bara / alveg / eiginlega / sko

Softening and Emphasis Words

Level 4

Þetta er bara fínt. (It's just fine.) Það er alveg rétt. (That's quite right.) Ég veit það eiginlega ekki. (I don't really know.)

How It Works

bara: just, simply, only.

  • Þetta er bara fínt. (It's just fine.)
  • Ég er bara að skoða. (I'm just looking.) This is useful in shops.
  • Þetta var bara frábært! (That was just great!)
  • Ég á bara eitt barn. (I only have one child.)

alveg: completely, really.

  • Það er alveg rétt. (That's quite right.) As a reply, Alveg rétt! also means Oh, right!, when you remember something.
  • Ég er alveg búin. (I'm completely worn out.)
  • Þetta er ekki alveg rétt. (That's not quite right.)

eiginlega: actually, really, more or less. It makes a statement less sharp: Ég veit það eiginlega ekki. (I don't really know.) Þetta er eiginlega búið. (It's more or less finished.) In a question it shows surprise: Hvað er þetta eiginlega? (What on earth is this?) To correct someone with actually or in fact, use reyndar instead: Ég er reyndar frá Kanada. (Actually, I'm from Canada.)

sko: you see, look. sko is very common in speech but rare in writing: Ég kemst ekki, sko. (I can't make it, you see.) Sko, málið er að ég á enga peninga. (Look, the thing is that I have no money.)

Just now. bara does not mean just in the sense of a moment ago. For that, use var að: Ég var að koma. (I just arrived.)

More words like these: jæja and heyrðu and kannski and líklega.

Examples (6)

  1. Þetta er bara fínt.

    It's just fine.

    Word by Word: This is just fine.

  2. Ég er bara að skoða.

    I'm just looking.

    Word by Word: I am just to look.

    A useful sentence in a shop.

  3. Það er alveg rétt.

    That's quite right.

    Word by Word: It is completely right.

  4. Ég veit það eiginlega ekki.

    I don't really know.

    Word by Word: I know it actually not.

    eiginlega comes before ekki.

  5. Þetta er ekki alveg rétt.

    That's not quite right.

    Word by Word: This is not completely right.

    alveg comes after ekki: ekki alveg means not quite.

  6. Ég kemst ekki, sko.

    I can't make it, you see.

    Word by Word: I get-there not, you-see.

Common Mistakes

  • Using bara for just now.

    Ég kom bara.
    Ég var að koma.

    The intended meaning is I just arrived. Ég kom bara means I simply came. For something that happened a moment ago, use var að + infinitive.

  • Using eiginlega to correct someone.

    Ég er eiginlega frá Kanada.
    Ég er reyndar frá Kanada.

    The intended meaning is Actually, I'm from Canada. eiginlega softens a claim, so Ég er eiginlega frá Kanada means I'm more or less from Canada. To correct someone, use reyndar.

How It Connects

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bara / alveg / eiginlega / skoLevel 4Softening and Emphasis Words

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Softening words build on openers.

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Words in This Pattern

baraalvegeiginlegasko