já / nei / jú

Yes, No and Jú

Level 1

Icelandic has two words for yes. já answers a normal question. jú answers a question with ekki (not) in it: Ertu ekki svangur? – Jú! (Aren't you hungry? – Yes, I am!)

How It Works

Normal questions

  • Ertu svangur? – Já. (Yes.)
  • Ertu svangur? – Nei. (No.)

Negative questions
A question with ekki (not) or aldrei (never) in it is a negative question.

  • Ertu ekki svangur? – Jú. (Yes, I am hungry.)
  • Ertu ekki svangur? – Nei. (No, I'm not hungry.)
  • Hefurðu aldrei komið hingað? – Jú, einu sinni. (Have you never been here? – Yes, once.)

In English, yes after Aren't you hungry? can be unclear. In Icelandic, jú makes it clear.

Disagreeing with a statement
jú also answers a negative statement you think is wrong: Anna er ekki hér. – Jú, hún er þarna! (Anna isn't here. – Yes, she is, over there!)

Polite short answers
Add takk to be polite: Já, takk (Yes, please) and Nei, takk (No, thanks). See Thanks (takk). Negative questions use Not (ekki) right after the subject.

Examples (6)

  1. Ertu svangur? – Já, ég er mjög svangur.

    Are you hungry? – Yes, I'm very hungry.

    Word by Word: Are-you hungry? – Yes, I am very hungry.

  2. Viltu kaffi? – Nei, takk.

    Would you like coffee? – No, thanks.

    Word by Word: Want-you coffee? – No, thanks.

  3. Ertu ekki svangur? – Jú, ég er svangur.

    Aren't you hungry? – Yes, I am.

    Word by Word: Are-you not hungry? – Yes, I am hungry.

    The question has ekki, and the answer is yes, so it is jú.

  4. Talarðu ekki íslensku? – Jú, dálítið.

    Don't you speak Icelandic? – Yes, a little.

    Word by Word: Speak-you not Icelandic? – Yes, a-little.

  5. Er hún ekki heima? – Nei, hún er í vinnunni.

    Isn't she at home? – No, she's at work.

    Word by Word: Is she not at-home? – No, she is in the-work.

    nei agrees with the negative: she is not at home.

  6. Anna er ekki hér. – Jú, hún er þarna!

    Anna isn't here. – Yes, she is, over there!

    Word by Word: Anna is not here. – Yes, she is there!

    jú can also disagree with a negative statement.

Common Mistakes

  • Answering a negative question with já when you mean yes.

    Talarðu ekki íslensku? – Já, ég tala íslensku.
    Talarðu ekki íslensku? – Jú, ég tala íslensku.

    After a question with ekki or aldrei, the yes that means yes, I do is jú. já here sounds wrong or confusing.

  • Using jú to answer a normal question.

    Talarðu íslensku? – Jú, ég tala íslensku.
    Talarðu íslensku? – Já, ég tala íslensku.

    jú only answers something negative. A question without ekki or aldrei gets já.

How It Connects

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

já / nei / júLevel 1Yes, No and Jú

Learn This First

Answering builds on questions and negation.

Words in This Pattern

neijú