Learning to describe appearances in Icelandic can be both fun and useful, especially for travelers wanting to immerse themselves in the local culture, or for those wishing to expand their vocabulary. When describing someone’s appearance, there are numerous adjectives and nouns to choose from. Here are some of the key Icelandic words and phrases that you might use, along with their definitions and example sentences.
Hár – Hair
The word for hair in Icelandic is hár. This can be used to describe the hair on someone’s head or body hair when necessary.
Hann hefur mjög sÃtt og dökkt hár. (He has very long and dark hair.)
Augu – Eyes
Augu is the Icelandic term for eyes. This is a basic word that you’ll often use when describing someone’s facial features.
Hún hefur blá augu og brosir mikið. (She has blue eyes and smiles a lot.)
Hár litur – Hair color
Speaking of hair, you might want to be specific about the color, which is hár litur in Icelandic.
Ég hef aldrei séð þennan hár litur áður! (I have never seen this hair color before!)
Hæð – Height
When discussing how tall someone is, you would refer to their hæð in Icelandic.
Hann er nokkuð hávaxinn, um tveggja metra hæð. (He is quite tall, about two meters in height.)
Litur – Color (of eyes, hair, etc.)
The word litur is a general term for color and can be used when describing the color of someone’s eyes, hair, clothes, etc.
Hvaða litur eru augun þÃn, eru þau græn? (What color are your eyes, are they green?)
Þyngd – Weight
When you want to talk about how much someone weighs, use the word þyngd.
Mikil Ãþróttaiðkun hefur lækkað þyngd mÃna. (Intense sports practice has lowered my weight.)
Föt – Clothes
Föt refers to clothing in Icelandic, and you would use this term when describing what someone is wearing.
Hann klæðist alltaf svo snyrtilegum fötum. (He always dresses in such neat clothes.)
Andlit – Face
Andlit means face. When describing someone’s facial features or expressions, this is the word you’d use.
Hún hefur mjúkt og vingjarnlegt andlit. (She has a soft and friendly face.)
Bros – Smile
A smile is an important part of someone’s appearance, and the Icelandic word for smile is bros.
Það er eitthvað töfrandi við bros hans. (There is something magical about his smile.)
Höfuðfat – Hat
In Iceland, hats are quite common due to the weather. To talk about a hat someone is wearing, use the term höfuðfat.
Hann ber fallegt höfuðfat úr ull. (He is wearing a beautiful wool hat.)
By learning these words, you’ll be able to engage in more detailed conversations about people’s appearances in Icelandic. Embedding them into sentences will help you remember them better and enhance your descriptive language skills. With practice, these words will become a natural part of your Icelandic vocabulary, allowing you to discuss a wide range of visual characteristics with ease.