

The sagnorð itself is the deciding factor in whether a sentence uses ópersónuleg notkun (Impersonal Usage).

The verb decides the case of its subject.

The verb hlaupa (to run) requires a nf. subject: Ég (nf.) hleyp.
The impersonal verb langa (to long) requires s þf. subject: Mig (þf.) langar.

Here are some common sagnir with ópersónuleg notkun:

Mig (þf.) langar í kaffi - I want coffee.
Hana (þf.) vantar tíma. - She lacks time.
Þig (þf.) dreymdi um hesta. - You dreamed about horses.
Mér (þgf.) finnst þetta gott - I think this is good.
Honum (þgf.) líkar tónlistin. - He likes the music.
Okkur (þgf.) bauðst ferð. - We were offered a trip.
Mér (þgf.) leiðist að bíða. - I am bored of waiting.

Hættir

Hættir (moods) determine the speaker's attitude toward the action—whether it is a fact, a possibility, a command, or a wish. Icelandic verbs have 6 moods

Nafnháttur (nh.)
Framsöguháttur (fh.)
Viðtengingarháttur (vh.)
Boðháttur (bh.)
Lýsingarháttur nútíðar (lh. nt.)
Lýsingarháttur þátíðar (lh. þt.)

Persónuháttur

Framsöguháttur, viðtengingarháttur, boðháttur belong to persónuháttur. They are inflected in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd person.

Fallháttur

Nafnháttur, lýsingarháttur nútíðar, lýsingarháttur þátíðar belong to fallháttur Their endings are inflected in kyn, tala, and fall.

*Háttur is eintala, hættir is fleirtala.

Nafnháttur

The Nafnháttur is the Infinitive Mood in Icelandic. It is a Fallháttur (non-finite form) of the verb, meaning it does not agree with a subject in person or number.

Identifying the Nafnháttur

Nafnháttur is almost always identified by the presence of the nafnháttarmerki að (to) preceding the verb.

að skrifa (to write)
að hlaupa (to run)

Primary Usage

Nafnháttur cannot stand alone as the main verb of a sentence, but is essential for forming compound tenses and phrases.

Ég vil að fara heim. (I want to go home.)
Hún kann að lesa þýsku. (She knows how to read German.)
Þú verður að læra vel. (You must to learn well.)
Að sofa er nauðsynlegt. (To sleep is necessary.)
Mér finnst gaman að dansa. (I find it fun to dance.)

Checking the nafnháttur on BÍN

Go to the BÍN website
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Identify the nafnháttur

Framsöguháttur

Framsöguháttur (The Indicative Mood) is the most common verb mood in Icelandic. Its primary function is to express actions or states as factual statements or objective realities in the present or the past.

Framsöguháttur agrees with the sentence's subject in:

Persóna (1st, 2nd, 3rd)
Tala (et. ft.)
Tíð (nt. þt.)

Examples

Ég skrifa bók. (I write a book/I am writing a book.)
Hún keypti kaffi. (She bought coffee.)
Við hlupum hratt. (We ran fast.)

Because framsöguháttur is used to state facts, it is the fundamental and most frequently encountered verb form in Icelandic.

Checking the framsöguháttur on BÍN

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Viðtengingarháttur

The Viðtengingarháttur (The Subjunctive Mood) is a crucial part of advanced Icelandic grammar. Unlike the Framsöguháttur (Indicative Mood), which states facts, the Subjunctive Mood expresses actions or states that are non-factual, unreal, hypothetical, wished for, doubted, or reported indirectly.

Ef ég væri ríkur, myndi ég ferðast. (If I were rich, I would travel.)
Hann sagði að hún kæmi seint. (He said that she would come late.)
Ég heyrði að hann hefði verið veikur. (I heard that he had been sick.)

Boðháttur

The Boðháttur (The Imperative Mood) is one of the three verb moods in Icelandic, and its function is to express direct commands, orders, requests, or instructions.

Here is a recipe for a classic Icelandic flatbread, Laufabrauð (Leaf Bread), showing how boðháttur is used to give commands in each step.

