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.
Gegroet en basisgesprekken
| Fries | Engels | Uitspraak |
|---|---|---|
| Goeie | Hallo. | GOO-yuh |
| Goemoarn | Goedemorgen. | goo-MO-arn |
| Goejun | Goedemiddag. | GOO-yun |
| Goejoun | Goedenavond. | GOO-YOWN |
| Oant sjen | Vaarwel (tot we elkaar zien) | SHYEN |
| Oant letter | Tot straks. | ont LET-ter |
| Hoe giet it? | Hoe gaat het? | Hoo GEET it |
| Goed, tanke | Fine, thank you | goot TANK-uh |
| En mei dy? | En met jou? | en may dee |
| Ja | Ja. | ya |
| Nee | Nee | n |
Kennismaken
| Fries | Engels | Uitspraak |
|---|---|---|
| Hoe hjitsto? | Hoe heet je? | hoo YIT-sto |
| Ik hjit … | My name is … | ik yit |
| Dêr bin ik bliid mei | Leuk je te ontmoeten. | dair bin ik bleed may |
| Werfan komsto? | Waar kom je vandaan? | WAIR-fan KOM-sto |
| Ik kom ut Ingelân | Ik kom uit Engeland. | ik kom ut ING-uh-lan |
| Ik leare Frysk | Ik leer Fries. | Ik Lear-uh freesk |
Aantallen 1-10
| Fries | Engels | Uitspraak |
|---|---|---|
| ien | één | een |
| twa | twee | twah |
| trije | drie | Try-yuh |
| fjouwer | vier | FYOW-er |
| fiif | vijf | feef |
| seis | zes | zays |
| sân | zeven | gezaagd |
| acht | acht | akht |
| njoggen | negen | NYOG-geweer |
| tsien | tien | tseen |
Kleuren
| Fries | Engels | Uitspraak |
|---|---|---|
| blau | blauw | slag |
| griene | Groene | GREE-nuh |
| read | rood | rood |
| wyt | Witte | Weet je wat? |
| swart | zwart | swart |
| giel | geel | geel |
Eten en drinken
| Fries | Engels | Uitspraak |
|---|---|---|
| brea | brood | bray-ah |
| wetter | water | WET-TER |
| molke | melk | MOL-kuh |
| tsiis | kaas | tsees |
| fleis | vlees | flays |
| iten | eten / eten | EE-tien |
Gemeenschappelijke vragen
| Fries | Engels | Uitspraak |
|---|---|---|
| Wer is …? | Where is …? | wair iz |
| Hoefolle kostet dit? | Hoeveel kost dit? | HOO-fol-uh KOS-tet dit |
| Ik begryp it net | Ik begrijp het niet. | ik buh-GREEP it net |
| Kinsto Ingelsk prate? | Kun je Engels spreken? | KIN-sto ING-ulsk PRAT-uh |
| Help mijn asjebleaft | Help me alsjeblieft. | hulp kan AZH-uh-bladert |
| Tanke wol | Hartelijk dank. | TANK-uh wol |
Waarom deze zinnen voelen vertrouwd
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.
Oefen deze zinnen met 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.
Begin vandaag met je gratis Friese lessen and go from phrases to real conversations, one lesson at a time.
