Velkomin til Íslands
The English phrase "welcome to iceland" is translated into Icelandic as Velkomin til Íslands.
This phrase is a greeting used to welcome someone who has just arrived in Iceland.
What does it mean word for word?
The word Íslands is the genitive form of Ísland, which is the required grammatical case after the preposition til (to).
Which one should you use?
The form of the word "welcome" changes based on who you are addressing. Use Velkomin when addressing a single female. Use Velkomnir when addressing a group of people or a mixed-gender group.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word Velkomin is the feminine singular form, whereas Velkomnir is the masculine plural form used for groups.
Did you know?
- Icelanders are known for their linguistic purism and rarely borrow words from English. Instead of using loanwords for new technology, they create new words from old roots to keep the language pure.
- The preposition til in this phrase is an ancient relative of the English word 'till', though it means 'to' rather than 'until' in this context.
- The word Ísland literally means 'land of ice' despite the country being equally famous for its volcanic activity.
Examples in context
- Svo gott að sjá þig, velkomin til Íslands.So good to see you, welcome to Iceland.
Example conversation
Guðrún meets Jón at the airport arrival gate.
- GuðrúnHæ Jón, velkomin til Íslands!Hi Jón, welcome to Iceland!
- JónTakk fyrir, Guðrún!Thank you, Guðrún!
- GuðrúnErtu tilbúinn að skoða landið?Are you ready to see the country?
- JónJá, ég get ekki beðið!Yes, I can't wait!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries til, CC BY-SA 4.0.
