How to Say "What" in Icelandic

hvað

[ˈkʰvaːð]

The Icelandic word for 'what' is hvað.

hvað is an interrogative pronoun used to ask about objects or actions.

Meaning: what? (interrogative pronoun) (pron)

Which one should you use?

Use hvað when asking about things or actions. If you want to ask 'who', use hver instead.

The word ha? is a common, informal way to say 'what?' when you didn't hear someone or are expressing surprise, similar to the English 'huh?'

In modern Icelandic, hvað is the standard form used in most interrogative contexts, functioning as the accusative or nominative neuter form.

Because Icelandic has changed so little since the Viking Age, hvað is almost identical to the Old Norse word hvat used over a thousand years ago.
The 'ð' at the end of hvað is a dental fricative, sounding like the 'th' in the English word 'them'.
The word hvað shares a deep ancestral root with the English word 'what', as both descend from the Proto-Indo-European root *kʷód.

Hvað gæti ég sagt?
What could I say?
This sentence is useful for learning how to use hvað in a question about speaking.
Tatoeba #3795503 by arnarsmata, translation #3738885 by CK
Fyrir hvað er það?
What is it for?
This sentence is useful for learning how to use hvað to ask about a purpose.
Tatoeba #3801953 by arnarsmata, translation #3738435 by CK
Hvað stendur á því?
What does it say?
This sentence is useful for learning how to use hvað to ask about what something says.
Tatoeba #3795500 by arnarsmata, translation #3738887 by CK
Hvað er klokkan?
What time is it?
Hvaða bók lítur spennandi út?
Which book looks interesting?
250 more sentences on Tatoeba

Gunnar and Sigríður are sitting in a cafe.

Sources

Wiktionary, “what” translations and entries hvað, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
Word origins: Wiktionary entries hvað, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.

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