---
name: locale-is-is
description: Use when working with the Icelandic (Iceland) locale (`is-IS`) — its endonym Íslenska (Ísland), Latin script, left-to-right (LTR) direction, or spoken-population data. Reference data and translation guidance (register, grammar, idiom, typography) for this specific locale; see [[locale]] for general i18n/l10n concepts (BCP 47, plural rules, RTL) that apply across all locales.
---

# Locale: Icelandic (Iceland) (is-IS)

Reference data for the **Icelandic (Iceland)** locale — endonym **Íslenska (Ísland)**, written in the Latin script, left-to-right (LTR).

## Identifiers

- **BCP 47 tag:** `is-IS`
- **ISO 639-1:** `is`
- **ISO 639-3:** `isl`
- **Script:** Latn (Latin)
- **Region:** IS (Iceland)
- **Text direction:** ltr — left-to-right (LTR)

## Speakers (approximate)

- **L1 (native):** 314,000
- **L2 (additional):** 50,000
- **L1+L2 (total):** 364,000

## Base locale

This is a regional variant of [[locale-is-001]] (Icelandic), the base/macro locale for this language.

## Pluralization

CLDR plural categories for this locale: **one**, **other** (2 forms).

- **one** — `t = 0 and i % 10 = 1 and i % 100 != 11 or t % 10 = 1 and t % 100 != 11` (e.g. 1, 21, 31, 41, …)
- **other** — everything else (e.g. 0, 2~16, 100, 1000, …)

See [[unicode-messageformat]] for writing plural messages using these categories.

## Translating into this locale

Apply [[locale-is-001]] with the conventions of Iceland.

- **Formats:** Icelandic króna (ISK), "12,50 kr."; day.month.year; 24-hour clock; decimal comma.
- **Names:** Icelanders use patronymics or matronymics (for example Jón Sigurðsson) rather than family names; address people by first name in all settings, and sort lists by first name.
- **Institutions:** use official Icelandic names for authorities and keep the Icelandic letters in all names.

## Common pitfalls

- Treating the patronymic as a family name or addressing by last name.
- Using English terms where the Icelandic name is official.
- The general pitfalls in [[locale-is-001]] also apply.

## Learn more

- [[locale]] for BCP 47 identifiers, locale-sensitive formatting, pluralization, and text-direction concepts that apply across all locales.
- [[unicode-messageformat]] for writing plural/selection messages correctly for this locale's grammar.
- Icelandic Language Council (Íslensk málnefnd) and Árni Magnússon Institute (https://arnastofnun.is)