ís
[ˈiːs]masculine
The English word "ice" is translated into Icelandic as ís.
ís refers to water in its frozen form.
Meaning: water in frozen form (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun ís is masculine. When it functions as the direct object of a verb, it changes to the accusative form íss.
Did you know?
- In Iceland, if you ask for ís at a cafe, you are more likely to receive an ice cream cone than a cup of ice cubes.
- The word ís is a direct descendant of the Old Norse word íss, showing that the term has remained virtually unchanged for over a millennium.
- Icelandic has a specific word jökull for a glacier, as using the word ís is often too generic to describe these massive ice caps.
Examples in context
- Mig vantar ísmola.I need ice cubes.This sentence shows how to use ís when referring to ice cubes.Tatoeba #12301213 by nipbud, translation #2387491 by CK
- Langar þig í ís?Do you want some ice cream?This sentence demonstrates how ís can refer to ice cream.
- Um það bil 81% af yfirborði Grænlands er þakið ís.About 81% of Greenland's surface is covered by ice.This sentence illustrates the use of ís when describing a surface covered by ice.
- 10 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sigríður and Ólafur are walking outside in winter.
- SigríðurVarðveittu þig, það er ís á vegnum.Be careful, there is ice on the road.
- ÓlafurÉg sé það, ég mun ganga hægt.I see it, I will walk slowly.
- SigríðurHleypirðu ekki upp í ísinn?You aren't stepping into the ice?
- ÓlafurNei, ég gæti hlaðist í ísinn.No, I could slip on the ice.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “ice” translations and entries ís, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ís, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR, Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
