Practical Icelandic: “Merry Christmas”

Velkomin! Welcome to episode 2 of Practical Icelandic, the series where Reykjavík Grapevine teaches you simple and useful phrases for your trip to Iceland. Today we are learning to say “merry Christmas” in Icelandic, as well as ordering some hot chocolate. You can find all the phrases below!

Valur has roped in Josie Anne as a test subject, so you can see how it is for a non-native speaker to try out these phrases, and learn along with her at home! We recommend turning on closed captioning, so you can follow along with what we’re saying.

The phrases we are covering are “Gleðileg jól” – “merry Christmas”, to which you can also add “og farsælt komandi ár” – “and a happy new year”

We also order two hot chocolates: “Fá tvo kakóbolla”

Members get access to Practical Icelandic before anyone else, plus extra tips and support from us on the Community Tab. Want to join them? You can do so HERE

Want an even simpler way to get your hotdog? You can buy our ‘má ég fá eina pylsu’ T-shirt HERE, and just point to it when you’re ordering in Iceland!

Interested in learning more Icelandic? We have a range of books available in the Grapevine Bookshop to help you out.

Note: Due to the effect the Coronavirus is having on tourism in Iceland, it’s become increasingly difficult for the Grapevine to survive. If you enjoy our content and want to help the Grapevine’s journalists do things like eat and pay rent, please consider joining our High Five Club.

You can also check out our shop, loaded with books, apparel and other cool merch, that you can buy and have delivered right to your door

Also you can get regular news from Iceland—including the latest notifications on eruptions, as soon as they happen—by signing up to our newsletter.