Ways to say it
| Icelandic | IPA |
|---|---|
| fallegur | [ˈfal.lɛɣʏr] (narrow) |
| fagur | [ˈfaːɣʏr] (narrow) |
The primary way to say beautiful in Icelandic is to use fallegur to describe something attractive. Depending on the specific nuance you want to convey, other words may be more appropriate: Dásamlegur or Dásamleg implies something is stunning or breathtakingly beautiful, while Prýðilegur or Prýðileg emphasizes that something is charming, graceful or elegant. In casual settings, you might use the informal Flottur or Flott to mean beautiful, cool or nice.
Which one should you use?
While fallegur is the standard term, fagur is also used to mean beautiful. The difference is one of style: fagur is a more poetic, formal or literary term.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective must change its ending to match the gender and case of the noun it describes. For example, when describing a feminine noun, you would use the form fallega.
Did you know?
- The word fallegur is likely related to the verb falla, which means 'to fall'. This mirrors the development of the German word 'gefällig', where the idea of 'falling' in a certain way evolved into being pleasing or beautiful.
- The word flottur is frequently used to describe something 'beautiful' in a modern sense, but its literal meaning is closer to 'grand' or 'impressive', similar to how an English speaker might call a car 'sharp'.
- In Icelandic, describing a person as dásamlegur goes beyond their physical beauty to suggest they are 'wonderful' or 'marvelous' as a human being.
Examples in context
- Þessi kastali er fallegur.This castle is beautiful.This sentence uses fallegur to describe a castle.Tatoeba #4000942 by Bergthor, translation #415554 by CK
- Mér líkar við þann sem er ekki fallegur.I like the one who is not beautiful.This sentence uses fallegur to describe a person.Tatoeba #4171684 by lifind, translation #4170355 by Wuzzy
- Mér finnst Quechua fáninn fallegur.I think that the Quechua flag is beautiful.This sentence uses fallegur to describe a flag.Tatoeba #865343 by Swift, translation #865341 by Zifre
- Þú ert fallegur/fögurYou are beautiful
- Þú ert dásamlegur/dásamlegYou are stunning
- Þessi staður er heillandiThis place is enchanting
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Gunnar and Katrín are visiting an art gallery.
- GunnarSjáðu þetta málverk, það er svo fallegur.Look at this painting, it is so beautiful.
- KatrínJá, litirnir eru virkilega dásamlegir.Yes, the colors are truly wonderful.
- GunnarHver heimtaðist þetta fallegur verk?Who created this beautiful work?
- KatrínÉg veit það ekki, Gunnar.I don't know, Gunnar.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “beautiful” translations and entries fallegur, fagur, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries fagur, fallegur, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
