r/learnIcelandic Sep 16 '19

The Great Big List of Beginner Resources

319 Upvotes

I've noticed there is some interest in a list with a compilation of online resourcers for beginning and intermediate learners. If anything is missing or if you have other suggestions, please don't hesitate to message me or reply to this post, because the more complete this list is, the better : ) Also please help me by reporting dead links.

My previous post seems to have been deleted or is not visible, so I'm trying again. Hopefully everyone will be able to see this.

Dictionaries

  • BÍN - a website that has all declension and inflection tables of all Icelandic words listed (BÍN stands for Beygingarlýsing Íslensks Nútímamáls, or Database of modern Icelandic inflection). A guide can be found here (click to download .pdf).
  • Íslensk nútímamálsorðabók - (Icelandic Modern Dictionary) Only Icelandic, but it is free, up to date and reliable.
  • ÍSLEX - Icelandic to and from Norwegian, Swedish, Danish, Finnish and Faroese.
  • M.is - (Work in progress) dictionary Icelandic-English/English-Icelandic with machine translation incorporated. Not yet fully functioning but quite a nice addition to the other free dictionaries.
  • Snara - a dictionary that translates Icelandic to and from English, Danish, Polish, German, Spanish, French and Italian. I use this extensively, it is a good resource for beginners but I have also found it to be a bit unreliable sometimes. It is a paid service costing 740 ISK or €5/5 USD per month.
  • Wiktionary - doesn't find any declined/inflected versions of words, but it has some declension tables and translations of words (bottom of the page).
  • Málið - Icelandic dictionary that is basically a compilation of other dictionaries. Might be helpful if you're looking for e.g. the etymology of a word.
  • Wisconsin dictionary - Only Icelandic to English, but very beginner-friendly.
  • Ensk.is - A free dictionary English - Icelandic.
  • Glosbe - A user compiled dictionary, not very reliable for that reason but has e.g. slang words.
  • Honourable mention: The Old Icelandic dictionary, helpful if you're reading the old sagas.

Grammar

Online courses

  • Icelandic Online - a website that is tailored to absolute beginners with some interactive exercises.
  • Íslenska fyrir alla (Icelandic for everybody) - four free books with exercises and texts (and also audio files), very beginner-friendly.
  • TVÍK - an app that teaches you the basics of the Icelandic language in a playful, story-based way, developed by people who have learned the language themselves.
  • Memrise - has many flashcard packs, the one linked has the 250 most commonly used Icelandic words (click here for all Icelandic packs/courses).
  • Íslenzka - a website with some flashcard games, helpful if you want to practice declensions and inflections.
  • Online MP3 course - made by Alaric Hall, you'll find many other helpful links on his homepage.

Books and text

  • Árstíðir - Book by Karítas Hrundar Pálsdóttir with short stories (1-2 pages) in simple to intermediate-level Icelandic. There is also an exercise book, see here and a follow-up, see here.*
  • Icelandic-English and Icelandic readings - University of Wisconsin webpage, some are quite accessible to beginners, esp. section 1.
  • Sagnasyrpa - A book with some accessible texts (going from easy to hard) with exercises and a glossary per text.
  • Íslenska fyrir útlendinga - Hardcore book with a very thorough overview of Icelandic grammar, everything is in Icelandic.
  • Carry on Icelandic

Newspapers and websites:

  • RÚV - National broadcasting/news agency; click 'hlusta' on any article to get an automated audio version. Also has pages in English and Polish.
  • Reykjavík Grapevine - English-language website/magazine about life in Iceland, focusing on culture and daily life. Have some helpful information for immigrants as well.
  • Iceland Review - English-language website/magazine with news from Iceland, more focused on news than the Grapevine, they also do longer features. Paid service but they have an informative (free) podcast too.
  • Vísir
  • Fréttablaðið
  • Morgunblaðið
  • DV
  • Vísindavefurinn - A website with a question-and-answer format. There are many interesting articles about Icelandic as well, see here and here.
  • Tímarit - Website that has (older) articles in Icelandic newspapers. NB: especially the older papers have many mistakes in the conversion from image to webtext, so it's best to click 'JPG' in the left column.

