víst
Apparently (Víst)
Hann er víst veikur. (Apparently he is ill.)
How It Works
Apparently, so I hear.
- Hann er víst veikur. (Apparently he is ill.)
- Það á víst að snjóa á morgun. (It's supposed to snow tomorrow, I hear.)
- Hún er víst flutt til Noregs. (Apparently she has moved to Norway.)
víst can also mildly confirm something: Það er víst kominn föstudagur. (It's Friday already, it seems.)
Yes, it is! Stressed víst at the start of a reply contradicts a negative statement, the way jú answers a negative question: Hún kann ekki að hjóla. – Víst kann hún það! (She can't ride a bike. – Yes, she can!) Children often just say Víst!
Certain and sure. víst is also the neuter of the adjective vís (certain): Það er alveg víst. (That is quite certain.) To say that a person is sure, use a different word, viss: Ég er viss. (I am sure.)
Related words. kannski and líklega show how likely something is. For reported claims in a more formal style, see mun hafa and á að vera. In casual speech you may hear víst used for since, as in víst þú ert hérna. In careful language, use fyrst for that: Fyrst þú ert hérna ...
Examples (5)
- Hann er víst veikur.
Apparently he is ill.
Word by Word: He is apparently ill.
- Það á víst að snjóa á morgun.
It's supposed to snow tomorrow, I hear.
Word by Word: It ought apparently to snow on morning.
- Hún er víst flutt til Noregs.
Apparently she has moved to Norway.
Word by Word: She is apparently moved to Norway.
- Víst kann hún það!
Yes, she can!
Word by Word: Surely knows she it!
A stressed víst at the start contradicts what someone just denied.
- Það er alveg víst.
That is quite certain.
Word by Word: It is completely certain.
Here víst is the neuter of the adjective vís (certain).
Common Mistakes
Putting víst before the verb.
Hann víst er veikur.Hann er víst veikur.Like ekki, víst goes after the finite verb.
Using víst to say that you are sure.
Ég er víst.Ég er viss.The intended meaning is I am sure. víst is the neuter of vís and does not describe a person. For a person who is sure, use viss.
How It Connects
Learn This First
víst builds on kannski.
Related Patterns
- já / nei / júYes, No and Jú
jú, like a stressed víst, answers yes against a negative.
Level 1 - mun hafa / á að veraReported and Probable (Mun, Á Að)
More formal ways to pass on what others say.
Level 5 - fyrstSince, Seeing That (Fyrst)
fyrst is the standard word for since; víst used that way is casual.
Level 4 - ekkiNot (Ekki)
víst takes the same place in the sentence as ekki.
Level 1 - bara / alveg / eiginlega / skoSoftening and Emphasis Words
More small words that colour what you say.
Level 4
Words in This Pattern
Practice víst in Bubblegum
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