Laufabrauð Recipe

Innihald (Ingredients)

500g hveiti (hveiti - flour)
300ml mjólk (mjólk - milk)
50g smjör (smjör - butter)
1 tsk. salt (salt - salt)
Feiti til að steikja (feiti - fat for frying)

Aðferð (Method)

Bræddu smjörið. - Melt the butter.
Hitaðu mjólkina og bættu við. - Heat the milk and add it.
Blandaðu saman hveiti og salti. - Mix together the flour and salt.
Hnoðaðu deigið mjög vel. - Knead the dough very well.
Flettu út deigið þunnt. - Roll out the dough thinly.
Skerðu deigið í litla hringi. - Cut the dough into small circles.
Skreyttu kökurnar með hníf. - Decorate the cakes with a knife.
Steiktu kökurnar í heitri feiti. - Fry the cakes in hot fat.
Láttu þær kólna á risti. - Let them cool on a rack.

Checking the boðháttur on BÍN

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Lýsingarháttur nútíðar

Lýsingarháttur Nútíðar (The Present Participle) is a Fallháttur. It is equivalent to the English "-ing" form (e.g., running, speaking), and it is used to describe an action that is ongoing or simultaneous with the main verb.

It never changes form for case, gender, or number.
It functions primarily as an adjective or an adverb describing the action or the noun.

Lýsingarháttur Nútíðar is one of the easiest verb forms to create in Icelandic because it is formed by adding the suffix -andi.

að hlaupa (to run) - hlaupandi
að lesa (to read) - lesandi
að tala (to speak) - talandi

Lýsingarháttur þátíðar

Lýsingarháttur Þátíðar acts as an adjective, translating to the English (e.g., written, broken, loved).

Formation

The formation of lýsingarháttur Þátíðar depends on the verb's strength:

Veik beyging: Formed by adding an ending (-aður, -uð, -ið)

Að elska (to love) - elskaður (loved)
Að skrifa (to write) - skrifaður (written)

Sterk beyging: Formed by adding the ending -inn, often accompanied by a vowel change in the verb.

Að hlaupa (to run) - hlaupinn (run)
Að brjóta (to break) - brotið (broken)

Usage

Combined with að hafa (to have) or að vera (to be) to form the perfect tenses.

Ég hef skrifað bókina. (I have written the book.)
Bókin var skrifuð af mér. (The book was written by me.)Note how skrifuð (kvk. nf.) agrees with Bókin (kvk. nf.).

As an Adjective.

Húsið er málað (hk. nf.). (The house is painted.)
Við fórum í lokaða (kvk. þf.) verslun. (We went to a closed store.)

Checking the lýsingarháttur þátíðar on BÍN

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Tíð

Tenses of sagnir are categorized into two main groups: Ósamsettar Tíðir (Uncompounded Tenses) and Samsettar Tíðir (Compound Tenses).

Ósamsettar tíðir are formed using only the main verb itself.

Nútíð (Present Tense) - Ég tala (I speak).
Þátíð (Past Tense) - Ég talaði (I spoke).

Samsettar tíðir are formed by combining auxiliary verb (hjálparsögn) with the main verb.

Framtíð (Future Tense) - Ég mun (hjálparsögn) tala (main verb) (I will speak).

Summary table for tíðir:

fh.	vh.	English
Ég kaupi	Ég kaupi	I buy
Ég keypti	Ég keypti	I bought
Ég hef keypt	Ég hafi keypt	I have bought
Ég hafði keypt	Ég hefði keypt	I had bought
Ég mun kaupa	Ég muni kaupa	I will buy
Ég mun hafa keypt	Ég muni hafa keypt	I will have bought
-	Ég muni kaupa	I would buy
-	Ég muni hafa keypt	I would have bought

Sterk og veik beyging

Sagnir are divided into sterk and veik beyging, just as nouns and adjectives are.

This distinction determines how the verb forms its Þátíð (Past Tense) and its Lýsingarháttur Þátíðar (Past Participle).