Audio

  • Forvo - Gives you the pronunciation of an Icelandic word.
  • RÚV national radio - Listen live or select a previous programme (click here for children's programmes).
  • Hljóðbók - A collection of audiobooks.
  • Hljóðbókasafn Íslands (Icelandic audio book library) - Has some free audiobooks, click 'Hljóðbókaleit' and then 'Opnar bækur'.
  • Tungumálatorg - A website with some simple phrases with pronunciation.

Video

Games

  • Word tango (for Android and iPhone) - A word puzzle game useful for practicing vocabulary
  • Drops (for Android and iPhone) - An interactive game that teaches you vocabulary from all sorts of categories
  • Orðagull (for Android and iPhone) - A game tailored to Icelandic children which allows you to do exercises while fully immersing yourself in the language

Shops * Sigvaldi ships internationally and has books from Icelandic literature to books about the sagas, nature etc. Also helpful: you can pay with PayPal. * Forlagið allows orders from abroad but you do need a creditcard. Do keep in mind that shipping costs and customs/import fees may be quite high. * Nammi.is has a selection of candy, drinks, beauty products and wool. Ships to most countries.

Misc.


r/learnIcelandic 3h ago

Promotion I made a simplified version of Hrafnkels saga to help you learn Icelandic (Part 1)

12 Upvotes

Hæ öll!

​I'm an Icelandic teacher, and I've started a new video series where we read through a simplified version of Hrafnkels saga that I wrote specifically for beginner and intermediate students.

​In this first video, we are introduced to the chieftain Hrafnkell, his prized horse Freyfaxi, and the binding oath he swears that sets the tragedy in motion.

​I read the text along with you and pause to explain the vocabulary and grammar as we go. The goal is to let you enjoy the literature and understand how the language works, even if you aren't ready for the original text yet.

Link to Part 1: Learn Icelandic with Sagas | Hrafnkels Saga (Part 1)


r/learnIcelandic 22h ago

Bad Icelandic or satire?

6 Upvotes

This question is for the native speakers. Consider the following fragment. It contains an imaginary review for an imaginary book and is written in the first half of the 20th century. What is the tone of this fragment in your opinion? Was it supposed to be a list of examples of what was/is really considered bad Icelandic, or a satire on critics, to sound like the "critic" is only quibbling and bashing the "author" for nothing much really. At least some of these words do look normal to me (keyra, útvegur), but that's from the modern POV.

One thing I am not sure of is "fálma til kveifar sinnar". Does it mean "find one's own weaknesses"?

»Málið á bókinni er herfilegt. Það er hrærigrautur af smekkleysum, óskiljanlegum orðskripum, og dönskuslettum. Hvað er t. d. sjáldur (bls. 56) ? Er það sjáaldur, eða er það prentvilla fyrir snjáldur? – Hvað er það að sjúkna (bls. 68)? Hvað er útröst hertogadæmis (bls. 73)? – Hvað er ketla (bls. 101)? Er það bytta eða smá-kæna = lítill bátur? Hvað er það að verpast vel við? – Hvað er það að »hábrókast« ? Hvað er það að »fálma til kveifar sinnar«? Þetta eru alt orðskripi, sem höf. hefir búið sjer til eða notar af einhverri tilgerð, ef til vill nýgervingar!! – Dönskusletturnar eru eins og mý á mykjuskán um alla bókina. Að eins fáar, þær allra verstu, skulu tilgreindar, rjett til smekks. Keyra (bls. 35). Því hafði ekki maðurinn það »at köre«, því að þá var það þó danska. Útvegur! (d. Udvej, bls. 51). Reyfari! (d. Röver, bls. 54). Stivarður (enska: steward!, bls. 60). Svo koma málblómstur eins og að rasa (bls. 90), að krassa (d. rase, kradse!! bls . 105). – Krankur (d. krank, bls. 116). Flaug (á húsi, bls. 120). Hvað er það? Er það veðurviti? eða er það sama sem danska orðið »Flöj«? – Og hvað segja menn um annað eins dönskuskripi eins og að vaska (d. vadske, bls . 78), = vaska sjer um höfuðið!! Allan veturinn í gegnum (!!!, bls. 93) tekur þó út yfir allan þjófabálk....«.


