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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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.

Viking-Age Heritage

The Frisians share a fascinating warrior heritage with the Scandinavians and were known as fierce seafarers themselves.

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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What can you learn?

Introduction

Frisian Words

Pronouns

Basics

Countries

Interested in Frisian articles?

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Frisian Articles

Frisian Names: Why Half of Friesland Sounds Like a Viking Sneeze

Let’s talk about Frisian names, because they’re absolutely wild. If you’ve ever looked at a Frisian name and thought “how on earth do I pronounce that,” you’re not alone. Names like Sjoerd, Tjitske, Froukje, and Douwe look like someone dropped Scrabble tiles and just went with it. But these names are genuinely interesting, and they…

Read More Frisian Names: Why Half of Friesland Sounds Like a Viking Sneeze
Frisian Articles

Frisian Directions Are Hilariously Different (And Way More Poetic)

Here’s something weird about Frisian that’ll make you appreciate how different languages can be: Frisians don’t always use compass directions like north, south, east, and west. Instead, they navigate using the landscape itself. And it’s honestly kind of brilliant. In Friesland, you’ll hear people say “gean nei de see ta” (go toward the sea) or…

Read More Frisian Directions Are Hilariously Different (And Way More Poetic)
Frisian Articles

Frisian Dialects: The Three Languages Pretending to Be One

Here’s something wild about Frisian: it’s not really one language. It’s three separate languages wearing a trench coat and pretending to be siblings. When people say “Frisian,” they usually mean West Frisian, spoken in the Netherlands. That’s the big one with about 470,000 speakers in Friesland province. It’s got official status, road signs, and its…

Read More Frisian Dialects: The Three Languages Pretending to Be One
Frisian Articles

Frisian Film: The Tiny Cinema Scene That Refuses to Go Dutch

Most people don’t know that Friesland has its own film industry. And honestly, why would they? It’s a province with fewer people than a mid-sized city, speaking a language that most of the world has never heard of. But here’s the thing. Frisian cinema exists. It’s small, scrappy, and absolutely determined to keep telling stories…

Read More Frisian Film: The Tiny Cinema Scene That Refuses to Go Dutch
Frisian Articles

What happened to Magna Frisia?

Magna Frisia, also known as Greater Frisia, was a region in Europe that covered parts of modern-day Netherlands, Germany, and Denmark. It was inhabited by the Frisian people, a Germanic ethnic group who still live in parts of the Netherlands and Germany today.In the early medieval period, Magna Frisia was a powerful and influential region….

Read More What happened to Magna Frisia?
Frisian Articles

Frisian Traces in Denmark

Denmark and Friesland have been neighbors for a very long time. The southern part of Jutland sits right next to the historic Frisian territories along the North Sea coast, and for centuries, Frisian communities lived on the Danish side of what is now the border. While the Frisian language has largely disappeared from Denmark today,…

Read More Frisian Traces in Denmark

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Common Questions

Everything you want to know about the Frisian language and this website.

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.