# Icelandic: hljóð



## Silver_Biscuit

Hi,
So it says in my dictionary that *hljóð* means *sound* or *noise*, but that it _also_ means *silence*. Is this really as odd as it seems to be, and *hljóð* is its own opposite, or is there something I'm missing?
I find this word pretty confusing.


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## sindridah

Noo there isn't really much you are missing, you are right, hljóð means indeed sound or a noise. But it does mean silence when something say it to you in imperative.

Maybe the teacher would say : *Hafiði hljóð!* wich just means keep it down.

when you dont hear it in imperative then it means just sound or noise.

basicly hljóð only means silence or quite when it is in imperative, if not then it means sound or noise.

Hope i make some sense


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## Silver_Biscuit

Thanks Sindri! That's made it slightly less confusing.


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## sindridah

I have to add, you are talking about different words.|| Hljóð is a noun ( sound;niose) || and there is adjective *hljóður* wich is "hljóð in feminine;singular and is also hljóð in neuter;prural, wich is confusing you i believe. Hljóð and Hljóður is obviosly not the same word. And when you comparison adjective word hljóður then it is:

             positive  | comparative | superlative

masc:      hljóður      hljóðari             hljóðastur
fem:       * hljóð*         hljóðari             hljóðust
neut:       hljótt        hljóðara          hljóðast

And is again *hljóð* in plural-neuter-positive. Here above it is all singular by the way.

And unfortunately when someone is yelling over to a group then the Adjective word Hljóður appear in *"hljóð" *the reason is , positive-neuter-plural.

Hope that explains it better

I don't have any idea if english language has comparison in adjective words, so i don't know if you are familiar with it or not, but i guess since english have for example big - bigger - biggest and , quick - quicker - quickes i think english must have it


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## butra

Í aðalnámskrá grunnskóla í íslensku segir að við lok fjórða námsárs eigi nemandi að geta lesið sér til gagns og gamans, hátt og í hljóði.


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## sindridah

geeeðveikt marrrr


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## sindridah

Þú hóar bara í mig ef þetta var einhver athugasemd


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## Silver_Biscuit

The actual extract from the digicoll dictionary (for *hljóð*, the neuter noun) is:


> 3. (_þögn_) silence
> *gefið ~!* silence please!
> *kveða sér ~s*  ask to be heard
> *lesa í ~i * read in silence


I find it so bizarre that one word could mean two opposite things, but I suppose you can pretty much always tell from context right? I suppose I'll get used to it.


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## sindridah

I find it quite strange that the dictionary would give you this translation. The dictionary is right tough consider the context: gefið - kveða sér - lesa í, but is wrong too. gefið hljóð( you searched for the noun hljóð) not correct. and also the other two things. This is too quite confusing me now. Tomorrow in school if i see my icelandic teacher i'm gonna ask him about this and share it with you tomorrow, to have it all clear! 

But im 90% certain that the icelandic noun *hljóð* is noise or sound and the icelandic adjective *hljóður* wich you are talking about is silence or still or quiet and it is difficult to discriminate the context for foreigners wich the meaning is. But for fun i can tell you that 70-80% cases when hljóð is said to me the meaning is silence


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## butra

Fundarstjóri heyrði eitthvert hljóð á ganginum og bað um að dyrunum yrði lokað. 
Því næst bað hann um hljóð í salnum svo að fundarstarf gæti hafist.


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## sindridah

Viltu vinsamlegast tjá þig ef þú þarft að koma einhverju á framfæri. Ekki vera með þessa undarlegu hegðun, ert væntanlega nógu heilbrigður til að tjá þig á eðlilegan máta


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