Convenience Store

1. Hvar er næsti handilin?

   Kvar er nais-ti han-di-lin

   Where is the nearest shop?

   Usage

   There are no 24-hour convenience stores in the Faroes. Everyday shopping happens at supermarkets (Bónus, FK, Miklagarður) and petrol-station kiosks (Effo, Magn). Small villages may have a single shop, or only a travelling grocery van.

   Grammar Note

   Faroese marks definiteness with a suffixed article: handil (a shop) → handilin (the shop). The hv- in "hvar" is pronounced [kv].

2. Vilt tú hava ein posa?

   Vilt tu ha-va ain po-sa

   Would you like a bag?

   Usage

   Said by staff. As across the Nordics, bags are charged — roughly three to five krónur each. Because the Faroes import almost everything by ship from Denmark, prices including packaging run higher than on the mainland, and most people bring their own bag.

   Grammar Note

   Faroese retains four cases: nominative, accusative, dative and genitive. The masculine noun "posi" (bag) becomes "posa" in the accusative when it is the object, and the article "ein" agrees with it.

3. Kanst tú hita hetta upp?

   Kanst tu hi-ta het-ta upp

   Could you heat this up?

   Usage

   Petrol-station shops in the Faroes have equipment for heating hot dogs and pizza slices to eat on the spot. Supermarkets offer no heating service, so head for a kiosk instead.

   Grammar Note

   "Hita upp" is a phrasal verb like English "heat up", with the adverb "upp" signalling completion. "Kanst" is the second-person singular present of "kunna" (to be able).

4. Hava tit kalt vatn?

   Ha-va tit kalt vatn

   Do you have cold water?

   Usage

   Faroese tap water is exceptionally good and drunk straight from the tap; buying bottled water is not really a habit here — people just fill a flask. Shops still stock sparkling water and sports drinks.

   Grammar Note

   Adjectives agree with the noun's gender, number and case. "Vatn" is neuter, so the form is "kalt" rather than the masculine "kaldur". Addressing a shop, the plural "tit" is the natural choice.

5. Hava tit ís?

   Ha-va tit ees

   Do you have ice?

   Usage

   Summer averages hover around 11°C in the Faroes, so there is little demand for ice. "Ís" more often means ice cream; for ice cubes people say "íssteinar", and "klaki" for solid ice.

   Grammar Note

   Faroese "í" is a long diphthongal vowel closer to [ʊi] than to a plain "ee", so "ís" sounds roughly like "oo-ees". Spelling resembles Icelandic, but pronunciation diverges sharply.

6. Kann eg gjalda við korti?

   Kann e dyal-da vuy kor-ti

   Can I pay by card?

   Usage

   The Faroes are all but cashless — even a tiny village shop takes cards, and carrying only cash is the greater inconvenience. The currency is the Faroese króna, pegged one to one with the Danish krone, and Danish notes and coins circulate freely.

   Grammar Note

   The preposition "við" (with) governs the dative, turning the neuter noun "kort" into "korti". Case is fully alive in Faroese, so each preposition's case must be learned.

7. Vilt tú hava kvittanina?

   Vilt tu ha-va kvit-ta-ni-na

   Would you like the receipt?

   Usage

   Said by staff. Faroese VAT (MVG) is 25% and already included in the shelf price. The islands sit outside the EU, so visitors can claim a refund at the airport if conditions are met — worth keeping the receipt.

   Grammar Note

   "Kvittan" (receipt) is feminine; with the suffixed definite article in the accusative it becomes "kvittanina". The ending stacks the article "-in" on top of the case marking.

8. Hvar er vesið?

   Kvar er ve-see

   Where is the toilet?

   Usage

   Petrol-station shops usually have a customer toilet, free to use. Distances between villages are long when driving in the Faroes, so it is wise to make use of the stop while you refuel.

   Grammar Note

   "Vesi" is neuter and takes the definite form "vesið". Word-final "ð" is barely pronounced in modern Faroese, surfacing only as a glide between vowels.

9. Nær stongja tit?

   Nar stong-ya tit

   When do you close?

