Saying Hello
Icelandic greetings scale with the time of day and with how well you know someone:
| greeting | use |
|---|---|
| halló | hello — neutral, any time |
| hæ | hi — casual, among friends |
| góðan daginn | good day — the standard daytime greeting |
| gott kvöld | good evening |
| góða nótt | good night — only when parting for the night |
| Good day! Is the shop open? | Góðan daginn! Er búðin opin? |
The warmest pair is komdu sæll (to a man) and komdu sæl (to a woman) — literally come happy. Learn them as fixed formulas; the ending changes with the person you are greeting, not with you.
| Hello! Are you the doctor? (to a woman) | Komdu sæl! Ert þú læknirinn? |
How Are You?
The everyday exchange is Hvað segirðu gott? — literally what do you say (that is) good? — answered with allt gott (all good), usually followed by takk (thanks) and the question bounced back with en þú?
| All good, thanks. And you? | Allt gott, takk. En þú? |
When someone wishes YOU something — a good evening, a good night — answer sömuleiðis: likewise, same to you.
Saying Goodbye
Bless is the everyday goodbye, and sjáumst — we'll see each other — is see you! between people who will meet again. They stack happily: Bless! Sjáumst.
| Bye! See you. | Bless! Sjáumst. |
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