Learn Icelandic: Fyrirgefðu, hvar er baðherbergið?

Fyrirgefðu, hvar er baðherbergið?

Sorry, where is the bathroom?

Breakdown of Fyrirgefðu, hvar er baðherbergið?

Questions & Answers about Fyrirgefðu, hvar er baðherbergið?

Does "Fyrirgefðu" work for both "sorry" and "excuse me"?

Yes! The word Fyrirgefðu literally means "forgive (me)", but it is the standard way to say "excuse me" to get someone's attention, like when asking a stranger for directions. You can also use it to apologize for a minor mistake.

Why is the word for "the bathroom" so long?

It is a compound word made of two smaller words: bað (bath) and herbergi (room). Icelandic frequently builds vocabulary by sticking smaller, basic words together. The very end of the word, -ð, is the attached word for "the".

How does the "the" work at the end of baðherbergið?

In English, "the" is a separate word that goes before a noun. In Icelandic, "the" attaches directly to the end of the noun. The base word is baðherbergi (a bathroom). Because it is a neuter noun ending in a vowel, you just add -ð to the end to make it baðherbergið (the bathroom).

How do I pronounce the "hv" in hvar?

In Icelandic, the letter combination hv is pronounced like a crisp "kv". So hvar sounds like "kvar". Most Icelandic question words start with this "kv" sound, which is the equivalent of the English "wh" in words like "where", "what", and "when".