List of middle voice verbs
This is a list of middle voice🇮🇸 miðmynd verbs in Icelandic. The list is organised by function.
Reciprocal meaning
| Icelandic | English |
|---|
| berjast | to fight |
| eigast við | to fight/brawl |
| elskast | to love/make love |
| faðmast | to hug |
| fljúgast á | to fight |
| friðmælast | to make up |
| giftast | to marry |
| haldast í hendur | to hold hands |
| heilsast | to greet/say hello |
| heyrast | to hear from |
| hittast | to meet |
| hjálpast að | to help out |
| hvíslast á | to whisper |
| kveðjast | to say goodbye |
| kynnast | to get to know, meet for the first time |
| kyssast | to kiss |
| leiðast | to hold hands |
| metast | to quarrel/argue |
| munnhöggvast | to feud |
| mætast | to meet |
| rekast á | to run into, bump into |
| rífast | to argue |
| sameinast | to merge |
| skarast | to overlap |
| skiptast á | to exchange/swap |
| skrifast á | to write to |
| skylmast | to battle (with swords) |
| slást | to fight |
| snertast | to touch |
| stangast á | to clash |
| stimpast | to brawl |
| sættast | to make up |
| takast á | to compete |
| takast í hendur | to shake hands |
| talast við | to talk (be on talking terms) |
| trúlofast | to get engaged |
| tuskast | to fight |
| þekkjast | to know |
Reflexive meaning
| Icelandic | English |
|---|
| afvopnast | to disarm oneself |
| bjóðast til | to offer one’s help |
| búast til | to prepare oneself for |
| dulbúast | to disguise oneself |
| flytjast | to move house |
| færast undan | to get oneself out of, shirk |
| gefast upp | to give up |
| innritast | to register (for school) |
| klæðast | to wear |
| komast | to make it, get somewhere |
| krefjast | to demand |
| laumast | to sneak |
| leggjast | to lie down |
| matast | to dine |
| meiðist | to get hurt |
| segjast | to claim, purport |
| setjast | to sit down |
| slasast | to get injured |
| venjast | to get used to |
| verjast | to protect oneself |
Verbs that change meaning
| Active | Middle |
|---|
| Icelandic | English | Icelandic | English |
|---|
| búa við | to live with, have | búast við | to expect |
| fara | to go | farast | to pass away (die) |
| finna | to find | finnast | to find (as in mér finnst gaman að…) |
| flækja | to complicate | flækjast | to get caught in/wander about |
| gera | to do | gerast | to happen |
| koma að | to participate in/walk in on | komast að | to find out |
| láta | to let | látast | to pass away (die) |
| minna á | to remind of | minnast á | to mention |
| skjóta | to shoot | skjótast | to pop (somewhere), walk quickly |
| standa | to stand | standast | to withstand, stand up to |
| sýna | to show | sýnast | to seem |
| taka | to take | takast | to succeed |
| þykja | to seem/think | þykjast | to pretend |
| þrífa | to clean | þrífast | to thrive |
| þvæla | to talk nonsense | þvælast | to wander about |
Verbs that exist only in the middle voice
This list can never be exhaustive, as it’s possible to form new middle voice-only verbs from nouns or adjectives. These are some of the most common.
| Icelandic | English |
|---|
| asnast | to do something stupid |
| atvikast | to happen (by chance) |
| ábyrgjast | to take on, become responsible for |
| eignast | to acquire, have (a child), make (a friend) |
| ferðast | to travel |
| grínast | to joke |
| hagnast | to profit |
| nálgast | to approach |
| ofmetnast | to get cocky, become arrogant |
| óttast | to fear |
| rembast | to struggle |
| slysast | to chance, do something by accident |
| tárast | to tear up, well up |
| veðrast | to become weathered |
| þrjóskast | to be stubborn |
| þyrpast | to crowd, throng, cram |
| öðlast | to gain, obtain |