House of the Dragon Language Guide (High Valyrian)
House of the Dragon Language Guide (High Valyrian)
Quick Answer: High Valyrian is the constructed language at the heart of House of the Dragon, created by linguist David J. Peterson. The Targaryen family uses it as their ancestral prestige language, and it appears more frequently in HotD than in any previous entry in the franchise. Peterson added over 150 new words specifically for the show.
House of the Dragon (HBO, 2022–) takes place approximately 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones, at the height of Targaryen power over Westeros. With that dynasty front and center, the constructed language that defines their identity — High Valyrian — moves from background texture to a central dramatic tool. Characters argue, command dragons, and assert noble authority in High Valyrian across multiple episodes. If you have ever wondered what they are saying, or why the language sounds so distinct from anything else on screen, this guide covers everything you need to know.
What Language Is Spoken in House of the Dragon?
The primary constructed language in House of the Dragon is High Valyrian. Yes — it is a fully developed language with a real grammar system, a growing lexicon, and an active learner community, not simply a collection of invented sounds.
High Valyrian functions as the ancestral tongue of the Valyrian Freehold, the ancient empire whose remnants — dragons, steel, and bloodlines — the Targaryens carried to Westeros three centuries before the events of Game of Thrones. By the time of HotD, the Freehold itself has been destroyed in the Doom of Valyria, making High Valyrian a prestige language preserved by noble families rather than a living vernacular. Think of it the way Latin functioned in medieval Europe: spoken by the educated elite, used in formal and ceremonial contexts, and freighted with cultural authority.
In Game of Thrones, High Valyrian appeared mainly in scenes with Daenerys or the Free Cities. In House of the Dragon, it is woven into family dialogue, throne room confrontations, and dragon-riding sequences. The Targaryens code-switch between Common Tongue and High Valyrian depending on the formality of the situation and who they want to exclude from a conversation — a realistic and dramatically effective linguistic choice.
David J. Peterson and the HotD Linguistic Expansion
David J. Peterson is the linguist behind High Valyrian, Dothraki, and several other screen languages. He created Dothraki for the first season of Game of Thrones in 2011 and built High Valyrian from the fragments George R.R. Martin had already sketched in the novels — words like dracarys, valar morghulis, and valar dohaeris.
For House of the Dragon, Peterson faced a different challenge than he did on Game of Thrones. HotD places the Targaryens at the center of nearly every scene, which meant High Valyrian needed to carry extended dramatic dialogue rather than short ceremonial phrases. Peterson has stated publicly that he added more than 150 new words and grammatical constructions to the language for HotD, expanding vocabulary around family relationships, political authority, dragon commands, and Valyrian cultural concepts that had no prior on-screen expression.
Peterson's approach is rooted in naturalistic linguistics — he builds languages that behave the way real languages do, with irregular verbs, noun classes, evolving registers, and internal consistency. High Valyrian has four noun genders (lunar, solar, terrestrial, aquatic), a complex case system, and verb conjugations that track both tense and aspect. This is not set dressing. The actors work with Peterson's pronunciation guides and, in the case of performers like Matt Smith (Daemon Targaryen), clearly put significant effort into making the language feel embodied rather than recited.
Peterson is also the creator of Dothraki — you can read more about his work across both languages in our guide to David J. Peterson's constructed languages.
Key High Valyrian Phrases Heard in House of the Dragon
Several High Valyrian words and phrases recur throughout the series. Here are the most important ones, with context:
Dracarys — "Dragonfire" (literally) or more loosely "Fire." This is the command a dragonrider gives to order their dragon to breathe fire. It is heard in multiple pivotal scenes across both HotD and Game of Thrones and is almost certainly the single most recognized word in the entire language. The command appears early in HotD and carries increasing weight as the Dance of the Dragons approaches.
Sōvēs — "Fly." A dragon command used by riders, particularly by Daemon and Rhaenyra in flight sequences. The word has a clipped, imperative quality that Peterson designed to feel natural when shouted aloft.
Valar morghulis / Valar dohaeris — "All men must die / All men must serve." These phrases originate in Game of Thrones but belong to the same High Valyrian tradition the Targaryens of HotD would recognize. They represent the formal philosophical idiom of Valyrian culture.
Formal Targaryen greetings — Peterson developed several register-appropriate greetings for the HotD royal family that distinguish formal court address from intimate family speech. These appear in throne room scenes and help establish the social hierarchy through language alone, even for viewers who cannot parse the words.
The precision of Peterson's vocabulary choices means that attentive viewers — and especially learners — can follow the emotional register of a scene even when subtitles are unavailable. For a broader list of vocabulary and example sentences, see our companion post on High Valyrian words and phrases.
High Valyrian vs Old Valyrian — What's the Difference?
This is one of the most common points of confusion among fans. High Valyrian and Old Valyrian are not the same thing, and the distinction matters both linguistically and narratively.
High Valyrian is the standardized prestige language spoken by the Valyrian noble families — including the Targaryens — and depicted on screen in both Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon. It is a fully constructed, speakable language created by Peterson. Learners can study it on Duolingo and in Peterson's published materials.
Old Valyrian refers to the historical ancestor language spoken in the Valyrian Freehold before the Doom — the cataclysm that destroyed the empire approximately a century before the events of HotD. Old Valyrian is referenced in the lore as the root from which High Valyrian and the Low Valyrian dialects of the Free Cities developed. However, Old Valyrian has never been fully constructed as a speakable language. It exists as a historical concept within the fiction rather than a practical linguistic system. When characters in HotD speak Valyrian, they are speaking High Valyrian.
