Fryslân
Fryslân (Friesland)
Usage
The northern Dutch province where West Frisian is an official language. The Dutch name is Friesland; road signs use the Frisian name Fryslân. The capital is Ljouwert
Grammar Note
The final â is a with a circumflex, part of Frisian spelling; do not replace it with a plain a
Ljouwert
Leeuwarden
Usage
Capital of Fryslân (Dutch name: Leeuwarden). Start and finish of the Alvestêdetocht. Signs show the Frisian name first
Grammar Note
The Frisian name differs a lot from the Dutch one in both spelling and sound. Tickets and signs may show both Ljouwert and Leeuwarden
Snits
Sneek
Usage
A Frisian city known for its water and boats (Dutch name: Sneek). One of the Alvestêden; the sailing festival Snitswike takes place here in early August
Grammar Note
It starts with Sn like the Dutch name Sneek, but ends in -ts instead of -k
Boalsert
Bolsward
Usage
One of the Alvestêden (Dutch name: Bolsward). Birthplace of the poet Gysbert Japiks and home of the Us Heit brewery
Grammar Note
The oa is a Frisian spelling for a diphthong, unlike the plain o of the Dutch name
Frjentsjer
Franeker
Usage
One of the Alvestêden (Dutch name: Franeker). The town of the Eise Eisinga Planetarium
Grammar Note
The tsj is typical of Frisian spelling. On signs in Fryslân the Frisian name comes first
Dokkum
Usage
One of the Alvestêden, in the north-east. Home of the Sonnema firm, known for the local bearenburch spirit
Grammar Note
The Frisian and Dutch names are spelled the same. The adjective form is Dokkumer
Starum
Stavoren
Usage
One of the Alvestêden (Dutch name: Stavoren). A harbour town on the Iselmar
Grammar Note
Frisian Starum differs from Dutch Stavoren in both the middle consonant and the ending
Hylpen
Hindeloopen
Usage
One of the Alvestêden (Dutch name: Hindeloopen). A small harbour town on the Iselmar, known for its colourful traditional painting
Grammar Note
The y spells a vowel close to i in Frisian. Do not write Hylpen with the Dutch ij
Warkum
Workum
Usage
One of the Alvestêden (Dutch name: Workum). A town on the Iselmar coast
Grammar Note
The vowel is a, unlike the o of the Dutch name Workum
Harns
Harlingen
Usage
One of the Alvestêden (Dutch name: Harlingen). A Wadden Sea port, with ferries to Flylân and Skylge
Grammar Note
Harns is a short name, without the -lingen ending of Dutch Harlingen
Sleat
Sloten
Usage
One of the Alvestêden (Dutch name: Sloten). Known as one of the smallest cities in the Netherlands
Grammar Note
The ea is a Frisian spelling for a diphthong
Drylts
IJlst
Usage
One of the Alvestêden (Dutch name: IJlst). A small town in the municipality of Súdwest-Fryslân
Grammar Note
The Frisian name Drylts is a completely different form from Dutch IJlst
It Hearrenfean
Heerenveen
Usage
A town in the south (Dutch name: Heerenveen). Home of the football club SC Heerenveen and the Thialf speed-skating stadium
Grammar Note
The article It is part of the name and is capitalised. The ea in Hearrenfean is a Frisian diphthong
Drachten
Usage
The centre of the municipality of Smellingerlân and the biggest town of that municipality, in the east of Fryslân, with about 46,000 inhabitants
Grammar Note
The Frisian and Dutch names are spelled the same
De Lemmer
De Lemmer (Lemmer)
Usage
A harbour town on the Iselmar (Dutch name: Lemmer). Home of the Woudagemaal steam pumping station
Grammar Note
The article De is part of the name and is capitalised
De Jouwer
De Jouwer (Joure)
Usage
A large village in central-southern Fryslân (Dutch name: Joure). The birthplace of the coffee and tea firm Douwe Egberts
Grammar Note
The article De is part of the name. Frisian ouw differs from the Dutch ou
Grou
Grou (Grouw)
Usage
A village in the lake district (Dutch name: Grouw). A base for sailing, canoeing and other water sports
Grammar Note
The Frisian name is Grou, without the final w of the Dutch name
Hegebeintum
Usage
A village in the north-east with a church on a terp (an artificial dwelling mound). Known as one of the highest terps in Fryslân
Grammar Note
The Frisian and Dutch names are spelled the same
Skylge
Terschelling (Skylge)
Usage
One of the Waadeilannen in the Wadden Sea (Dutch name: Terschelling). Reached by ferry from Harns. The open-air theatre festival Oerol takes place here in June
Grammar Note
The Frisian name Skylge and the Dutch name Terschelling are different forms. Write Skylge for the island too
Skiermûntseach
Schiermonnikoog (Skiermûntseach)
Usage
The easternmost of the Waadeilannen (Dutch name: Schiermonnikoog). Most of the island is a national park. Reached by ferry from Lauwerseach
Grammar Note
The û is u with a circumflex. It is a long name; start by recognising the Skier- beginning
It Amelân
Ameland (It Amelân)
Usage
One of the Waadeilannen (Dutch name: Ameland). Villages include Hollum and Ballum
Grammar Note
