Talmál — everyday spoken Icelandic

The spoken layer

Written Icelandic is conservative, but conversation runs on a small set of spoken words every Icelander uses daily. ha is the universal what?/huh?: Huh, what did you say?

Ha, hvað sagðirðu? vá is wow. smá is the colloquial a bit — I am a bit tired today.Ég er smá þreyttur í dag.

People

gaurinn is the dude, náunginn the fellow/guy — neutral-to-informal ways to refer to a man you don't name. löggan you met in the news lesson.

Strong language, used carefully

andskotinn (the devil) and djöfullinn are the standard curses — as exclamations they are strong but everyday: Andskotinn! Djöfullinn! sverja is to swear an oath (ég sver!), not to curse.

Small talk adjectives

word	meaning
svalur	cool
blankur	broke (out of money)
heimskur	stupid

grínast is to joke around: Are you kidding?

Ertu að grínast? is the standard are you kidding?