North Frisianthe Frisian of the German North Sea coast and its islands
North Frisian is not one language but a family of dialects, from the mainland to Sylt, Föhr and Amrum. Start with Mooring: 180 words in 15 short lessons, each one next to the West Frisian you know.
What is North Frisian?
North Frisian, Nordfriisk, is spoken in the district of Nordfriesland in Schleswig-Holstein, the northernmost corner of Germany, on the mainland, on the islands Sylt, Föhr and Amrum and on the Halligen. Heligoland has its own form too.
There are three Frisian languages: West Frisian in the Netherlands, Saterfrisian in Lower Saxony, and North Frisian. North Frisian splits into about ten dialects, and they differ so much that a speaker from Sylt and one from the mainland can have trouble understanding each other.
Mooring is the largest mainland dialect, spoken in the Bökingharde around Niebüll and Risum-Lindholm. All North Frisian together has only a few thousand speakers, and UNESCO lists it as severely endangered.
Three dialects, three courses
Each dialect gets its own course, because the words really differ. All three are ready.
Mooring
Mainland, BökinghardeThe largest mainland dialect, around Niebüll and Risum-Lindholm.
Open the course →Fering
Island of FöhrThe dialect of Föhr, the island with the most North Frisian speakers.
Open the course →Mooring next to West Frisian
Tap a card to see the West Frisian word.
The Mooring course: 15 lessons in 3 units
Each lesson teaches 12 words with short quizzes: choose, match, spot the real word and write it yourself. You earn the same points as in the main Frisian course, and it stays optional.
Unit 1
- 1🌱Words you already know
- 2👪Family and people
- 3🙋I, you, we
- 4🔢Counting
- 5📅The months
Unit 2
- 6🖐️Your body
- 7🐑Animals
- 8🌦️Sky, earth and weather
- 9🏠In the house
- 10🍞Food and drink
Unit 3
- 11🏘️Town and village
- 12🎨Describing words
- 13🏃Doing words
- 14🧩Little words you need
- 15🗣️Talking Mooring
One word, five languages
Mooring sits between West Frisian, Danish and German. Put the words next to each other and you see the family.
| Mooring | West Frisian | Dutch | German | English |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| hüs | hûs | huis | Haus | house |
| kü | ko | koe | Kuh | cow |
| doochter | dochter | dochter | Tochter | daughter |
| fötj | foet | voet | Fuß | foot |
| san | sinne | zon | Sonne | sun |
| toorp | doarp | dorp | Dorf | village |
| schörk | tsjerke | kerk | Kirche | church |
| spräke | taal | taal | Sprache | language |
Questions about North Frisian
Where is North Frisian spoken?
In the district of Nordfriesland in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany: on the mainland coast, on Sylt, Föhr and Amrum and on the Halligen, and in its own form on Heligoland.
Why are there separate courses for Mooring, Sölring and Fering?
Because the dialects differ in everyday words, not only in sound. One course with mixed forms would teach you a language nobody speaks.
Can I understand North Frisian if I speak West Frisian?
Some words, yes. Mooring hüs, bök and doochter are close to hûs, boek and dochter. Many others come closer to Danish or German, and spoken Mooring is hard to follow at first.
Is North Frisian the same as Low German?
No. Low German and South Jutish Danish are spoken in the same area, and many people there grew up with several of them, but North Frisian is a Frisian language.
Do the North Frisian courses cost anything?
No. All lessons cost nothing. Make a LearnFrisian account to save your progress and collect points.
Ready for your first 12 Mooring words?
Lesson 1 starts with words you already know. It takes about five minutes.
See all words side by side in the North Frisian dictionary →
Every Mooring word was checked in the dictionary of friesisch.net and in Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