Veik Beyging

The majority of verbs in Icelandic has veikbeyging.

Þátíð formed by adding an ending that contains a dental consonant, often -aði, -ti, -ði, or -di.

tala (speak) - Ég talaði (I spoke)
kaupa (buy) - Ég keypti (I bought)

Lýsingarháttur Þátíðar formed by adding -að, -ið, or -uð.

tala - talað (spoken)
keyra (drive) - keyrður (driven)

Sterk Beyging

Þátíð formed primarily by changing the vowel in the verb.

hlaupa (run) - Ég hljóp (I ran)
finna (find) - Ég fann (I found)

Lýsingarháttur Þátíðar Also involves a vowel change and typically ends in -inn or -ið.

finna - fundinn (found)
hlaupa - hlaupinn (run)

Blönduð Beyging

Blönduð Beyging (Mixed Conjugation) refers to a small, irregular group of Icelandic verbs that combine features from both the Veik Beyging and the Sterk Beyging.

	Þt.	lh. þt.
að segja (to say)	Ég sagði	Ég hef sagt
að eiga (to own)	Ég átti	Ég hef átt
að vita (to know)	Ég vissi	Ég hef vitað

Kennimyndir

Kennimyndir (Principal Parts) are an useful and essential tool for remembering the beyging of Icelandic verbs.

The Form of Kennimyndir

Nafnháttur - Þátíð (et.) - Þátíð (ft.) - Lýsingarháttur Þátíðar

For examples:

vera - var - vorum - verið (to be)
labba - labbaði - labbað (to walk)

*Þátíð (ft.) of veik beyging verbs may not show in kennimyndir.

Finding Kennimyndir on BÍN

Go to the BÍN Website
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Identify the Kennimyndir (shows on top of all beyging tables)

Hljóðbreyting

Hljóðbreytingar (Sound Changes) are vowel or consonant alterations in Icelandic words.

Hljóðskipti (vowel gradation)

Hljóðskipti is the rule-governed change of the vowel to indicate Tíð in Sterkar breyting, and to derive nouns from verbs.

í – ei – i: bíta - beit - bitið (to bite)
jú/jó/ú – au – u - o: bjóða - bauð - buðum - boðið (to offer)
e/i – a – u - u/o: finna - fann - fundum - fundið (to find)
e/i – a – á – u/o: bera - bar - bárum - borið (to carry)
e/i - a - á - e: gefa - gaf - gáfum - gefið (to give)
a - ó - ó - a: fara - fór - fórum - farið (to go)
á - é - e - e: fá - fékk - fengum - fengið (to get)

Hljóðvarp (vowel shift)

Hljóðvarp form the plural or oblique cases of certain nouns and to form the comparative or superlative degrees of some adjectives. It is also used in certain conjugations of verbs.

koma - kemur
móðir - mæður
dóttir - dættur
tala - tölum
fjall - fjöll

*Patterns above can be found in kennimyndir. As you learn more words, you will find more patterns in Icelandic!

Mynd

Mynd (voice) indicates the relationship between the verb and its subject - specifically, whether the subject is performing the action, the action is directed back at the subject, or the subject is receiving the action.

There are 3 mynd in Icelandic:

Germynd
Miðmynd
Þolmynd

Germynd

The subject performs the action directly.

Ég skrifa bók. (I write a book.)
The subject (ég) is performing the action (skrifa).

Miðmynd

Miðmynd is used for reflexive actions or reciprocal actions (actions done to each other)

Ends in the suffix -st.

Hann klæðir sig (germynd) → Hann klæðist (miðmynd) - He dresses himself
Við hitumst (miðmynd) á hverjum degi. - We meet each other every day.

Þolmynd

To shift focus away from the performer of the action and onto the receiver.

Using the verb að vera (to be) combined with the Lýsingarháttur Þátíðar (lh. þt.) of the main verb.

Ég skrifaðu bókin (germynd) → Bókin var skrifuð (þolmynd) af mér. - The book was written by me.

