Wishes and Blessings

Level 4

Gangi þér vel! (Good luck! Literally: May it go well for you!) The verb is in the present subjunctive.

How It Works

Phrases you will hear every day.

  • Gangi þér vel! (Good luck!) From ganga. The person is in the dative: Gangi ykkur vel! (Good luck, all of you!)
  • Verði þér að góðu. The usual answer to Takk fyrir matinn (Thanks for the meal): You're welcome, enjoy. From verða.
  • Guð blessi þig. (God bless you.) From blessa. Guð blessi Ísland is a famous line in Icelandic history.
  • Hún lengi lifi! Húrra! (Long may she live! Hooray!) Shouted at birthdays. From lifa.

More formal or older.

  • Komi það sem koma skal. (Come what may.)
  • Verði ljós. (Let there be light.)

Why the subjunctive? The indicative says what is true: Guð blessar (God blesses). The subjunctive says what you wish: Guð blessi (May God bless). The verb form alone makes the difference.

New wishes. Use these as fixed phrases. To wish something new, use vonandi with the ordinary indicative, or ég vona að + subjunctive: Vonandi gengur þér vel. (I hope it goes well for you.) Ég vona að þér batni fljótt. (I hope you get better soon.)

Examples (6)

  1. Gangi þér vel í prófinu!

    Good luck on the exam!

    Word by Word: Go to-you well in the-exam!

    gangi is the present subjunctive of ganga.

  2. Takk fyrir matinn. — Verði þér að góðu.

    Thanks for the meal. — You're very welcome.

    Word by Word: Thanks for the-food. — Become to-you to good.

  3. Guð blessi þig.

    God bless you.

    Word by Word: God bless you.

  4. Hún lengi lifi! Húrra, húrra, húrra!

    Long may she live! Hip hip hooray!

    Word by Word: She long live! Hooray, hooray, hooray!

  5. Komi það sem koma skal.

    Come what may.

    Word by Word: Come that which come shall.

  6. Ég vona að þér batni fljótt.

    I hope you get better soon.

    Word by Word: I hope that to-you improves quickly.

    For a new wish in your own words, use ég vona að + subjunctive.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the indicative for a wish.

    Gengur þér vel!
    Gangi þér vel!

    Gengur þér vel? is a question: Is it going well for you? The wish Good luck! needs the subjunctive gangi.

  • Saying a blessing in the indicative.

    Guð blessar þig.
    Guð blessi þig.

    blessar states a fact: God blesses you. The wish God bless you uses the subjunctive blessi.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Wishes and BlessingsLevel 4

Learn This First

Wishes build on the present subjunctive.

Words in This Pattern

gangi þér velverði þér að góðu-i