You may have heard that it's difficult to learn, but it isn't much more difficult than any other Germanic language, it just may look intimidating.Start by learning how to say the letters of the alphabet.You will be able to easily sound out any word from that point on.You can understand new words if you expand your vocabulary.Gangi!I wish you good luck!
Step 1: Practice long and short vowels.
All of the vowels in Icelandic are either long or short.The vowels in single-syllable words are long.When followed by a single consonant, vowels are also long.There are vowels that have a mark over them.If you speak French or Spanish, you may be familiar with accent marks like this one.These vowels have their own sounds.The pronunciation of all the vowels is listed in a guide on the band's website.You can access the guide by visiting https://sigur-ros.co.uk/band/pronunci.
Step 2: Refer to the pronunciation of the vowels.
There are two vowels that are not in the regular Latin alphabet.Both of these vowels are pronounced the same./ is similar to the th in the words they or them.is also pronounced with a sound.If you don't have the character on your keyboard, you can replace it with a th.It doesn't happen at the end of a word.
Step 3: Work on vowels that sound different from English.
In English, most of the vowels sound the same.Some sound the same when combined with another, but others do not.The pronunciation of G/g at the beginning of a word is similar to the hard English G.A soft g sound is what occurs in the middle of a word.It is not considered silent.There are no silent letters in the country.In English, H/h usually sounds the same.When it is coupled with a v, it has a k sound.In basic question words such as hva, hver, who, and hvenr, this pair is present.The letter J/j is the same as the letter y in English or Spanish.The word jj is the same as the word yo-yo, and can be used to remember it.Like the Scottish or German r, the Icelandic r is always rolled.It can take some practice to get it right.It's very close to the way ll is pronounced in Welsh if you're familiar with it.
Step 4: The first word should be stressed.
The first syllable is always stressed in Icelandic, so you don't have to worry about emphasizing the wrong one.No matter how long, this is true for every word.The negative prefix - is an exception to the rule.Both the first and second syllable are stressed equally with these words.
Step 5: You can find words that are similar to English words.
English and Icelandic both have Germanic roots.There are many Icelandic words that are similar to English words.These words can be added to your vocabulary.The son and daughter in Icelandic are named sson and dottir.The first name of one of the child's parents is appended to the sson or dottir.The months of the year in Icelandic should be familiar to English-speakers.Unless they are the first word in a sentence, the names of months are not capitalized in Icelandic.
Step 6: Gradually use labels to expand your vocabulary.
You can learn words in Icelandic for objects around your home.Put a sticky note on the object and write the word on it.You will begin to think of that object in a different way than the English word.Pick a few words and focus on them for a week or so.You could start with names for different types of food.You could learn more about basic kitchen items or appliances after that.You could go to another room of the house from there.You don't have to limit the exercise to just words.You can include related words.conjugate those verbs with your regular language study.Bn is an online search engine that can be used to look up verbs and declensions.
Step 7: The compound words should be broken into their components.
A combination of several words is one of the most intimidating Icelandic words.German and Welsh are two languages that do the same thing.Start small and work your way up.Reykjavk is the capital of Iceland.The name of the city is a compound word meaning "smoky bay."Larger words can be more difficult if you break them down first.Eyjafjallajkull is the name of the volcano that erupted in 2010.The three words that make up the name are eyja, fjall and jkull.
Step 8: Say "hall" to greet someone.
In almost any situation, this basic greeting will work.Depending on the time of day, you could use "gan daginn" or "Ga ntt"Unlike other languages, such as Spanish or French, Icelandic doesn't have a formal version of the you pronoun.Since surnames aren't used inIceland the way they are in other cultures, the country uses the same greeting for everyone and addresses them by their first names.To greet someone, you can use velkominn.When you are welcoming someone into a place or meeting someone who arrives at your invitation, this is more appropriate.
Step 9: Say "Hvernig hefur a" to ask how you are.
The person will most likely ask you the same thing in return.They'll probably say "fnt, takk fyrir," which means "I'm fine, thanks," and then "En?""And you?""Hva er a frétta?"Which is similar to asking "what's happening?"Or "what's new?"It's in English."nothing much" is the likely response to this question.
Step 10: Say "g heiti" followed by your name to introduce yourself.
"Nice to meet you" is what you can say when the person introduces themselves to you.If you want to tell the person where you live, you can add the name of your home country."ég er a lra slensku" means "I am learning Icelandic."
Step 11: You can use "ég elska" to talk about things you like.
The other person is going to ask you questions as you progress in the conversation.You can tell them about the things that made you fall in love with the culture.You can say "g elska Sigur Rs" if you love the band.
Step 12: Don't forget to mind your manners with takk and gtir.
The title of one of the albums by Sigur Rs is takk.It means "Thank you" in the language of the country.Please is what Gtir means."Excuse me" is a word.If you're trying to pass through a crowd, you can use the same word as if you were asking for something.Say "I'm sorry" with the word "fyrirgefu".Whether you're apologizing for a mistake or not, this is the same word.
Step 13: The word "bless" is no longer used in the country.
It looks like the English word, but it actually means goodbye.It should be easy to remember, even for beginners."Sjumst" means "see you later"The English phrase "bye bye" is what "b b" sounds like.It's a bit more casual than the English phrase, so use it when circumstances are similar.
Step 14: You can sign up for an online course.
It can be difficult to understand the Icelandic language.It's best to take a standard course to get a good foundation in grammar.There are online courses where you can learn.Some are free while others charge.The University of Iceland offers a free online course that will take you all the way from being an absolute beginner to advanced studies in the language.To sign up, go to icelandiconline.is/index.html.You can either access all of the lessons for free or pay a tutor to give you feedback on your writing and speech.
Step 15: You can increase your vocabulary by listening to music in Icelandic.
Music is a good way to get words into your head because they are repetitive.Sigor Rs is one of the most famous music acts of all time.Many of the acts have records in Icelandic.Iceland Music, the country's music rights society, streams music in a variety of different genres.They are also available on the internet.
Step 16: You can learn about Icelandic culture by reading the newspapers.
While practicing your reading comprehension skills, you can learn about the current events and news in Iceland and around the world.The Bjarins Besta and Vsir newspapers are available online.
Step 17: Listen to Icelandic television shows to pick up native speech patterns.
Learning from books or online courses alone won't give you a real feel for the language.You can watch people talk.The RV broadcasts shows online at http://www.ruv.is/upptokur.
Step 18: Take a trip to a foreign land.
The country itself has the largest number of native speakers.If you can afford it, a trip there will give you the best chance to learn the language and get feedback on it.Because of their isolation, people trying to learn their language are rare.They will start talking to you in English if they become frustrated.They might be reminded that you're trying to learn the language and don't want to fall back on English.I don't understand English, but you can say "Afsaki, ég skil ekki ensku".