Mastering Basic Greetings and the Verb 'Vera' (To Be)

Verb conjugation and greetings are the foundation of any new language. You can learn all the vocabulary in the world, but without the ability to say hello and connect words using the verb "to be," those words remain isolated fragments.

In Icelandic, the verb vera (to be) is highly irregular, just as it is in English. This lesson breaks down how to greet people naturally and how to conjugate vera in the present tense so you can introduce yourself, describe others, and start building complete sentences.

Learning Objectives

• Greet people appropriately using both informal and time-specific Icelandic greetings.
• Conjugate the irregular verb vera (to be) in the present tense for all subjects.
• Choose the correct plural pronoun for "they" based on gender.
• Introduce yourself and state basic facts using complete sentences.

Core Concepts

Basic Greetings and Farewells

Icelandic greetings range from casual, everyday words to phrases tied to specific times of the day.

Informal Greetings:

• Hæ (Hi) — The most common, casual way to say hello.
• Halló (Hello) — Also very common and slightly more universal.

Time-Specific Greetings:

• Góðan daginn (Good day / Good morning) — Used from morning until late afternoon. This is the standard polite greeting in shops, at work, or with strangers.
• Gott kvöld (Good evening) — Used after 6:00 PM.
• Góða nótt (Good night) — Used only when someone is actually going to sleep, not as a general evening greeting.

Farewells:

• Bless (Goodbye) — Often said twice: Bless bless!
• Sjáumst (See you) — A casual, friendly way to part ways.

Personal Pronouns

Before using the verb vera, you need to know the pronouns (the subjects of the sentence). Icelandic has a unique feature in the plural: there are three different words for "they" depending on the gender of the group.

Singular:

• Ég (I)
• Þú (You, singular)
• Hann (He)
• Hún (She)
• Það (It)

Plural:

• Við (We)
• Þið (You, plural)
• Þeir (They - masculine group)
• Þær (They - feminine group)
• Þau (They - neuter group, or a mixed-gender group)

The Present Tense of Vera (To Be)

The verb vera is irregular. You must memorize its forms, as they do not follow a standard pattern.

Singular Conjugation:

• Ég er (I am)
• Þú ert (You are)
• Hann/Hún/Það er (He/She/It is)

Examples:

• Ég er Jón. (I am Jón.)
• Þú ert nemandi. (You are a student.)
• Hún er kennari. (She is a teacher.)

Plural Conjugation:

• Við erum (We are)
• Þið eruð (You are)
• Þeir/Þær/Þau eru (They are)

Examples:

• Við erum vinir. (We are friends.)
• Þið eruð frá Íslandi. (You are from Iceland.)
• Þau eru hér. (They are here.)

Common Mistakes

Mistake: Using þeir for every group of people. Why it happens: English only has one word for "they," so learners default to the first Icelandic translation they learn (þeir). Correction: Use þeir only for a group of all males. Use þær for a group of all females. If the group is mixed (males and females), you must use the neuter pronoun þau. When in doubt about a mixed crowd, þau is the correct choice.

Mistake: Saying "Góða nótt" when arriving at a dinner party. Why it happens: Translating "Good evening/night" directly from English habits. Correction: Use Gott kvöld for evening greetings. Góða nótt is strictly for bedtime.

Mistake: Overcomplicating introductions. Why it happens: Learners often look for a complex verb like "to be called" (ég heiti) when they just want to state their name. Correction: While ég heiti (I am called) is perfectly correct, ég er (I am) is equally natural and easier to remember right now. "Ég er Anna" is a perfect introduction.

Practice Prompts

1. Write down the correct greeting you would use if you walked into a bakery at 10:00 AM, and then what you would say when leaving.
2. Conjugate the verb vera for the following subjects: Ég, Við, Hún, Þið.
3. Imagine a group consisting of your mother and your sister. Which "they" pronoun would you use? What if your brother joined them?
4. Write three simple sentences introducing yourself, a friend, and a group of friends using vera.

Examples

• Góðan daginn, ég er Jón. (Good morning, I am Jón.) — A polite, standard introduction.
• Hæ, hvernig hefur þú það? (Hi, how are you?) — A common informal greeting.
• Við erum frá Bandaríkjunum. (We are from the United States.) — Using the plural 'við' with 'erum'.
• Þau eru tilbúin. (They are ready.) — Using 'þau' for a mixed-gender group.
• Sjáumst á morgun! (See you tomorrow!) — A natural farewell.

Key Takeaways

• Góðan daginn is your go-to polite greeting for most of the day, while hæ and halló are great for casual situations.
• The verb vera is irregular: er, ert, er in the singular, and erum, eruð, eru in the plural.
• Icelandic has three words for "they": þeir (masculine), þær (feminine), and þau (neuter/mixed). Always use þau for a mixed group of people.

Vocabulary List

Greetings & Farewells

• Hæ — Hi
• Halló — Hello
• Góðan daginn — Good day / Good morning
• Gott kvöld — Good evening
• Góða nótt — Good night
• Bless — Goodbye
• Sjáumst — See you

Pronouns

• Ég — I
• Þú — You (singular)
• Hann — He
• Hún — She
• Það — It
• Við — We
• Þið — You (plural)
• Þeir — They (masculine)
• Þær — They (feminine)
• Þau — They (neuter / mixed group)

Verbs

• Að vera — To be
• Er — Am / Is (1st & 3rd person singular)
• Ert — Are (2nd person singular)
• Erum — Are (1st person plural)
• Eruð — Are (2nd person plural)
• Eru — Are (3rd person plural)

Nouns & Phrases

• Nemandi — Student
• Kennari — Teacher
• Vinir — Friends
• Frá Íslandi — From Iceland
• Hér — Here
• Tilbúin — Ready