01
isländisch
Icelandic
Relates to Iceland, its inhabitants, its language, or its culture.
example
Die isländische Landschaft ist von Vulkanen und Gletschern geprägt.
The Icelandic landscape is shaped by volcanoes and glaciers.
isländisch
Icelandic
Checking...
Loading your saved state.
Meanings
Usage tips
Word formation
The adjective 'isländisch' (Icelandic) is derived from the country name 'Island' (Iceland) with the suffix '-isch' (-ic/-ish). This pattern is used for many adjectives that refer to countries or regions.
EXAMPLE
Er interessiert sich sehr für die isländische Kultur.
He is very interested in Icelandic culture.
Lowercase spelling
Adjectives derived from geographic names and ending in '-isch' are written in lowercase in German. This is a common mistake among learners.
EXAMPLE
Wir haben einen isländischen Pullover als Souvenir gekauft.
We bought an Icelandic sweater as a souvenir.
Typical collocations
'Isländisch' (Icelandic) is often used in connection with things typical of the country, such as 'isländische Sagas' (Icelandic sagas), 'isländische Pferde' (Icelandic horses), or 'die isländische Sprache' (the Icelandic language).
EXAMPLE
Isländische Pferde sind für ihre besondere Gangart bekannt.
Icelandic horses are known for their special gait.
Compare with
isländisch vs irisch
Irish
'irisch' and 'isländisch' both refer to a country, its people, culture, or language. They sound similar and can therefore easily be confused. 'irisch' belongs to Ireland, the country west of Great Britain. 'isländisch' belongs to Iceland, the island in the North Atlantic. The difference is especially important when talking about languages or origin: Irish music comes from Ireland, Icelandic music from Iceland.
isländisch
In der E-Mail erklärt sie ihrer Freundin ein isländisches Wort für den Kurs.
In the email, she explains an Icelandic word to her friend for the course.
irisch
Frau Becker hört gern irische Musik, wenn sie abends kocht.
Ms. Becker likes listening to Irish music when she cooks in the evening.
In real life
Loading video examples...