enska
[ˈɛnska]feminine
enska is the Icelandic word for the English language.
The word enska is used specifically to refer to the English language as a noun.
Meaning: the English language (name)
Which one should you use?
enska refers to the language itself, while the adjective enskur is used to describe people or things of English origin.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun enska is feminine. When used with certain verbs or prepositions that require the dative case, it takes the form enskum.
Did you know?
- In Iceland, almost every single person is fluent in enska, yet the government actively implements language purity laws to prevent the language from being replaced by it.
- Because Icelandic is so protective of its vocabulary, many English loanwords are actually 'Icelandicized'. Instead of using the English word for a new concept, they might create a word that sounds like it or uses an Icelandic root to describe an English invention.
- While 'English' is a proper noun in English, in Icelandic, the word enska is not capitalized when used as a common noun in a sentence.
Examples in context
- Þeim líkar enska.They like English.This sentence shows how to express that someone likes enska.Tatoeba #7467841 by Rafeind, translation #306188 by CN
- Enska er móðurmál 375 milljóna manns.English is the mother tongue of 375 million people.This sentence provides a fact about the number of people for whom enska is a mother tongue.
- Enska er ekki mitt móðurmál.English is not my native language.This sentence is useful for stating that enska is not one's native language.Tatoeba #482932 by Swift, translation #26269 by CK
- Ég tala ekki enskuI don't speak English
- Hvar geti ég lært ensku?Where can I learn English?
- Ég þarf að nota ensku í vinnunniI need to use English at work
- Ertu góður í ensku?Are you good at English?
- Við lesum bækur á enskuWe read books in English
- 14 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two students are talking about their language classes.
- ÓlafurSérðu eftir þér að læra enska?Are you continuing to learn English?
- SigríðurJá, en enska er erfitt fyrir mig.Yes, but English is difficult for me.
- ÓlafurÉg get hjálpað þér með enska.I can help you with English.
- SigríðurTakk, Ólafur, það væri frábært.Thanks, Ólafur, that would be great.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “english” translations and entries enska, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR, Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