The regional Low Valyrian dialects spoken in cities like Braavos, Meereen, and Astapor are creolized descendants of Old Valyrian, diverged over centuries of separation from the Freehold. Peterson constructed those registers as well, making them phonologically and grammatically distinct from the prestige High Valyrian the Targaryens speak.
The Targaryen Family and Their Relationship with High Valyrian
The Targaryens' use of High Valyrian is not simply a character quirk — it is a deliberate expression of dynastic identity and political power. Among the main cast of HotD, Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) is the most fluent and expressive High Valyrian speaker, using the language both to command dragons and to assert intimacy or exclusion in human conversations. Rhaenyra Targaryen (Milly Alcock and Emma D'Arcy) speaks it as a native, switching registers depending on the formality demanded. Rhaenys Targaryen (Eve Best) uses it with the authority of someone for whom the language is inseparable from identity. Even Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke), who does not share Valyrian blood, learns some High Valyrian as part of her political education.
The show's writers and Peterson collaborated to ensure that which characters speak High Valyrian — and how fluently — reflects their relationship to Targaryen identity. Characters who feel alienated from or ambivalent about Targaryen supremacy tend to use the Common Tongue even when High Valyrian would be available to them. It is one of the more subtle pieces of world-building in the series.
High Valyrian also connects directly to dragon-bonding. The commands used in dragon-riding scenes are High Valyrian, suggesting that the bond between rider and dragon is at least partly linguistic — another layer of meaning Peterson built into the vocabulary he created for the show. For more on how the language connects HotD to the broader Westerosi world, see House of the Dragon's Dothraki connections.
How to Learn the Language of House of the Dragon
The best starting point for learning High Valyrian is Duolingo, which launched a High Valyrian course timed to the franchise's cultural peak and updated content alongside the HotD premiere. The course covers pronunciation, core vocabulary, and basic grammar and is available for free. It is not exhaustive — the full language is considerably deeper than the app covers — but it is the most accessible on-ramp for new learners.
Beyond Duolingo, David J. Peterson's own website and the Language Creation Society's resources provide deeper grammatical documentation. The fan wiki maintained by the High Valyrian learning community is remarkably thorough, covering noun declensions, verb conjugation tables, and attested vocabulary from both shows.
If you are interested in Peterson's other constructed language — Dothraki, which also has a Duolingo course — our platform, Tengwar, offers structured Dothraki lessons with spaced-repetition flashcards at /learn/200. Tengwar does not currently offer High Valyrian lessons, but Dothraki shares Peterson's design philosophy and gives learners a strong foundation in how he approaches phonology and grammar. You can read a comparison of both Peterson languages at Dothraki vs Klingon, which covers structural parallels across major screen conlangs.
For a full breakdown of learning resources, see our guide on how to learn High Valyrian and our review of Duolingo for High Valyrian.
People Also Ask
What language is spoken in House of the Dragon?
High Valyrian is the primary constructed language spoken in House of the Dragon. The Targaryen family uses it as their prestige ancestral language, and it appears far more frequently in HotD than in Game of Thrones because the Targaryens are the central dynasty of the show.
Who created the language in House of the Dragon?
David J. Peterson created and expanded High Valyrian for House of the Dragon. He originally built the language for Game of Thrones based on fragments from George R.R. Martin's novels and added over 150 new words for HotD. Peterson also created Dothraki and several other screen languages.
What does Dracarys mean?
Dracarys means "dragonfire" in High Valyrian and serves as the command a rider gives to order their dragon to breathe fire. It is the most recognized word in the language and appears in key scenes across both House of the Dragon and Game of Thrones.
Can you actually learn High Valyrian?
Yes — High Valyrian is a real constructed language with a complete grammar, an expanding vocabulary, and an active learner community. Duolingo offers a free course, and Peterson's documentation provides deeper grammatical study for advanced learners. It is one of the most learnable screen conlangs available.
House of the Dragon has done something rare among prestige television productions: it has made a constructed language feel like an organic part of the world's power dynamics rather than an exotic garnish. High Valyrian in HotD carries meaning on multiple levels — familial, political, and draconic — and Peterson's expansion of the lexicon for the show has given learners substantially more material to work with than ever before.
If your interest in screen languages extends beyond Valyrian, Tengwar offers structured lessons in Dothraki — Peterson's other major construction — at /learn/200. You might also enjoy our overview of the best fictional languages to learn and our comparison of Elvish, Klingon, and Dothraki for learners deciding where to start.
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What language is spoken in House of the Dragon?
High Valyrian is the primary constructed language spoken in House of the Dragon. The Targaryen family uses it as their prestige family language, and it appears far more frequently in HotD than it did in Game of Thrones.
Who created the High Valyrian language for House of the Dragon?
David J. Peterson created and expanded High Valyrian for House of the Dragon. He originally built the language for Game of Thrones and added over 150 new words and expressions for the HotD production.
What does 'Dracarys' mean in High Valyrian?
Dracarys means 'dragonfire' in High Valyrian and is the command used to order a dragon to breathe fire. It is one of the most recognized words in the entire language.
Is High Valyrian a real language you can learn?
Yes — High Valyrian is a real constructed language with a full grammar, vocabulary, and active learner community. Duolingo offers a High Valyrian course, and David J. Peterson has published materials through his work and the Language Creation Society.
What is the difference between High Valyrian and Old Valyrian?
High Valyrian is the standardized prestige language spoken by the Targaryen nobility and depicted in both Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon. Old Valyrian refers to the historical ancestor spoken in the Valyrian Freehold before its Doom — it is referenced but not fully reconstructed as a speakable language.
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