Checking Mynd on BÍN

Go to the BÍN Website
Search for the Verb
The Germynd is the primary, standard conjugation shown in the main tables
BÍN often lists the Miðmynd separately
The Þolmynd is not a single form, so BÍN shows you the Lýsingarháttur Þátíðar table.

kafli IV

Forsetningar

In Icelandic, forsetningar are important because they govern fall of the noun or pronoun that follows them.

Govern þolfall

gegnum (through): Við gengum gegnum skóginn (þf.). - We walked through the forest.
kringum (around): Það er þoka kringum húsið (þf.). - There is fog around the house.
um (about): Hann talaði um þig (þf.). - He spoke about you.
umhverfis (surrounding): Húsið er staðsett umhverfis vatnið (þf.). - The house is situated around the lake.

Govern þágufall

af (of / by): Bókin er skrifuð af mér (þgf.). - The book is written by me.
að (to / at): Hann stóð að hurðinni (þgf.). - He stood at the door.
ásamt (along with): Hún kom ásamt vinum sínum (þgf.). - She came along with her friends.
frá (from): Við erum frá Íslandi (þgf.). - We are from Iceland.
gegn (against): Þetta er gegn reglunum (þgf.). - This is against the rules.
handa (for): Ég keypti gjöf handa þér (þgf.). - I bought a gift for you.
hjá (by / near): Við sátum hjá eldinum (þgf.). - We sat by the fire.
mót (towards): Hann fór mót borginni (þgf.). - He went towards the city.
móti (against): Þetta er móti vilja mínum (þgf.). - This is against my will.
undan (away from): Hann hljóp undan mér (þgf.). - He ran away from me.
úr (out of / from): Hún kom úr skólanum (þgf.). - She came out of school.

Govern þolfall & þágufall

á (on / onto / at):

Bókin er á borðinu (þgf.). - The book is on the table.
Hann setti bollann á borðið (þf.). - He put the cup onto the table.

eftir (after / along):

Ég kem eftir þig (þf.). - I will come after you.
eftir tvo mánuði (þgf.). - after 2 months.

fyrir (for / in front of):

Ég keypti þetta fyrir hana (þf.). - I bought this for her.
hann er fyrir mér (þgf.). - He is in front of me.

í (in / into):

Við erum í skóginum (þgf.). - We are in the forest.
Hann fór í skóginn (þf.). - He went into the forest.

með (with / along with):

Hún skrifar með penna (þgf.). - She writes with a pen.
Labba mep hundinn (þf.) - Walk with dog.

undir (under / underneath):

Bókin er undir borðinu (þgf.). - The book is under the table.
Ég setti peningana undir borðið (þf.). - I put the money under the table.

við (at / against / towards):

Hún stóð við gluggann (þgf.). - She stood by the window.
Hann talaði við mig (þf.). - He spoke to me.

yfir (over / above / across):

hann var órór yfir ástandinu (þgf.). - He was anxious over the situation.
Hann fór yfir götuna (þf.). - He went across the street.

Govern eignarfall

auk (besides / in addition to): Auk þeirra (ef.) var annar maður þar. - Besides them, another man was there.
án (without): Við gerðum þetta án hjálpar (ef.). - We did this without help.
innan (within): Hann verður að ljúka þessu innan tíðar (ef.). - He must finish this within time.
megin (on the side of): Bókin er megin borðsins (ef.). - The book is on the side of the table.
meðal (among): Þetta er eitt meðal margra (ef.) vandamála. - This is one among many problems.
milli (between): Húsið stendur milli tveggja trjáa (ef.). - The house stands between two trees.
neðan (below): Skógurinn er neðan fjallsins (ef.). - The forest is below the mountain.
ofan (from above / above): Ljósið skín ofan hússins (ef.). - The light shines above the house.
til (to / towards): Við fórum til Reykjavíkur (ef.). - We went to Reykjavík.
utan (outside of): Þetta er utan okkar skilnings (ef.). - This is outside of our understanding.
vegna (because of): Hann kom vegna mín (ef.). - He came because of me.

