Ways to say it
| Icelandic | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| kind | [ˈcʰɪnt] (narrow) | feminine |
| sauður | [ˈsœiːðʏr] (narrow) | masculine |
| sauðkind | [ˈsœið.cʰɪnt] (narrow) | feminine |
| fé | [ˈfjɛː] (narrow) | collective, neuter |
| sauðfé | [ˈsœið.fjɛː] (narrow) | collective, neuter |
| ær (ewe) | feminine |
Icelandic has specific terms for sheep based on the context of the conversation. You can use terms for a single animal, such as sauður or sauðkind or a collective term like sauðfé when talking about a flock or a mass of animals. The word fé can also be used on its own to mean livestock in a general sense, though in Iceland, this often implies sheep.
What does it mean word for word?
The collective term sauðfé is a compound of sauður, meaning sheep and fé, meaning livestock or cattle.
Which one should you use?
The choice of word depends on whether you are focusing on an individual or a group. Use the feminine form sauðkind when referring to a single sheep or when discussing sheep as a specific species or type of animal. In contrast, use the collective neuter form sauðfé when referring to sheep as a mass, a flock or a group of animals.
How does it change in a sentence?
The term fé and its compound sauðfé are collective nouns. This means they do not take a plural form to indicate a group of animals.
Did you know?
- The word fé is the ancestor of the English word 'fee', though its original meaning was 'livestock' rather than a payment.
- The annual 'réttir' is a massive autumn gathering where farmers collaborate to sort their sheep from communal mountains.
- In Icelandic culture, the sheep is so central that the word fé historically served as a synonym for wealth.
Examples in context
- sauðkindur sem eru ekki mjólkandiNon-lactating sheepThis example shows how to describe non-lactating sheep using sauðkind.
- Það er mikið af sauðfé úti í haga.There are a lot of sheep in the pasture.This sentence demonstrates the use of sauðfé when referring to sheep in a pasture.Tatoeba #390403 by Swift, translation #322038 by Zifre
- íslenska sauðkindinThe Icelandic sheepThis example uses sauðkind to refer to the Icelandic sheep species.
Example conversation
Sigurður and Sigríður are standing in a field looking at a flock.
- SigríðurSjáðu þessa kind, Sigurði.Look at this sheep, Sigurður.
- SigurðurJá, hún er mjög fín kind.Yes, she is a very fine sheep.
- SigríðurEr hún ekki sæt?Isn't she cute?
- SigurðurJá, hún er mjög sæt.Yes, she is very cute.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sheep” translations and entries kind, sauður, sauðkind, fé, sauðfé, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries fé, kind, sauðkind, sauður, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0, Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
