Prefix for mistakes (mis-)

Just as in English, the Icelandic prefix mis- indicates that an action was done incorrectly, badly, or by mistake. It attaches easily to verbs, nouns, and adjectives to describe errors, clumsiness, and blunders.

Communication and Thought

When we speak, listen, or think, things often go wrong. Adding mis- to skilja (understand) creates misskilja (misunderstand) and the noun misskilningur (misunderstanding).

If you say the wrong word, you use the verb mismæla sig (literally "to misspeak oneself"). Notice that some of these verbs require the reflexive pronoun sig (oneself).

Others are impersonal verbs. For example, misminna (to misremember) happens to you, rather than being an action you consciously perform, so the person experiencing the memory slip is placed in the accusative case (e.g., mig misminnti - I remembered incorrectly).

Clumsiness and Misjudgments

You can also apply mis- to physical actions and personal assessments. If you take a bad step and twist your ankle, you use the reflexive verb misstíga sig ("mis-step oneself").

Similarly, if you make a bad estimate, you might misreikna sig (miscalculate oneself) or misdæma (misjudge). The reflexive sig is very common when describing a personal blunder you bring upon yourself.

Failures and Ruined Plans

When entire events, meals, or projects go wrong, Icelandic uses middle voice verbs (ending in -st). The verbs misheppnast and mistakast both translate to "to fail" or "to go wrong."

You can also use the past participle form as an adjective, such as misheppnaður (failed or ruined), which declines to match the gender, number, and case of the noun it describes.