Learning Icelandic can be a rewarding endeavor, especially if you have a particular interest in Nordic culture, literature, or even travel. As you progress to the A2 level, it’s important to expand your vocabulary to include words that are frequently used in everyday conversations. Below, you’ll find a list of 50 essential Icelandic words that can help you navigate through basic interactions, understand common phrases, and build your language skills.

Basic Nouns

1. **Matur** – Food
– Example: “Ég elska íslenskan matur.” (I love Icelandic food.)

2. **Bók** – Book
– Example: “Ég er að lesa góða bók.” (I am reading a good book.)

3. **Fjölskylda** – Family
– Example: “Ég elska fjölskyldu mína.” (I love my family.)

4. **Hús** – House
– Example: “Húsið mitt er stórt.” (My house is big.)

5. **Vetur** – Winter
– Example: “Ísland er fallegt á vetri.” (Iceland is beautiful in winter.)

6. **Bíll** – Car
– Example: “Ég á rauðan bíl.” (I have a red car.)

7. **Verslun** – Shop
– Example: “Ég fer í verslun á morgun.” (I am going to the shop tomorrow.)

8. **Vinna** – Work
– Example: “Ég þarf að fara í vinnu.” (I have to go to work.)

9. **Kaffi** – Coffee
– Example: “Mig langar í kaffi.” (I want coffee.)

10. **Ferðalag** – Trip
– Example: “Við förum í ferðalag næsta sumar.” (We will go on a trip next summer.)

Common Verbs

11. **Að fara** – To go
– Example: “Ég þarf að fara núna.” (I have to go now.)

12. **Að borða** – To eat
– Example: “Við skulum borða saman.” (Let’s eat together.)

13. **Að lesa** – To read
– Example: “Ég elska að lesa bækur.” (I love to read books.)

14. **Að skrifa** – To write
– Example: “Ég þarf að skrifa skýrslu.” (I need to write a report.)

15. **Að tala** – To speak
– Example: “Ég get talað íslensku.” (I can speak Icelandic.)

16. **Að hlusta** – To listen
– Example: “Ég vil hlusta á tónlist.” (I want to listen to music.)

17. **Að sjá** – To see
– Example: “Ég get ekki séð það.” (I can’t see it.)

18. **Að drekka** – To drink
– Example: “Ég vil drekka vatn.” (I want to drink water.)

19. **Að hlaupa** – To run
– Example: “Ég fer að hlaupa á morgnana.” (I go running in the mornings.)

20. **Að kaupa** – To buy
– Example: “Ég ætla að kaupa nýjan bíl.” (I am going to buy a new car.)

Adjectives

21. **Stór** – Big
– Example: “Húsið er stórt.” (The house is big.)

22. **Lítill** – Small
– Example: “Bíllinn er lítill.” (The car is small.)

23. **Fallegur** – Beautiful
– Example: “Blómið er fallegt.” (The flower is beautiful.)

24. **Góður** – Good
– Example: “Maturinn er góður.” (The food is good.)

25. **Slæmur** – Bad
– Example: “Veturinn er slæmur.” (The winter is bad.)

26. **Heitur** – Hot
– Example: “Súpan er heit.” (The soup is hot.)

27. **Kaldur** – Cold
– Example: “Vatnið er kalt.” (The water is cold.)

28. **Nýr** – New
– Example: “Bíllinn er nýr.” (The car is new.)

29. **Gamall** – Old
– Example: “Bókin er gömul.” (The book is old.)

30. **Hratt** – Fast
– Example: “Bíllinn keyrir hratt.” (The car drives fast.)

Useful Adverbs

31. **Oft** – Often
– Example: “Ég fer oft í sund.” (I often go swimming.)

32. **Aldrei** – Never
– Example: “Ég hef aldrei farið þangað.” (I have never been there.)

33. **Alltaf** – Always
– Example: “Ég er alltaf á réttum tíma.” (I am always on time.)

34. **Núna** – Now
– Example: “Ég þarf að fara núna.” (I have to go now.)

35. **Fljótt** – Quickly
– Example: “Hann kom mjög fljótt.” (He came very quickly.)

36. **Seint** – Late
– Example: “Ég kom seint.” (I arrived late.)

37. **Á morgun** – Tomorrow
– Example: “Við förum á morgun.” (We will go tomorrow.)

38. **Í dag** – Today
– Example: “Ég þarf að vinna í dag.” (I have to work today.)

39. **Í gær** – Yesterday
– Example: “Ég fór í verslun í gær.” (I went to the shop yesterday.)

40. **Stundum** – Sometimes
– Example: “Ég fer stundum í bíó.” (I sometimes go to the cinema.)

Pronouns and Prepositions

41. **Ég** – I
– Example: “Ég er að læra íslensku.” (I am learning Icelandic.)

42. **Þú** – You
– Example: “Þú ert góður vinur.” (You are a good friend.)

43. **Hann** – He
– Example: “Hann er læknir.” (He is a doctor.)

44. **Hún** – She
– Example: “Hún er kennari.” (She is a teacher.)

45. **Það** – It
– Example: “Það er kalt úti.” (It is cold outside.)

46. **Við** – We
– Example: “Við förum í bíó.” (We are going to the cinema.)

47. **Þeir** – They (masculine)
– Example: “Þeir eru vinir.” (They are friends.)

48. **Þær** – They (feminine)
– Example: “Þær eru systur.” (They are sisters.)

49. **Á** – On
– Example: “Bókin er á borðinu.” (The book is on the table.)

50. **Í** – In
– Example: “Hann er í skólanum.” (He is in the school.)

Conclusion

Mastering these 50 essential words will significantly enhance your ability to communicate in Icelandic at the A2 level. Incorporate them into your daily practice, and try using them in sentences to get comfortable with their meanings and usages. Language learning is a journey, and every new word you learn is a step closer to fluency. Happy learning!