vetur
[ˈvɛːtʏr]masculine
The Icelandic word for winter is vetur.
vetur is a masculine noun referring to the fourth season, which is characterized by the lowest temperatures and short days.
Meaning: fourth season, marked by short days and the lowest temperatures (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
To indicate possession or to say 'of winter', use the genitive form vetrar. You can also create the definite form 'the winter' by adding the suffix -inn to the end of the word, resulting in veturinn.
Did you know?
- In Old Norse and early Icelandic, vetur was used to mean both 'winter' and 'year'. Because winter was the most defining season, people would count their age in 'winters' rather than years.
- In Icelandic folklore, the period of vetur is associated with the Yule Lads, a group of thirteen mischievous trolls who visit children during the winter solstice.
- Icelandic culture traditionally divides the year into two main seasons, 'summer' and 'winter', rather than the four seasons common in many other countries.
Examples in context
- Vetur er í nándWinter is close.This sentence shows how to say winter is approaching using vetur.
- Veturinn er loksins kominn!Winter has finally arrived!This sentence demonstrates how to express that winter has arrived using vetur.
- Þetta var mjög kaldur vetur.It was a very cold winter.This sentence is useful for describing a specific cold winter using vetur.Tatoeba #728405 by Swift, translation #41140 by CK
- Í dag er mjög kalt úti. Þetta er typiskur vetur á Íslandi.Today is very cold outside. This is a typical Icelandic winter.
- Hvar er best að fara á skíði á vetrum?Where is the best place to go skiing in winter?
- 8 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Jón and Kristín are talking about the weather in January.
- JónÉg elska þegar vetur er hér.I love it when winter is here.
- KristínEn ég hata kuldann í vetur.But I hate the cold this winter.
- JónSnjórinn gerir vetur fallegri.The snow makes winter more beautiful.
- KristínJá, það er satt, Jón.Yes, that is true, Jón.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “winter” translations and entries vetur, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries vetur, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0, Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
