Ways to say it
| Icelandic | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| velkominn | [ˈvɛl.kʰɔːmɪn(ː)] (narrow) | masculine |
| velkomnir | masculine, plural | |
| velkomnar | feminine, plural |
In Icelandic, the word for welcome is used as an adjective to greet someone upon their arrival. While the adjective describes the person being welcomed, the noun móttökur refers to the actual act of receiving or welcoming someone. If you wish to use the phrase as a verb, such as to affirm or greet someone's arrival, you use bjóða velkominn.
Which one should you use?
The form you choose depends on the gender and number of the people being addressed. Use the adjective velkominn to refer to the person being welcomed, whereas móttökur is used to describe the act of welcoming.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The form of the word changes based on the subject: – velkominn is the masculine singular form, used when welcoming one male person. – velkomna is the feminine singular form, used when welcoming one female person. – velkomnir is the masculine plural form, used when welcoming a group of people that includes at least one male. – velkomnar is the feminine plural form, used when welcoming a group consisting only of females. – velkomið is the neuter singular form, used in impersonal constructions like Þér er velkomið að… (You are welcome to…).
Did you know?
- Because the word is built from 'well' and 'come', the etymology of 'velkominn' implies that the person has arrived in a good or favorable manner.
- The verb phrase bjóða velkominn literally means to 'offer' a welcome, treating the greeting as something being presented to the guest.
Examples in context
- Velkominn!Welcome!This sentence shows a simple greeting using velkominn.Tatoeba #11158378 by nipbud, translation #4771541 by garborg
- Velkominn heim.Welcome home.This sentence uses velkominn to welcome someone home.Tatoeba #4009817 by Bergthor, translation #64693 by Scott
- Þér er velkomið að koma með.You're welcome to come with us.This sentence uses the neuter form velkomið in an impersonal construction.
- Velkomin(n) í heimilið mitt! Hér er gott að vera!Welcome to my home! It's good to be here!
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sigurður greets Sigríður at his front door.
- SigurðurHæ Sigríður, velkominn í hús!Hi Sigríður, welcome to the house!
- SigríðurTakk fyrir, Sigurður.Thank you, Sigurður.
- SigurðurVertu velkominn að koma inn.You are welcome to come in.
- SigríðurÞað er mjög gildandi.That is very kind.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “welcome” translations and entries velkominn, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries velkominn, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR, Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
