fri

See also: Fri, frí, frî, and -fri

Languages (22)

Bislama • Breton • Danish • Esperanto • Irish • Kashubian • Middle Irish • North Frisian • Norwegian Bokmål • Norwegian Nynorsk • Old Dutch • Old English • Old Frisian • Old High German • Old Irish • Old Saxon • Scots • Sranan Tongo • Swedish • Tarifit • Welsh

Page categories

Translingual

Etymology

Clipping of English Frisian, from Middle English Frisoun, from Old French frison, from Latin Frīsiī.

Symbol

fri

(international standards, obsolete) Former ISO 639-3 language code for Western Frisian.

Bislama

Etymology

From English free.

Adjective

fri

free; independent

Breton

Etymology

Cognate with Cornish frig (“nostril”); perhaps related to Proto-Celtic *srognā (compare Welsh ffroen (“nostril”), Old Irish srón (“nose”)).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈfriː/

Noun

fri m (plural frioù)

(anatomy) nose

Danish

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /friː/, [fʁiːˀ]
(Hardsysselsk) IPA^(key): [fʁitʃː]
Rhymes: -i
Rhymes: -iː

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Middle Low German vrīen (“to marry”), from Old Saxon friohon.

Verb

fri (imperative fri, present frier or frir, past friede, past participle friet)

to propose (to ask for one's hand in marriage)
Synonym: bejle

Conjugation

Conjugation of fri

	active	passive
present	frir or frier	fris or fries
past	friede	friedes
infinitive	fri	fris or fries
imperative	fri	—

	participle
present	friende
past	friet (auxiliary verb have)
gerund	frien

Derived terms

frier (“suitor”)
frieri (“proposal”)

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Middle Low German vrī.

Adjective

fri (neuter frit, plural and definite singular attributive frie)

Declension

Inflection of *fri*
	positive	comparative	superlative
indefinite common singular	fri	friere	friest²
indefinite neuter singular	frit	friere	friest²
plural	frie	friere	friest²
definite attributive¹	frie	friere	frieste

¹ When an adjective is applied predicatively to something definite,
the corresponding "indefinite" form is used.
² The "indefinite" superlatives may not be used attributively.

Derived terms

ufri (“constrained, inhibited, not free”)

Etymology 3

Borrowed from Middle Low German vrīen (“to free”), from the adjective vri (“free”).

Verb

fri (imperative fri, present frier or frir, past friede, past participle friet)

to free (to make free)

Conjugation

Conjugation of fri

	active	passive
present	frir or frier	fris or fries
past	friede	friedes
infinitive	fri	fris or fries
imperative	fri	—

	participle
present	friende
past	friet (auxiliary verb have)
gerund	frien

Derived terms

udfri

References

“fri” in Den Danske Ordbog

Esperanto

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /fri/
Audio: (file)
Rhymes: -i
Syllabification: fri

Preposition

fri

(neologism) including the cost of^[1]
mil eŭroj fri haveno
a thousand euros including shipping costs

cent dolaroj fri dogano
one hundred dollars including customs duty

Usage notes

Unofficial and technical. In everyday language, this would be expressed with a more wordy phrase.

References

^ Wennergren, Bertilo (14 November 0202), “Neoficialaj rolvortetoj”, in Plena Manlibro de Esperanta Gramatiko‎^[1] (in Esperanto), retrieved 8 October 2010

Irish

Preposition

fri (plus dative, triggers h-prothesis)

obsolete form of fré

Kashubian

Etymology

Borrowed from German Low German frî. Compare German frei.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈfri/
Rhymes: -i
Syllabification: fri

Adjective

fri (not comparable, indeclinable, no derived adverb)

free

Adverb

fri (not comparable)

Middle Irish

Etymology

From Old Irish fri, from Proto-Celtic *writ- (compare Welsh wrth, prefix gwrth-), from the zero grade of Proto-Indo-European *wert- (“to turn”) (compare Latin versus (“against”)).

Preposition

fri (takes accusative)

towards, to
- c. 1000, “The Tale of Mac Da Thó's Pig”, in Ernst Windisch, editor, Irische Texte, volume 1, published 1800, section 1:
  Ro·ferad failte friu uile, ocus ructha chuci-sium isin mbruidin.
  They were all made welcome and brought to him in the hall.
  (literally, “A welcome was provided to them all…”)

Inflection

Third-person plural accusative: friu

Descendants

Classical Gaelic: re
Irish: re (“to, towards, against”)
⇒ Irish: le (conflated with la)

⇒ Irish: fa ré, fara, frae (“along with, beside”)
Manx: rish
Scottish Gaelic: ri

North Frisian

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Old Frisian frī, from Proto-West Germanic *frī, from Proto-Germanic *frijaz (“free”), from Proto-Indo-European *priHós (“loved; pleased”), from Proto-Indo-European *preyH- (“to love; to please”).

Adjective

fri

(Goesharde, Halligen, Karrharde, Mooring) free

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle Low German vrī. Cognates include Danish fri, Swedish fri, German frei, Dutch vrij, English free, and Gothic 𐍆𐍂𐌴𐌹𐍃 (freis).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /fɾiː/

Adjective

fri (neuter singular fritt, definite singular and plural frie, comparative friere, indefinite superlative friest, definite superlative frieste)

free, not imprisoned or enslaved
en fri mann ― a free man
free, not blocked
fri ferdsel ― free traffic
free, no payment necessary
fri inngang ― free admission

Derived terms

References

“fri” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /friː/

Etymology 1

From Middle Low German vrī.^[1] Akin to English free.