   Usage

   Shops in the Faroes typically close at 17:00 or 18:00 on weekdays and around midday on Saturday. Forget something and you may wait until the next day, so checking hours matters. Only petrol-station kiosks stay open into the evening.

   Grammar Note

   Questions invert the verb and subject under V2 word order: the statement "Tit stongja" becomes "Stongja tit", with the question word "nær" taking first position.

10. Vit hava stongt um sunnudagin.

    Vit ha-va stongt um sun-nu-da-yin

    We are closed on Sundays.

    Usage

    Said by staff. Lutheran tradition runs deep in the Faroes and most shops close on Sunday. In smaller villages nothing at all may be open, so do your shopping on Saturday.

    Grammar Note

    "Hava + past participle" expresses a state: hava stongt (be closed) pairs with hava opið (be open). The preposition "um" with a definite weekday name expresses a habitual time.

11. Selja tit rúsdrekku her?

    Sel-ya tit roos-drek-ku her

    Do you sell alcohol here?

    Usage

    Alcohol above 2.8% ABV is sold only through the state monopoly, Rúsdrekkasøla Landsins; supermarkets and kiosks may stock nothing stronger. The monopoly shops keep short weekday hours and close entirely on Sunday. Alcohol sales were banned outright until 1992.

    Grammar Note

    "Rúsdrekka" compounds "rús" (intoxication) and "drekka" (to drink) as the official term for alcoholic drinks. Faroese language policy favours native coinages over loanwords, as with "telda" (computer).

12. Eg taki eina pylsu.

    E ta-ki ai-na pil-su

    I will take a hot dog.

    Usage

    The hot dog is a Nordic petrol-station staple, and the Faroes are no exception — "pylsa" is a quick, popular snack heated and handed over at the counter, sometimes made with local lamb.

    Grammar Note

    "Pylsa" is feminine, becoming "pylsu" in the accusative with the article shifting from "ein" to "eina". Faroese verbs inflect for person, and the first-person singular typically ends in "-i" (taka → taki).

13. Er hetta alt?

    Er het-ta alt

    Is that everything?

    Usage

    Said by staff. Shop staff in the Faroes generally speak fluent English and will switch as soon as they spot a visitor. Answering even one word in Faroese, though, tends to be genuinely appreciated and opens up a conversation.

    Grammar Note

    The demonstrative "hetta" (this) is the neuter form; masculine is "hesin" and feminine "henda". The near set hesin/henda/hetta contrasts with the far set hasin/handa/hatta.

14. Hvat kostar hetta í alt?

    Kvat kos-tar het-ta ui alt

    How much is this all together?

    Usage

    Prices in the Faroes are high even by Nordic standards, with imported goods running 20–30% above mainland Denmark, while local lamb and fish are comparatively cheap. Tags show krónur (kr) inclusive of the 25% VAT.

    Grammar Note

    "Í alt" literally means "in all" and is the set phrase for asking a total. Faroese "í" corresponds to English "in", but in idioms like this its sense is fixed.

15. Kann eg løða telefonina her?

    Kann eg lö-ða te-le-fo-ni-na her

    Can I charge my phone here?

    Usage

    Petrol-station cafés usually have power sockets, and buying a coffee is enough to be welcome to use one. The Faroes have 4G/5G coverage across all islands and widely available Wi-Fi.

    Grammar Note

    "Telefon" is feminine and its definite accusative is "telefonina". Faroese often lets the definite article alone imply "my own", without a possessive pronoun.

16. Takk fyri, farvæl.

    Takk fi-ri, far-val

    Thank you, goodbye.

    Usage

    The line as you leave the counter. With a population of around 50,000 nearly everyone knows everyone, and greetings matter. On entering, use "Góðan morgun", "Góðan dag" or "Gott kvøld" according to the hour.

    Grammar Note

    "Takk fyri" literally means "thanks for", and a reason can follow: "Takk fyri hjálpina" (thanks for the help). "Farvæl" is "fara" (to go) + "væl" (well) — travel well.

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