Helpful Faroese Phrases for Forgetful Backpackers

So you’re planning your trip to the Faroe Islands, eagerly anticipating the spectacular, dramatic scenery and beautiful hikes through the hills. In this sparsely populated country of 50,000 or so people, it’s easy to get lost in all of your epic plans for exploring, forgetting to take time to consider your interactions with the lovely people living in the Faroes. If you’re a bit of a space case like me, you may have forgotten to learn some key Faroese phrases for your trip (oops!).

The language is not widely spoken, and there aren’t the same tools available for easily looking up words or phrases that you may find for other languages (Google Translate, for example, is no help here). Speaking from experience, it can be a bit embarrassing to go to a café or something and realize that you don’t even know how to say “thank you” once you’ve purchased your lunch.

English very widely spoken in the Faroe Islands, so you can likely get by with no trouble at all, but knowing a few words of the language of the place you’re visiting can really go a long way. Thanks to help from my lovely Faroese Couchsurfing hosts, here are a few key phrases that can help you in your travels in the Faroes:

//Hi – Hey  (pronunciation same as in English)

//Goodbye – Bei  (pronunciation same as in English)

//Thank You – Takk  “Tahk”

//Excuse Me – Orsaka  “Orsh-akha”

//Do You Speak English? – Tosar Tú Enskt?  “Toah-sar Too Enskt”

//I Don’t Speak Faroese – Eg Tosi Ikki Føroyskt  “Eah Toah-seh ich-eh Fuhr-iskt”

Finally, maybe the most important phrase to learn in any language:

//One Beer – Eina Øl  “Eye-nah Uhl”

Have any other Faroese phrases that would be helpful for travelers? Leave them in the comments!