Saying what you like and what you think is everyday talk, but Icelandic builds most of it on the same dative-experiencer machine you met with feelings. The single most important thing to absorb: the natural way to say "I like doing X" is mér finnst gaman að + verb — literally "it seems fun to me to ..." There is no plain verb "to like" doing the work; the opinion happens to you and you sit in the dative. A few strong verbs (elska, hata) do take a normal nominative subject, but the backbone of liking and opining is dative. Every noun is tagged for gender (kk / kvk / hk).
The dative-opinion pattern at a glance
| Frame | Subject case | Meaning | Literal |
|---|---|---|---|
| mér finnst | dative (mér) | I think / I find | "to-me seems" |
| mér líkar (við) | dative (mér) | I like | "to-me pleases" |
| mér þykir | dative (mér) | I find / I deem | "to-me seems" |
| ég elska | nominative (ég) | I love | "I love" (+ accusative) |
| ég hata | nominative (ég) | I hate | "I hate" (+ accusative) |
The first three put you in the dative — the opinion or pleasure happens to you. Only elska and hata work like English, with ég as a plain subject. So the default, neutral way to talk about preferences is dative; the nominative verbs are reserved for strong feeling.
"Mér finnst" — the workhorse of opinions
Finnast ("to seem, to find") is the most useful opinion verb in Icelandic. You are the dative experiencer, and what follows is what seems so to you: an adjective, a noun, or a whole clause.
Mér finnst þetta rosalega gott.
I think this is really good (e.g. tasting food). 'Mér finnst' — dative 'mér', neuter 'gott'.
Mér finnst íslenska erfið en falleg.
I find Icelandic difficult but beautiful. The adjectives describe íslenska (kvk), so they're feminine: erfið, falleg.
Hvað finnst þér um nýju myndina?
What do you think about the new film? 'finnst þér' — 'you' in the dative; 'um' + accusative for the topic.
"Mér finnst gaman að ..." — how you say "I like doing X"
This is the headline insight. To say "I like swimming / reading / travelling," Icelandic does not use a verb "to like." It says mér finnst gaman að + infinitive — "it seems fun to me to ..." The opposite is mér finnst leiðinlegt að — "I find it boring/unpleasant to ...". Both gaman and leiðinlegt are neuter.
| Icelandic | English |
|---|---|
| Mér finnst gaman að synda | I like swimming |
| Mér finnst gaman að lesa | I like reading |
| Mér finnst leiðinlegt að vakna snemma | I don't like getting up early |
| Mér finnst leiðinlegt að bíða | I find waiting tedious |
For English speakers this is genuinely alien: your "I" disappears into a dative, and "like" becomes "it seems fun." But it is the single most common way Icelanders express a like, so it's worth drilling until it's automatic.
Mér finnst gaman að synda í sjónum á sumrin.
I like swimming in the sea in summer. The everyday 'I like doing X' = 'mér finnst gaman að' + infinitive.
Mér finnst leiðinlegt að vaska upp en það verður að gera það.
I don't like doing the dishes but it has to be done. 'leiðinlegt' (neuter) = boring/unpleasant.
"Mér líkar (við)" — to like a person or thing
Líka ("to please") is a closer translation of English "like," and it too takes a dative experiencer. With people (and often things) it's followed by við + accusative; the intensifier vel ("well") is common.
Mér líkar vel við hann, hann er almennilegur.
I like him, he's a decent guy. 'Mér líkar vel við hann' — dative 'mér', 'við' + accusative 'hann'.
Mér líkar ekki við þennan tón.
I don't like this tone. 'líkar ekki við' + accusative.
Hvernig líkar þér í nýju vinnunni?
How do you like the new job? 'líkar þér' — 'you' in the dative.
"Mér þykir vænt um" — to be fond of someone
Þykja is close in meaning to finnast ("to seem/deem"), and it appears in one indispensable idiom: mér þykir vænt um + accusative, "I'm fond of / I care about." This is the warm, sincere way to express affection — short of "love" but heartfelt.
Mér þykir mjög vænt um þig.
I'm very fond of you / I care about you a lot. 'Mér þykir vænt um' + accusative 'þig' — the standard tender phrase.
Henni þykir vænt um gömlu myndirnar.
She treasures the old photos. 'Henni' = dative 'to her'.
"Ég elska / ég hata" — the strong, nominative verbs
These two behave like English: ég (nominative subject) + the verb + accusative object. But a register warning: elska ("to love") is genuinely strong. Icelanders do not throw it at food or hobbies the way English casually says "I love coffee." Use mér finnst ... gott or mér finnst gaman að for casual enthusiasm, and save elska for people and deep passions.
Ég elska þig.
I love you. 'elska' + accusative — reserved, like in English, for real love.
Ég hata að bíða í röð.
I hate queuing. 'hata' + the infinitive phrase; stronger than 'mér finnst leiðinlegt'.
Ég elska kaffi.
I love coffee — understandable, but to a native ear it's a bit strong; 'mér finnst kaffi gott' is the everyday choice.
Agreeing and disagreeing
Two adjectives cover most agreement: sammála ("in agreement") and ósammála ("in disagreement"). They take a nominative subject (you really agree), and the person you agree with goes in the dative.
Ég er alveg sammála þér.
I completely agree with you. 'sammála' + dative 'þér' (the person agreed with).
Ég er ósammála þessu, mér finnst það ósanngjarnt.
I disagree with this, I think it's unfair. 'ósammála' + dative; then a dative-opinion clause.
Common Mistakes
❌ Ég finnst þetta gott.
Incorrect — 'finnast' takes a dative experiencer, not a nominative 'ég'.
✅ Mér finnst þetta gott.
I think this is good. 'Mér finnst' — you go in the dative.
❌ Ég líka þetta lag.
Incorrect — 'líka' is a dative-experiencer verb; the liker is in the dative.
✅ Mér líkar (vel) við þetta lag.
I like this song. 'Mér líkar við' + accusative.
❌ Ég lík að synda.
Incorrect and not idiomatic — Icelandic doesn't say 'I like to swim' with a 'like' verb here.
✅ Mér finnst gaman að synda.
I like swimming. The everyday frame is 'mér finnst gaman að' + infinitive.
❌ Ég elska þessa köku!
Understandable but overstrong — 'elska' on a cake sounds odd to native ears.
✅ Mér finnst þessi kaka geggjuð!
I love this cake! Use 'mér finnst ... gott/geggjaður' for casual enthusiasm.
❌ Ég er sammála við þig.
Incorrect — 'sammála' takes a plain dative, no 'við'.
✅ Ég er sammála þér.
I agree with you. 'sammála' + dative 'þér'.
Key Takeaways
- The default likes and opinions are dative-experiencer frames — you go in the dative (mér): mér finnst (think/find), mér líkar (við) (like), mér þykir (deem).
- "I like doing X" is mér finnst gaman að
- infinitive ("it seems fun to me to ..."); the negative is mér finnst leiðinlegt að. Both gaman and leiðinlegt are neuter.
- Mér líkar vel við
- accusative is the closest thing to English "I like (a person/thing)."
- Mér þykir vænt um
- accusative = "I'm fond of / I care about" — warm but short of "love."
- Elska and hata take a nominative subject + accusative, but elska is strong — reserve it for people and real passions.
- Agree/disagree with sammála / ósammála
- the dative of the person: ég er sammála þér.
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