Mér líkar íslenskan.

I like Icelandic.

Breakdown of Mér líkar íslenskan.

• ég: I
• líka: to like
• íslenskan: the Icelandic

Questions & Answers about Mér líkar íslenskan.

Why is it Mér líkar and not Ég líkar?

Because the verb líka works differently from English “to like.”

• In English, the person who likes something is the subject: I like Icelandic.
• In Icelandic with líka, the thing you like is the subject, and the person is in the dative case.

So the literal structure is more like:

• Mér líkar íslenskan. = “Icelandic pleases me.”
  
  • mér = to me (dative of ég)
  • íslenskan = the subject (Icelandic)

Ég líkar is ungrammatical in modern Icelandic.

Is mér the subject of the sentence?

No. Mér is not the grammatical subject here.

• Mér is the dative experiencer (roughly “to me”).
• Íslenskan is the grammatical subject (nominative case, 3rd person singular).
• The verb líkar agrees with íslenskan, not with mér.

So structurally it’s like:

• Íslenskan líkar mér. = “Icelandic pleases me.”
  (This word order is also possible in Icelandic.)

What does líkar literally mean?

Líkar is the 3rd person singular present of the verb líka. In this construction it is closer in meaning to English “to please” than to “to like.”

So:

• Mér líkar íslenskan.
  Literally: “Icelandic pleases me.”
  Idiomatic English: “I like Icelandic.”

Why does líka take the dative case (mér)?

Some Icelandic verbs govern a particular case for their complements, and you simply have to learn them that way.

• Líka (in the sense to please) takes a dative experiencer:
  • Mér líkar… – I like…
  • Þér líkar… – You like…
  • Honum/Henni líkar… – He/She likes…

This is just a property of the verb, not something you can change. It’s similar to how some English verbs demand certain prepositions (listen to, depend on, etc.).

Why is it íslenskan with -n at the end?

The -n at the end is the suffixed definite article (“the”).

• íslenska = Icelandic (language) (indefinite, nominative singular)
• íslenskan = the Icelandic (language) (definite, nominative singular)

So:

• Mér líkar íslenska. ≈ I like Icelandic (in general).
• Mér líkar íslenskan. ≈ I like the Icelandic (language).

In practice, English often doesn’t use “the” here, but Icelandic very often does use the definite form when the language is the subject:

• Íslenskan er falleg. – Icelandic is beautiful.

Is íslenskan the subject or the object in this sentence?

Íslenskan is the grammatical subject.

• It is in the nominative case (the subject case).
• The verb líkar is 3rd person singular, agreeing with íslenskan.
• Mér is dative, functioning as the experiencer (to me).

So the underlying structure is:

• Íslenskan (subject) líkar (verb) mér (dative experiencer).

Can I say it without the -n, like Mér líkar íslenska?

You can see both in real usage:

• Mér líkar íslenska.
• Mér líkar íslenskan.

Both can mean “I like Icelandic (the language).”

Subtle points:

• íslenska (indefinite) can feel a bit more general or abstract.
• íslenskan (definite) often refers to the language more as a concrete system, and is very common when the language is the subject:
  
  • Íslenskan er erfið. – Icelandic is difficult.

For a learner, using íslenskan here is perfectly natural and safe.

How would I say “I don’t like Icelandic”?

You negate the verb with ekki:

• Mér líkar ekki íslenskan. – I don’t like Icelandic.

Position:

• líkar (verb)
• ekki (negation)
• then the rest: íslenskan

Can I change the word order, like Íslenskan líkar mér?

Yes, this is grammatically correct:

• Íslenskan líkar mér.

Both:

• Mér líkar íslenskan.
• Íslenskan líkar mér.

are possible.

In everyday speech, putting the dative experiencer first is very common:

• Mér líkar…
  But you will also meet the variant with the subject first, especially in writing or more formal styles.

How do I use this pattern with other pronouns?

You keep the verb agreeing with what is liked, and put the experiencer in the dative. For example, with íslenskan as the thing liked:

• Mér líkar íslenskan. – I like Icelandic.
• Þér líkar íslenskan. – You (sg.) like Icelandic.
• Honum líkar íslenskan. – He likes Icelandic.
• Henni líkar íslenskan. – She likes Icelandic.
• Okkur líkar íslenskan. – We like Icelandic.
• Ykkur líkar íslenskan. – You (pl.) like Icelandic.
• Þeim líkar íslenskan. – They like Icelandic.

Notice that líkar stays the same here because íslenskan is 3rd person singular.

What happens if I like more than one thing? Does líkar change?

Yes. The verb agrees with the thing(s) liked:

• Singular subject (one thing):
  
  • Mér líkar bíómyndin. – I like the movie.
• Plural subject (several things):
  
  • Mér líka bíómyndir. – I like movies.

So:

• With one liked thing: líkar (3rd singular)
• With several liked things: líka (3rd plural)

Is líka here the same word as líka meaning “also”?

They are spelled the same but function differently:

1. líka as a verb (to please in this structure):

   • Mér líkar íslenskan. – I like Icelandic.

2. líka as an adverb (also, too):

   • Ég tala ensku og ég tala líka íslensku.
     – I speak English and I also speak Icelandic.

Context and position in the sentence tell you which one it is.

Why is the language nominative here, but in Ég tala íslensku it looks different?

Because different verbs require different cases:

1. With líka (to please):

   • The thing liked is the subject (nominative).
   • The person is dative.
   • Mér líkar íslenskan.
     
     • íslenskan = nominative definite (subject)
     • mér = dative experiencer

2. With tala (to speak):

   • The person is the subject (nominative).
   • The language is usually accusative.
   • Ég tala íslensku.
     
     • ég = nominative (subject)
     • íslensku = accusative (object)

So the case of íslenska changes depending on the verb:

• Mér líkar íslenskan. (nom.)
• Ég tala íslensku. (acc.)

Are there other common ways to say “I like Icelandic”?

Yes, several, with slightly different nuance:

• Ég kann vel við íslensku.
  – I like / am fond of Icelandic.
• Ég hef gaman af íslensku.
  – I enjoy Icelandic / I take pleasure in Icelandic.
• Ég er hrifinn af íslensku. (speaker male)
  Ég er hrifin af íslensku. (speaker female)
  – I’m really into / enthusiastic about Icelandic.

All of these are natural ways to express liking the language, but Mér líkar íslenskan is one of the most straightforward for learners.

How do I pronounce Mér líkar íslenskan?

Approximate pronunciation (standard Icelandic):

• Mér – [mjɛːr] (like “myair”, one syllable)
• líkar – [ˈliːkar] (stress on lí, long ee sound)
• íslenskan – [ˈistlɛnska(n)] or [ˈislɛnska(n)] (stress on the first syllable ís-)

All content words are stressed on the first syllable, as is typical in Icelandic: MÉR lí-kar ÍS-lens-kan.