Learn Icelandic
Íslenska · ≈350,000 speakers
About Icelandic
Icelandic (íslenska) is a North Germanic language that has changed remarkably little since Viking settlers arrived in the 9th century. Modern Icelanders can read the 13th-century sagas with relative ease, and the country has an active language committee that coins native words rather than borrowing — 'tölva' (computer) literally means 'number prophetess'.
Where it's spoken
Iceland, with small communities in Canada (notably Manitoba)
Interesting facts
- 1Modern Icelanders read 13th-century Old Norse sagas with relative ease
- 2Uses the runic-derived letters þ (thorn) and ð (eth)
- 3New technical words are coined from native roots — 'tölva' for computer, 'sími' for telephone
Why learn Icelandic?
Three reasons to make Icelandic your next language.
Read the sagas in the original
Njál's Saga, the Eddas, Snorri Sturluson — Old Norse literature lives on in modern Icelandic.
Deepen your Iceland trip
Beyond Reykjavík's English-friendly tourist circuit lies a country whose books, films, and small-town life run in Icelandic.
A linguistic achievement
Few languages have remained this stable for a millennium — learning Icelandic is a window into how Europeans spoke a thousand years ago.
Your learning path
Three courses move you from your first word to fluent conversation.
Beginner
Learn the alphabet (including þ and ð), the four cases at their simplest, and survival phrases.
- Greetings
- Numbers 1–10
- Colours
- Family
- Common verbs
Intermediate
Read folk tales, talk about everyday life, and start handling the dreaded strong verbs.
- Travel & directions
- Food & dining
- Past tense
- Shopping
- Daily routines
Advanced
Read sagas in modernised editions, write essays, and discuss politics or literature with fluency.
- Subjunctive mood
- Idioms
- Business vocab
- Literature
- Debate
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