snjór
[ˈstnjouːr]masculine
The English word snow is translated into Icelandic as snjór. Wiktionary also lists snær.
Meaning: partly frozen, crystalline state of water that falls from the atmosphere as precipitation in flakes, falling of such flakes, accumulation of them as a white layer (noun)
Ways to say it
| Icelandic | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| snjór | [ˈstnjouːr] (narrow) | masculine |
| snær | [ˈstnaiːr] (narrow) | masculine |
snjór refers to the crystalline state of water falling from the atmosphere as flakes, the act of these flakes falling or the white layer of accumulation on the ground.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine noun snjór undergoes a consonant mutation (u-umlaut) to snjó in certain cases, such as the accusative singular. The definite form of the noun is snjóinn, meaning 'the snow'. The form snær is a u-stem variant of snjór used in certain grammatical cases, such as the nominative singular when following certain verbs or in specific poetic contexts. To express the action of snow falling, use the verb snjóa.
Did you know?
- The word snjór is a direct descendant of the Old Norse words snjór, snjár and snær, meaning the word has remained virtually unchanged for over a millennium.
- Icelanders have a specific word hríð for a snowstorm that implies a blinding, driving wind, which differs from the simple act of snjór falling.
- In Icelandic, you can describe 'snow' using words that imply it is 'crunchy' or 'powdered', often using separate nouns to distinguish the texture of the accumulation.
Examples in context
- Snjór minnir mig á heimabæinn minn.Snow reminds me of my home town.This sentence uses snjór to express a personal connection to a hometown.Tatoeba #494221 by Swift, translation #9674588 by ravensfeather
- Það lítur út eins og snjór, ekki satt?It looks like snow, doesn't it?This sentence uses snjór to confirm a visual observation.Tatoeba #385870 by Swift, translation #272563 by CK
- Snjórinn leysir.The snow is thawing.This sentence uses snjór (in its inflected form) to describe the thawing of snow.
- Í dag er mjöll í loftinu.Today, there is snow in the air.
Example conversation
Kristín and Ólafur are looking out the window at the winter weather.
- KristínSjáðu, það er byrjað að koma snjór!Look, it has started to snow!
- ÓlafurJá, það verður mjög mikill snjór í dag.Yes, there will be a lot of snow today.
- KristínÉg elska þegar hvítur snjór þekkir jörðina.I love it when white snow covers the ground.
- ÓlafurEn ég hats að skafa snjór úr bílnum.But I hate scraping snow off the car.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “snow” translations and entries snjór, snær, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries snjór, snær, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR, Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
