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?: Ha, hvað sagðirðu? vá is wow. smá is the colloquial a bit — 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: Ertu að grínast? is the standard are you kidding?
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