Faroese/Chapter Two

Chapter Two - Basic phrases

Many of the following examples are taken from the German language guide by Richard Kölbl: Färöisch Wort für Wort. Bielefeld, 2004.

Hello and Goodbye

• hey! [ˈhɛi] - hi!
• halló! [haˈlːɔu] - hello!
• góðan morgun! [ˈɡ̊ɔuwan ˈmɔɹɡ̊ʊn] - good morning!
• góðan dag! [ˈɡ̊ɔuwan ˈd̥ɛa] - good day!
• gott kvøld! [ˈɡ̊ɔʰtː ˈkvœld̥] - good evening!
• vælgagnist! [ˈvɛlɡ̊aɡ̊nɪst] - blessed meal! (entering a room, where people are eating)

• eingin orsøk! [ˈɔɲʤ̊ɪn ˈɔˈʂːøːk] - you're welcome!

• orsaka! [ɔˈʂːɛaka] - sorry!
• tað er í lagið! [ˈtɛa ɛɹ ɪˈlɛajɪ] - that's alright!

• hvussu hevur tú tað [ˈkvʊsːʊ ˈheːvʊɹ ˈtʉu ˈtɛa] - how are you
• e.g. havi tað gott! [ˈeː ˈhɛavɪ ta ˈɡ̊ɔʰtː] - I'm fine!
• skál! [ˈskɔal] - cheers!
• farvæl! [faɹˈvɛal] - goodbye!
• góða ferð! [ˈɡ̊ɔuwa ˈfeːɹ] - have a good journey!
• vit síggjast! [ˈviːt ˈsʊʤ̊ːast] - see you!

Do you speak English?

Note: In this section, the polite second person singular pronoun tygum is used instead of the common tú. Generally, tygum is used in formal situations and amongst strangers

• tosa tygum enskt? [ˈtoːsa ˈtiːjʊn ˈɛŋ̊kst] - do you speak English?
• Is there someone here who speaks English? - Dugir nakar her eingilskt? [ˈd̥ʊːjɪɹ ˈnɛakaɹ ˈheːɹ ˈɔɲʤ̊ɪl̥st]
• eitt sindur [ˈaɪʰtː ˈsɪnd̥ʊɹ > aˈsɪnd̥ʊɹ] - a little
• e.g. skilji ikki [ˈeː ˈʃɪljɪ ɪʰʧːɪ > ˈeː ˈʃɪljɪʰʧː] - I don't understand
• hvat siga tygum? [ˈkvɛat ˈsiːja ˈtiːjʊn] - pardon?
• ha? [ˈhaː] - eh?
• hvat eitur ... á enskum/føroyskum? [ˈkvɛat ˈaitʊɹ … aˈɛn̥skun/aˈføːɹɪskʊn] - what does ... mean in English/Faroese?
• føroyskt er vakurt men torført at læra [ˈføːɹɪst ɛɹ ˈvɛakʊɻ̊ʈ mɛn ˈtoːɹfœɻ̊ʈ aˈlɛaːɹa] - Faroese is beautiful but difficult to learn

Please and Thanks

• ger so væl [ˈʤ̊eːɻ̊ ˈʂoː ˈvɛal > ˈʤ̊ɛʂoːˌvɛal] - now, do good
• ver so góð [ˈveːɻ̊ ˈʂoː ˈɡ̊ɔu > ˈvɛʂɡ̊ʊ] - please, here you have
• ja takk [ˈjɛa ˈtaʰk] - yes please
• lat meg fáa hetta, takk [ˈlɛat ˈmeː ˈfǫːa ˈhɛʰtːa ˈtaʰk] - let me get this, please (e.g. in a shop, when you don't know the word for something, and just point to it)
• takk fyri [ˈtaʰk ˈfiːɹɪ] - thank you (standard phrase: "Thanks for (it)")
  • ... hjálpina [ˈjɔl̥pɪna] - ... the help
• stóra tøkk - [ˈstɔuɹa ˈtœʰkː] - many thanks
• nei takk [ˈnai ˈtœʰkː] - no thanks

Agree and disagree

• ja [ˈjɛa] - yes
• nei [ˈnai] - no
• jú! [ˈjʉu] - sure!, yea
• kanska [ˈkan̥ska] - maybe
• vónandi [ˈvɔunand̥ɪ] - hopefully
• sjálvandi [ˈʃɔlvandɪ] - that's understood/naturally
• tíbetur [ˈtʊiˌbeːtʊɹ] - fortunately
• tíverri [ˈtʊiˌvɛɹːɪ] - unfortunately
• akkurat [aʰkʊˈɹɔat] - exactly
• júst [ˈjʏst] - just
• gamaní [ˈgɛamanˌʊi] - that's fine by me
• ikki sannheit? [ˈɪʰʧɪ ˈsanːait] - isn't it?
• tú hevur rætt [ˈtʉu ˈheːvʊɹ ˈɹaʰt] - you are right
• e.g. eri púra samdur/samd - [ˈeː ˈeːɹɪ ˈpʉuɹa ˈsamd̥ʊɹ/ ˈsamd̥] - I totally agree (m./f.)
• vera ósamd(ur) [ˈveːɹa ˈɔʊsamd̥ʊɹ] - to disagree
• tað haldi eg ikki - [ˈtɛa ˈhaldɪ ˈeː ˈɪʰʧːɪ > taˈhaldɪje ˈɪʰʧːɪ] - I don't think so
• heldur tú? [ˈhɛldʊɹ ˈtʉu] - do you think so?
• eg veit ikki - [ˈeː ˈvait ˈɪʰʧɪ > ˈeː ˈvaɪʰʧː] - I don't know
• tað er fitt [ˈtɛa ɛɹ ˈfɪʰtː] - it is cute,nice
• tað er ringt [ˈtɛa ɛɹ ˈɹɪɲ̊kt] - it is bad,