góður
[ˈkouːðʏr]
In Icelandic, the word for good (pleasant or enjoyable) is góður.
The word góður is an adjective used to describe something or someone as pleasant or enjoyable. The neuter form gott is often used as an exclamation to mean "Good!" or "Well done!"
Meaning: pleasant, enjoyable (adj)
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine form is góður. Use góð when describing a feminine noun, and gott when describing a neuter noun. For plural forms, use góðir when describing multiple masculine nouns and góðar when describing multiple feminine nouns.
Did you know?
- The word góður is an ancestral relative of the English word 'good', sharing the same Proto-Germanic root *gōdaz.
- The spelling of góður uses the letter 'ð', which is a unique Icelandic character known as 'eth', a sound that does not exist in the standard English alphabet.
- Icelandic allows the word góður to be used in compound words to create highly specific descriptions, such as góðmenni for a 'good person' or 'philanthropist'.
Examples in context
- Tom var ekki góður.Tom wasn't good.This sentence shows how to use góður in a negative context.Tatoeba #3799381 by arnarsmata, translation #3732658 by CK
- Þú ert frekar góður.You're pretty good.This sentence uses góður to describe a person.Tatoeba #3996767 by Bergthor, translation #1110438 by Scott
- Hann var frekar góður vinur minn.He was a pretty good friend of mine.This sentence demonstrates using góður to describe a friend.Tatoeba #3997506 by Bergthor, translation #3430536 by freddy1
- Góður dagur!Good day!
- Ég vona að þú verðir farsæll í ferðinni þinni.I hope you have a good journey.
- Góðan dag, hvað segir maður?Good day, how are you doing?
- Við sjáumst fljótt, allt gott!See you soon, take care!
- Takk fyrir, allt gott!Thank you, all the best!
- 34 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Guðrún and Sigurður are talking about a book.
- GuðrúnEr þetta góður bók?Is this a good book?
- SigurðurJá, hún er mjög góð.Yes, it is very good.
- GuðrúnÉg þarf góðan lestrarstund.I need a good reading session.
- SigurðurÞá mun þú elska þessa.Then you will love this one.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry góður, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries góður, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
