Language/Icelandic/Vocabulary/Express-Surprise
Hi Icelandic learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will delve into expressions and vocabulary that will help you express surprise in Icelandic. Being able to show reactions in conversations is important for communication. It's always nice to see other people react to a situation, whether it's a positive or negative change. Knowing how to express surprise also exposes you to a lot of cultural information and interesting facts. By the end of this lesson, you will be able to surprise your Icelandic friends and enhance your communication skills. Don't be scared, let's go! 🤗
Don't hesitate to look into these other pages after completing this lesson: Weather & Information about origins.
Expressions[edit | edit source]
To express surprise, astonishment, or disbelief in Icelandic, you can use the following phrases:
| Icelandic | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Hvað segiru? | ['kʰvað 'sɛjɪrʏ] | What are you saying? |
| Hver er það? | ['kʰvɛr ɛr θaːθ] | Who is that? |
| Hvernig er það mögulegt? | ['kʰvɛr.nɪg ɛr θaːθ 'mœjʏlɛkt] | How is that possible? |
| Alltaf sama það! | ['alːtaf 'saːma θaːθ] | Same old thing! |
| Efnið er tilarítið! | ['ɛːvnɪð ɛr tɪ'lar'iːtɪð] | The topic is fascinating/amazing! |
| Ég er stumur! | [jɛk kɛr 'stʏmʏr] | I'm speechless! |
| Það er eins og ég sé andstæður! | ['θaːð ɛr 'eins kɔː(j) ɛːk seɪ 'antstaiðʏr] | It's like I'm seeing contradictions! |
| Félagi minn, hvað er þetta? | ['feːlajɪ mɪn 'kvað ɛr 'θɛtːa] | My friend, what is this? |
| Nei, þetta gerir ekki sense! | [nɛi 'θɛtːa 'kɛrɪr 'ɛcːɪ 'sɛnsɛ] | No, this doesn't make sense! |
Here are some examples of how to use these expressions in a dialogue:
- Person 1: Hvað segiru? (What are you saying?)
- Person 2: Ég vann í gær aftur og náði að klára verkefnið (I worked yesterday and managed to finish the project)
- Person 1: Hver er það? (Who is that?)
- Person 2: Hér eru myndir af húsinu (Here are some pictures of the house)
- Person 1: Hvernig er það mögulegt? (How is that possible?)
- Person 2: Ég fór í rúturferð um allt land (I went on a bus tour around the country)
- Person 1: Alltaf sama það! (Same old thing!)
- Person 2: Ég er að læra píanó (I'm learning the piano)
- Person 1: Það er eins og ég sé andstæður! (It's like I'm seeing contradictions!)
- Person 2: Ég keypti líka sjónvarpskassann í gær (I also bought the TV box yesterday)
- Person 1: Félagi minn, hvað er þetta? (My friend, what is this?)
- Person 2: Ég stofnaði nýju fyrirtæki (I started a new company)
- Person 1: Nei, þetta gerir ekki sense! (No, this doesn't make sense!)
- Person 2: Ég hitti gamlan vina í búðinni (I met an old friend in the store)
Vocabulary[edit | edit source]
In addition to the expressions, here are some useful vocabulary words to further enrich your Icelandic language skills.
| Icelandic | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Afburður | ['ap.bʏrðʏr] | Excellent |
| Dásamlegt | ['taus.am.lɛkt] | Amazing |
| Draga uppáhaldsbroddinn af hesti | ['prau.ka 'up.paː.halt.s.brɔd.tɪnː 'ap 'hɛs.tɪ] | To reveal one's favorite thing (literally: to pull out the favorite pin from the horse) |
| Glataðu ekki günnum þínum | ['gla.taðʏ 'ɛcːɪ 'kʏnːɔm 'θiːnʏm] | Don't lose your temper (literally: don't lose your colors) |
| Hlustaðu betur á mig! | ['l̥ʏs.tah.ðʏ 'pɛ.tʏr 'au 'mɪɣ] | Listen to me better! |
| Komin með góðar fréttir! | ['kɔmɪn mɛð 'ɡoːðar 'frjɛtːɪr] | Bringing good news! |
| Ótrúlega | ['ou.truːlɛɡa] | Incredibly |
| Skratt | [skrat] | Laugh |
| Úr stöðu | ['uːr 'stœːðʏ] | Out of control (literally: out of position) |
| Vondu þjáningarnar eru yfir! | ['vɔntʏ 'θjauːnɪŋ.ar.nar 'ɛrʏ 'ɪvɪr] | The bad times are over! |
Here are some examples of how to use this vocabulary in a dialogue:
- Person 1: Ég er að læra íslensku (I'm learning Icelandic)
- Person 2: Ótrúlega! (Incredibly!)
- Person 1: Ég keypti nýja bílinn í gær (I bought a new car yesterday)
- Person 2: Komin með góðar fréttir! (Bringing good news!)
- Person 1: Ég var í frábæru tónleika á laugardagskvöldið (I was at a great concert last Saturday night)
- Person 2: Dásamlegt! (Amazing!)
- Person 1: Hvernig eru þjáningarnar þínar í vinnunni? (How are your troubles at work?)
- Person 2: Vondu þjáningarnar eru yfir! (The bad times are over!)
To improve your Icelandic Vocabulary, you can also use the Polyglot Club website. Find native speakers and ask them any questions!
Conclusion[edit | edit source]
In this lesson, you have learned how to express surprise in Icelandic. You now know some useful expressions and vocabulary words to try out in your conversations with your Icelandic friends or colleagues. Keep practicing and developing your skills. Learning new ways to express different emotions is always a great conversation starter and will help you to communicate more effectively with others. Icelanders are a friendly and welcoming people, so keep exploring and enjoy the language and the culture. 😊
➡ If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments section below.
➡ Feel free to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved. 😎
Sources[edit | edit source]
Great work on completing this lesson! Take a moment to investigate these connected pages: Common words and Greetings & Animals.
Other Lessons[edit | edit source]
- Fruits
- Clothes
- How to say Good Bye?
- Basic phrases: I don't understand something
- Emergency words
- Holiday Wishes Phrases
- Animals
- traveling or buying
- Hotel Restaurant veitingastaðir og ferðamannafrasar