Check fallstjórn online

Checking which fall (case) a word governs is important.

The Íslensk nútímamálsorðabók (Dictionary of Modern Icelandic) is a reliable online resource built by the Árni Magnússon Institute, which is useful for case governance (fallstjórn) search.

Check fallstjórn on Íslensk nútímamálsorðabók

Go to the dictionary website.
In the search bar (Leitarorð), type the word you want to check.
Click Leita (search)
Locate the fallstjórn Notation.

Atviksorð

Atviksorð (Adverbs) do not change their form for föll, kyn, tala, persóna, or tíð.

Types of Atviksorð

Manner (Háttaratviksorð): vel (well), illa (badly), hratt (quickly)
Place (Staðaratviksorð): hér (here), þar (there), inn (in)
Time (Tímaatviksorð): núna (now), alltaf (always), í gær (yesterday)
Degree (Gráðuatviksorð): mjög (very), svo (so), of (too)
Question (Spurnaratviksorð): hvar (where), hvernig (how)

Stigbreyting

some aktivsorð undergo stigbreyting (comparison)like adjectives.

hratt - hraðar - hraðast
vel - betur - best
mjög - meir - mest

Suffixes of Atviksorð

The Suffix -lega

venjulega (usually)
fljótlega (soon)
aðallega (mainly)

The Suffix -um

stundum (sometimes)
bráðum (soon)
einkum (especially)

Some adverbs are simply the hk. et. form of the corresponding adjective, often ending in -t or -ð.

hreint (cleanly)
lítið (little / slightly)

Staðaratviksorð

Staðaratviksorð (Adverbs of Place) have different forms to indicate location, position, or direction.

Direction/Motion To

inn (into / inwards): Ég fer inn á morgun. - I will go in tomorrow.
út (out / outwards): Komdu út! - Come out!
upp (up / upwards): Hann klifraði upp. - He climbed up.
fram (forwards / ahead): Gakk fram! - Walk forward!

Location At

inni (inside): Hún er inni núna. - She is inside now.
úti (outside): Við erum úti í garðinum. - We are outside in the garden.
uppi (up): Bókin er uppi á hillu. - The book is up on a shelf.
frammi (in the front): Þau eru frammi í eldhúsi. - They are in the kitchen.

Direction/Motion From

innan (from inside): Hann kom innan úr húsinu. - He came from inside the house.
utan (from outside): Hún er utan frá landi. - She is from the countryside.
ofan (from above): Eitthvað datt ofan af loftinu. - Something fell from above the ceiling.

Motion to	Location at	Motion from
inn	inni	innan
út	úti	utan
upp	uppi	ofan
niður	niðri	neðan
hingað	hér, hérna	héðan
þangað	þar, þarna	þaðan
fram	frammi	framman
heim	heima	heiman

Samtengingar

Samtengingar are conjunctions that link words, phrases, clauses, or sentences together.

Here list some common samtengingar:

Hann kom og hún fór. (He came and she left.)
Viltu kaffi eða te? (Do you want coffee or tea?)
Þetta er erfitt en mikilvægt. (This is difficult but important.)
Ekki hún, heldur hann. (Not her, but him/rather him.)
Hann borðaði hvorki fisk né kjöt. (He ate neither fish nor meat.)
Við sjáum bæði sólina og tunglið. (We see both the sun and the moon.)
Ég veit að þú ert hér. (I know that you are here.)
Þegar ég kem, verður þú farinn. (When I arrive, you will be gone.)
Ég fer ef þú ferð. (I will go if you go.)
Hún hló vegna þess að brandarinn var góður. (She laughed because the joke was good.)
Þótt það rigni, förum við út. (Although it's raining, we will go out.)
Ég læri svo að ég nái prófinu. (I study so that I pass the exam.)
Meðan ég les bókina, hlusta ég á tónlist. (While I read the book, I listen to music.)
Það eru tvö ár síðan við hittumst. (It's two years since we met.)

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