ég sakna þín
The English phrase "I miss you" is translated into Icelandic as ég sakna þín.
Meaning: I miss you (phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
The verb sakna means to miss or to lack, conveying the sense of feeling a lack or the absence of someone or something.
Did you know?
- In Old Norse, the root of sakna was also associated with 'legal disputes' or 'claims', suggesting that missing someone is like having an unsettled account.
- In Icelandic, longing for someone can be expressed using þrá, which describes a more intense, aching desire than the general sense of missing someone in sakna.
- The pronoun ég shares a common ancestor with the Latin 'ego', making it a distant linguistic cousin to English words used in formal philosophical contexts.
Examples in context
- Ég sakna þín.I miss you.This example shows how to use the phrase ég sakna þín.Tatoeba #3997317 by Bergthor, translation #1308 by brauliobezerra
Example conversation
Gunnar and Katrín are talking on the phone.
- GunnarHæ Katrín, ég sakna þín.Hi Katrín, I miss you.
- KatrínÉg sakna þín líka, Gunnar.I miss you too, Gunnar.
- GunnarHvenær kemur þú heim?When are you coming home?
- KatrínÉg kem á morgun.I am coming tomorrow.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “I miss you” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries sakna, ég, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
