LearnFrisian

Frisian is a language from Friesland in the Netherlands. LearnFrisian.com offers a free Frisian learning program, which includes audio for listening practice, exercise points, and competitive features for motivation. It’s a great resource for those exploring Frisian language and culture.

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✅ 7000+ Questions

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Why you should learn Frisian

Closest language to English

Makes it the easiest language to learn as an English speaker.

The Coolest Words

Frisian’s vowel system has some unique features that make it distinct from other Germanic languages.

Oldest living Germanic language

Frisian is the oldest living Germanic language.

Spoken by Vikings

The Frisians have just like the Scandinavians a ‘viking’ history.

Join a community of only 500,000 speakers

The Frisian language has around 500,000 speakers.

Explore a whole new world

Explore the Frisian history, myths, folktales, culture and much more.

Start learning Frisian today.

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Frisian Articles

Frisians Were Vikings

When we think of Vikings, we often picture fierce warriors from Scandinavia, sailing across the North Sea to raid and pillage. However, there is another side to the Viking story, one that is less well-known but equally fascinating: the story of the Frisian Vikings. Frisia, a region in the northern Netherlands, has a rich and…

Frisian Articles

Frisian’s Footprint: How Frisian Shaped the Dutch Language

Dutch, a West Germanic language spoken by millions of people in the Netherlands and Belgium, bears a fascinating linguistic relationship with Frisian, a closely related language spoken in the northern part of the Netherlands. In this article, we will delve into the historical and linguistic factors that highlight the influence of Frisian on the Dutch…

Frisian Articles

Discovering Frisian: 10 Compelling Reasons to Learn the Language

Frisian, a West Germanic language spoken primarily in the northern regions of the Netherlands and Germany, holds a rich linguistic and cultural heritage. With its unique characteristics and historical significance, learning Frisian opens doors to a fascinating world. In this article, we present ten compelling reasons to embark on the journey of learning Frisian and…

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Common Questions

Yes, it’s completely free to use.

www.learnfrisian.com is an online platform dedicated to teaching and promoting the Frisian language. Designed for both beginners and advanced learners, the website offers comprehensive resources, interactive lessons, and engaging content to help users grasp the nuances of Frisian. Whether you’re curious about Frisian culture, aiming to communicate with native speakers, or simply want to add another language to your repertoire, www.learnfrisian.com is your go-to destination to start your linguistic journey.

An account is only necessary for those who wish to track and save their progress, as well as for a more streamlined navigation experience.

We focus on teaching West Frisian, the dialect predominantly spoken in the Netherlands.

No, Frisian is considered one of the oldest Germanic languages, with its roots predating Dutch. Both languages, however, have evolved considerably over the centuries.

There are three main Frisian languages: West Frisian (spoken in the Netherlands), East Frisian (spoken in a small part of Germany), and North Frisian (spoken in parts of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany).

The ease of learning Frisian largely depends on your linguistic background. For English or Dutch speakers, certain aspects of Frisian might be easier to grasp due to some similarities in vocabulary and structure.

Frisian and English share a common Germanic origin. As a result, they have linguistic similarities, and some say that Frisian is the closest living language to English. However, they have also diverged over time and are distinct languages.

While both Frisian and Dutch are West Germanic languages and share some vocabulary, they have different phonetics, grammar, and vocabulary. They are distinct languages and are not mutually intelligible.

Frisian is a minority language, but efforts are being made to promote and preserve it. In Friesland, for instance, it’s taught in schools and used in public life.

Most Dutch people outside of Friesland do not understand Frisian. However, in Friesland, many residents are bilingual and can speak both Dutch and Frisian.

Frisian has ancient roots, tracing back to the early Germanic languages around the 1st century AD. It has evolved over the centuries and has distinct historical phases like Old, Middle, and Modern Frisian.

Like all living languages, the exact number of words in Frisian is difficult to pin down as it continually evolves. However, it has a rich vocabulary that serves the needs of its speakers in daily communication, literature, and other forms of expression.

Learning Frisian not only allows you to communicate with native speakers but also provides insight into a rich cultural heritage and history. It can also enhance cognitive abilities, as learning any language does.

‘â’ ‘aw’ as in ‘Dawn’
‘ê’ ‘he’ as in ‘Where’
‘g’ ‘g’ as in ‘Girl’
‘i’ ‘i’ as in ‘Bin’. Can also sound like ‘e’.
‘i’/‘y’ ‘e’ as in ‘He, She, We’
‘j’ ‘y as in ‘You’
‘û’ ‘o’ as in ‘Two’
‘w’   in Frisian is a sound in between ‘v’ and ‘w’ at the beginning of words.

‘oe’ ‘oo’ as in ‘Good’
‘ie’/’ii’ ‘ea’ as in ‘Leader’
‘ij’ ‘y’ as in ‘By’
‘ei’ it is near to ‘y’ as in ‘My’
‘oa’ ‘o’ as in ‘Bore’
‘ea’ ‘ea’ as in ‘Gear’
‘ch’  as in Scottish ‘loch’
‘iuw’ like ‘ee’ in ‘bee’ and ‘oo’ in ‘boot’ said together quickly.


The letters b, d, t, f, h, k, l, m, n, s are (nearly) the same as English.
The little ‘hat’ (circumflex) on top of these letters: â, ô, ê make the sound of the regular ‘a’, ‘o’, ‘e’ longer. This is not always the case with ‘û’. 

While Frisian is predominantly spoken in the Netherlands, especially in Friesland, understanding the language can be beneficial in regions of Germany where East and North Frisian are spoken.

Yes, West Frisian, the variety taught on our platform, has a standardized orthography. However, like all languages, there are dialectal variations.

Frisian has its own set of phonetic rules which differ from both Dutch and English. Our platform provides guides and exercises to help learners with correct pronunciation.