Essential Frisian Phrases for Beginners
Starting a new language always feels a bit like stepping into the dark. You do not know where anything is, and the words feel slippery. Frisian is different, at least if you speak English. Because Frisian is the closest living language to English, many phrases click into place faster than you expect.
Below you will find 30+ essential Frisian phrases grouped by situation, with pronunciation hints to get you speaking from day one.
Greetings and Basic Conversations
| Frisian | English | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Goeie | Hello / Hi | GOO-yuh |
| Goemoarn | Good morning | goo-MO-arn |
| Goejun | Good afternoon | GOO-yun |
| Goejoun | Good evening | goo-YOWN |
| Oant sjen | Goodbye (until we see each other) | ont SHYEN |
| Oant letter | See you later | ont LET-ter |
| Hoe giet it? | How is it going? | hoo GEET it |
| Goed, tanke | Fine, thank you | goot TANK-uh |
| En mei dy? | And with you? | en may dee |
| Ja | Yes | ya |
| Nee | No | nay |
Introductions
| Frisian | English | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Hoe hjitsto? | What is your name? | hoo YIT-sto |
| Ik hjit … | My name is … | ik yit |
| Dêr bin ik bliid mei | Nice to meet you | dair bin ik bleed may |
| Werfan komsto? | Where are you from? | WAIR-fan KOM-sto |
| Ik kom ut Ingelân | I am from England | ik kom ut ING-uh-lan |
| Ik leare Frysk | I am learning Frisian | ik LEAR-uh freesk |
Numbers 1-10
| Frisian | English | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| ien | one | een |
| twa | two | twah |
| trije | three | TRY-yuh |
| fjouwer | four | FYOW-er |
| fiif | five | feef |
| seis | six | zays |
| sân | seven | sawn |
| acht | eight | akht |
| njoggen | nine | NYOG-gun |
| tsien | ten | tseen |
Colors
| Frisian | English | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| blau | blue | blow |
| griene | green | GREE-nuh |
| read | red | redd |
| wyt | white | weet |
| swart | black | swart |
| giel | yellow | geel |
Food and Drink
| Frisian | English | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| brea | bread | bray-ah |
| wetter | water | WET-ter |
| molke | milk | MOL-kuh |
| tsiis | cheese | tsees |
| fleis | meat | flays |
| iten | food / to eat | EE-ten |
Common Questions
| Frisian | English | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Wer is …? | Where is …? | wair iz |
| Hoefolle kostet dit? | How much does this cost? | HOO-fol-uh KOS-tet dit |
| Ik begryp it net | I do not understand | ik buh-GREEP it net |
| Kinsto Ingelsk prate? | Can you speak English? | KIN-sto ING-ulsk PRAT-uh |
| Help my asjebleaft | Please help me | help may AZH-uh-bleaft |
| Tanke wol | Thank you very much | TANK-uh wol |
Why These Phrases Feel Familiar
Notice how many of these words echo English ones you already know. “Brea” sounds like bread. “Wetter” sounds like water. “Swart” sounds like a dark, heavy word, which is exactly what black is. “Acht” is one step from “eight.” This is not coincidence. English and Frisian share the same ancient roots, which is why linguists call Frisian the closest living relative of English.
That shared history gives you a head start that learners of Dutch, German, or French simply do not have. Your ear is already partly tuned to Frisian sounds, even if you have never heard the language before.
Practice These Phrases With Audio
Reading phrases is a start, but hearing them is what makes them stick. LearnFrisian.com has 1,500+ audio files covering vocabulary, lessons, and exercises at every level. You can work through structured beginner lessons that build on exactly these phrases, with audio from native Frisian speakers.
Start your free Frisian lessons today and go from phrases to real conversations, one lesson at a time.