The article It is part of the name and is capitalised. The final â corresponds to the a of Dutch Ameland
Flylân
Vlieland (Flylân)
Usage
One of the five inhabited Waadeilannen (Dutch name: Vlieland). Reached by ferry from Harns
Grammar Note
It starts with Fl-, unlike Dutch Vl-. The y is a vowel close to i
Aldehou
Oldehove (leaning tower)
Usage
A tower without a church in the middle of Ljouwert. Built in the 16th century, it was never finished and leans (Dutch name: Oldehove)
Grammar Note
It is a proper name, so keep its spelling. In a sentence it takes an article: de Aldehou
Eise Eisinga Planetarium
Usage
An 18th-century planetarium in Frjentsjer, built by the wool carder Eise Eisinga in his own house. Known as one of the oldest planetariums still working
Grammar Note
The name combines a personal name and a common noun. The personal name is written unchanged
Keramykmuseum Prinsessehof
Prinsessehof Ceramics Museum
Usage
A ceramics museum on Grutte Tsjerkestrjitte in Ljouwert (Dutch name: Keramiekmuseum Princessehof), housed in a historic building
Grammar Note
Keramyk means "ceramics". Compound nouns are written as one word
Museum Belvédère
Usage
A museum of modern and contemporary art in Oranjewâld, in a green setting near It Hearrenfean
Grammar Note
It is a proper name, so keep the accents (é and è) unchanged
Woudagemaal
Woudagemaal (steam pumping station)
Usage
A steam pumping station in De Lemmer (official name Ir. D.F. Woudagemaal). A UNESCO World Heritage site that tells the story of water management
Grammar Note
A one-word proper name. The second part, maal, refers to a pumping station
Stasjon Ljouwert
Leeuwarden railway station
Usage
The busiest station in Fryslân (Dutch name: Station Leeuwarden), with about 10,000 passengers a day
Grammar Note
stasjon means "station" and corresponds to Dutch station. A sign has Stasjon followed by the town name
Stasjon Snits
Sneek railway station
Usage
The railway station of Snits (Dutch name: Station Sneek), with trains towards Ljouwert
Grammar Note
A station name is Stasjon followed by the town name
Lofthaven Skiphol
Schiphol Airport
Usage
The largest airport in the Netherlands, where many visitors to Fryslân arrive. Lofthaven is the Frisian word for airport
Grammar Note
The Frisian spelling of the airport name is Skiphol, unlike Dutch Schiphol
Lauwerseach
Lauwersoog (Lauwerseach)
Usage
A harbour village on the Groningen side (Dutch name: Lauwersoog), from where the ferry to Skiermûntseach leaves
Grammar Note
The village is written Lauwerseach in Frisian, but it lies outside Fryslân
De Waadsee
Wadden Sea (De Waadsee)
Usage
The shallow sea between the north coast and the Waadeilannen (Dutch name: Waddenzee). It turns into mudflats at low tide and is a World Heritage site
Grammar Note
The article De is part of the name and is capitalised. -see means "sea", and the compound is written as one word
De Waadeilannen
Wadden Islands (De Waadeilannen)
Usage
The chain of islands along the North Sea. Fryslân has four of them: Flylân, Skylge, It Amelân and Skiermûntseach (five are inhabited in the Netherlands)
Grammar Note
eilannen is the plural of "island". As with Waadsee, the compound is written as one word
De Alde Feanen
De Alde Feanen National Park
Usage
A national park of lakes and wetlands, covering the municipalities of Ljouwert, Smellingerlân and Tytsjerksteradiel
Grammar Note
feanen is the plural of "fean", a peat moor. The article De is capitalised
Tsjûkemar
Tsjûkemar (lake)
Usage
The largest lake in Fryslân (Dutch name: Tjeukemeer), a popular area for sailing and boating
Grammar Note
mar means "lake". The initial tsj- is typical of Frisian spelling
Iselmar
IJsselmeer (Iselmar)
Usage
A large lake created in 1932 when the Afsluitdijk closed off the sea (Dutch name: IJsselmeer). It borders the west coast of Fryslân
Grammar Note
Instead of the Dutch IJ, Frisian writes a plain I: Iselmar
Gaasterlân
Usage
A hilly area of woods and lakes in the south-west (Dutch name: Gaasterland), with villages such as Aldegea
Grammar Note
The final â is a with a circumflex. -lân means "land"
Appelskea
Appelscha (Appelskea)
Usage
A village of forest and dunes in the south-east (Dutch name: Appelscha), popular for walking and cycling
Grammar Note
The ending -skea corresponds to Dutch -scha
Nasjonaal Iepenbier Ferfiersmuseum
National Public Transport Museum
Usage
A museum of public transport in Ousterhaule (Dutch name: Nationaal Openbaar Vervoer Museum, short NOV)
Grammar Note
A long compound. Ferfier means "transport" and is written as one word with museum
It Tsiispakhûs
It Tsiispakhûs (dairy museum)
Usage
A dairy museum in Wommels, housed in an old cheese warehouse that is a national monument
Grammar Note
Tsiispakhûs is a compound of tsiis (cheese) and pakhûs (warehouse), written as one word
More West Frisian phrases
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