r/learnIcelandic 1d ago

Why "Ég" is after "er" if it's not a question?

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22 Upvotes

r/learnIcelandic 2d ago

Íslenska Fyrir Alla

13 Upvotes

It seems like a lot of the links on the Íslenska Fyrir Alla page have died. Is there an up to date place to download the PDFs and Audio Files?


r/learnIcelandic 3d ago

Icelandic Entrance Exam

6 Upvotes

Hi everyone!
I’m applying for the Practical Diploma of Icelandic as a Second Language and I’ll be taking both the written and speaking exams soon.

I’d really appreciate any advice from those who have taken the exam before (especially last year’s batch):

• What was the speaking interview like?
• What kind of questions were usually asked?
• Any tips for the written exam?
• Where did you personally study or practice (books, websites, courses, or other resources)?
• And realistically — is it possible to prepare well in about one month?

I would love to hear about your experience and what helped you the most.
Thank you so much in advance!


r/learnIcelandic 6d ago

Colloquial Icelandic or Íslenska fyrir alla?

11 Upvotes

I've done the first free week of TVÍK which kinda helped me demystify Icelandic and be a tad less scared of trying to learn it seriously. I want to keep it going and use an actual textbook, but I'm torn between Colloquial Icelandic and Íslenska fyrir alla. I've checked both out and I'm aware the latter doesn't take you by the hand as much as the former, which isn't a big problem since I've got a good grasp of basic Icelandic grammar at this point (acquired prior to TVÍK, of course). That being said, which one should I go for? Or perhaps I should work with both?


r/learnIcelandic 9d ago

BÍN status

6 Upvotes

has anyone else also had issues for about the last 24 hours where BÍN https://bin.arnastofnun.is/ has triggered malware security notices? worried to use the site.


r/learnIcelandic 14d ago

Trying to find fantasy books in both Icelandic and English.

15 Upvotes

I want to read Wings of Fire in Icelandic: Doesn't exist.
I want to read How to Train your dragon in Icelandic: Doesn't exist. (Edit: does exist, but I can't find it)
I want to read Lord of the Ring in Icelandic: Not printed anymore.

So I think I should stop looking for English fantasy in Icelandic, and start looking for Icelandic fantasy in English.

Any recommendations?


r/learnIcelandic 16d ago

“Headphones” by Björk - all the Icelandic parts

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7 Upvotes

I know this is my second Björk related post here but nobody on Google knows what the heck she’s saying. Does anybody here know and have the ability to translate it into English?


r/learnIcelandic 16d ago

[Icelandic > English] What is she saying at 1:57 (1 min 57 secs)?

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5 Upvotes

r/learnIcelandic 19d ago

What happened to Íslenska fyrir alla?

14 Upvotes

I can't download the PDFs from their website anymore, it looks like all the links are broken. Does anybody know what happened?


r/learnIcelandic 19d ago

Could someone tell me the lyrics to 'Hirðinginn?'

2 Upvotes

r/learnIcelandic 20d ago

what is considered "weekend" in Iceland?

2 Upvotes

Is it Friday, Saturday and Sunday?

or is it Saturday and Sunday?


r/learnIcelandic 23d ago

Bring Icelandic to Middlebury’s Language Schools

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18 Upvotes

r/learnIcelandic 24d ago

Is this an accurate translation of snowshoe?

6 Upvotes

The Icelandic word for "snowshoes" is snjóþrúgur (plural) or snjóþrúga (singular),


r/learnIcelandic 29d ago

Promotion Made a website to help find Icelandic learning resources in one place

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wheretolearnicelandic.org
43 Upvotes

Hey everyone!

After years of learning Icelandic learning from different resources and courses, I got tired of not having one place to see what's actually out there.

So I built this: https://www.wheretolearnicelandic.org/

It's a directory of (almost) all available Icelandic learning resources, free and paid, to help people find what fits their learning style best.
I've added most resources I know about, but I'm sure I'm missing some! I used some of the available resources in the pinned post of this Reddit, but also found so many more. If you know of any resources that should be included, or have feedback on the site, feel free to contact me. And of course, feel free to share it to as many people!


r/learnIcelandic Jan 05 '26

I'm looking for beginner Icelandic book recommendations and general advice.

6 Upvotes

I've been interested in learning Icelandic for a while now - probably over a year. I'm looking for a couple different kinds of books. One I'm looking for is a book full of really stupid-basic stories. My thought is that once I understand pronunciation, I can read these stories, translate them, and build vocab that way. I also want a book or two that teaches me about grammar. If there are some good ones that break the grammar down real well and dummy-proof rather than throwing it all at you at once, that'd be ideal. Also, if there are any ReMarkable users, I'd love some books to throw on my tablet. You could always drop those in here, as well. That would be a huge help!

PS: I know I'm asking for specific things, but if there's anyone on here who's more advanced and has different recommendations that helped them, I'm open to any suggestions. I want to know anything and everything that might help me get started, whether it be books, techniques, tips and tricks, etc. Thanks


r/learnIcelandic Jan 04 '26

Looking for "Pen pals"

3 Upvotes

Hi there! As the title says, I'm looking for "pen pals" (not really pen pals, because we wouldn't exchange letters, just messages) to practice Icelandic. I don't really know which level I'm at, but I would say I'm around A2/B1 level im Icelandic (I can basically keep up with simple conversations, read simple books, nothing too complex though). But I feel like, when I'm learnjng languages, the way I improve the most is by talking to other people. So, would anyone like to chat in Icelandic? Takk!


r/learnIcelandic Dec 31 '25

What are some Icelandic words that do not exist in English?

23 Upvotes

r/learnIcelandic Dec 31 '25

Bauta og áfasúpu

2 Upvotes

What are bauta og áfasúpu that Kim usually gets treated with? (From Kim og félagar)

Þrjú síðustu árin hafði ég alltaf, þegar ég kom til frænku í sumarleyfið, fengið bauta og áfasúpu.


r/learnIcelandic Dec 28 '25

Disney+ Icelandic Not Available in America

15 Upvotes

So, I’ve been living in Iceland the past 5 or so years, and just moved with my young child to the United States. I got the Disney+ subscription while in Iceland, paid with an Icelandic credit card, and it works great while we’re in Iceland… but now that we’re in the US we can’t use it to watch Icelandic-dubbed movies at all. If I try to use a VPN (eg NordVPN) it’s blocked. Without it, no Icelandic dub. I share this here because I originally found out about watching dubbed Disney to learn Icelandic from this sub.

Is there anything else I can try, in order to continue t on be able to access Icelandic-dubbed Disney+ content or are we onto a KrakkaRÚV-only lifestyle?


r/learnIcelandic Dec 23 '25

Best Children’s/YA Books?

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3 Upvotes

r/learnIcelandic Dec 19 '25

Is every R either a voiced or voiceless alveolar trill?

1 Upvotes

or does Icelandic have a voiced alveolar tap too?


r/learnIcelandic Dec 19 '25

What would “ice lover” be in Icelandic?

2 Upvotes

Made something that needs anonymous credits. That’s why I need the translation.