Adjective

fri (neuter singular fritt, definite singular and plural frie, comparative friare, indefinite superlative friast, definite superlative friaste)

free, not imprisoned or enslaved
ein fri mann ― a free man
free, not blocked
fri ferdsel ― free traffic
free, no payment necessary
fri inngang ― free admission

Derived terms

Etymology 2

From Middle Low German vrien and Old Norse frjá (“to love”).^[1]

Alternative forms

fria, frie

Verb

fri (present tense frir, past tense fridde, past participle fritt/fridd, passive infinitive friast, present participle friande, imperative fri)

to propose (marriage)

Derived terms

Etymology 3

From Old Norse fría, from fri (Etymology 1).^[1]

Alternative forms

fria, frie

Verb

fri (present tense frir, past tense fridde, past participle fritt/fridd, passive infinitive friast, present participle friande, imperative fri)

to free

References

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 “fri” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Anagrams

fir

Old Dutch

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *frī.

Adjective

frī

free, unbound

Declension

This adjective needs an inflection-table template.

Descendants

Middle Dutch: vri
- Dutch: vrij
  - Afrikaans: vry
  - Negerhollands: vri, vrie, fri
  - → Aukan: felei
  - → Caribbean Javanese: frèi, prèi, pré
  - → Indonesian: prei (“holiday, free, doing nothing”)
  - → Javanese: ꦥꦿꦺꦲꦶ (prèi)
  - → Manado Malay: frei
  - → Peranakan Indonesian: vry
  - → Sundanese: peré

Old English

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /friː/
Rhymes: -ī

Adjective

frī

alternative form of frēo

Old Frisian

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *frī.

Adjective

frī

free

Descendants

North Frisian:
Föhr-Amrum: frei

Goesharde, Halligen, Karrharde, Mooring: fri

Heligoland: frai

Sylt: Frii
Saterland Frisian: fräi
West Frisian: frij

Old High German

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *frī.

Adjective

frī

free

Derived terms

frīginōz

Descendants

Middle High German: vrī
- German: frei
- Luxembourgish: fräi
- Vilamovian: frȧj
- Yiddish: פֿרײַ (fray)

Old Irish

Etymology

From Proto-Celtic *writ- (compare Welsh wrth, prefix gwrth-), from the zero grade of Proto-Indo-European *wert- (“to turn”) (compare Latin versus (“against”)).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ɸʲɾʲi/

Preposition

fri (takes accusative)

towards, to
against
with
(governing a verbal noun) about to
from (with scaraid (“to separate”) and its compounds and synonyms)
with respect to, with regard to, in regard to

For quotations using this term, see Citations:fri.

Inflection

Inflection of *fri*
	Person:		normal	emphatic
singular	first		frimm, frium(m)	fri(u)msa
	second		frit(t), friut(t)	fritso, fritsu
	third m or n	dative
	third m or n	accusative	fris(s)	frissom, frissium
	third f	dative
	third f	accusative	frie

plural	first		frinn	frinn(a)i
	second		frib	fribsi
	third	dative
	third	accusative	friu	friusom

Forms combined with the definite article:

fris(s)in (m sg or f sg accusative)
fris(s)a (n sg accusative)
frisna (pl accusative)

Forms combined with the relative particle:

fris(s)a

Forms combined with a possessive determiner:

frim (first-person singular)
frit (second-person singular)
fria (third-person singular/plural)

Descendants

Middle Irish: fri
- Classical Gaelic: re
- Irish: re (“to, towards, against”)
  ⇒ Irish: le (conflated with la)
  ⇒ Irish: fa ré, fara, frae (“along with, beside”)
- Manx: rish
- Scottish Gaelic: ri

Old Saxon

Etymology 1

From Proto-West Germanic *frī.

Adjective

frī (comparative frīoro, superlative frīost)

free

Declension

Declension of *fri*
Strong declension
	singular			plural
	masculine	neuter	feminine	masculine	neuter	feminine
nominative	frī	frī	frī	frīe	frīu	frīe
accusative	frīana	frī	frīa	frīe	frīu	frīe
genitive	frīes	frīes	frīaro	frīarō	frīarō	frīarō
dative	frīumu	frīumu	frīaro	frīum	frīum	frīum

Weak declension
	singular			plural
	masculine	neuter	feminine	plural
nominative	frīo	frīa	frīa	frīu
accusative	frīun	frīa	frīun	frīun
genitive	frīun	frīun	frīun	frīonō
dative	frīun	frīun	frīun	frīum

Comparative forms of *fri* (weak only)
	singular			plural
	masculine	neuter	feminine	plural
nominative	frīoro	frīora	frīora	frīoru
accusative	frīorun	frīora	frīorun	frīorun
genitive	frīorun	frīorun	frīorun	frīoronō
dative	frīorun	frīorun	frīorun	frīorum

Superlative forms of *fri*
Strong declension
	singular			plural
	masculine	neuter	feminine	masculine	neuter	feminine
nominative	frīost	frīost	frīost	frīoste	frīoste	frīostu
accusative	frīostana	frīost	frīosta	frīoste	frīoste	frīostu
genitive	frīostes	frīostes	frīostaro	frīostarō	frīostarō	frīostarō
dative	frīostumu	frīostumu	frīostaro	frīostum	frīostum	frīostum

Weak declension
	singular			plural
	masculine	neuter	feminine	plural
nominative	frīosto	frīosta	frīosta	frīostu
accusative	frīostun	frīosta	frīostun	frīostun
genitive	frīostun	frīostun	frīostun	frīostonō
dative	frīostun	frīostun	frīostun	frīostum

Descendants

Middle Low German: vri, vrîg
- Low German: fri, free, frigg
- → Danish: fri
- → Estonian: prii
- → Faroese: fríur
- → Latvian: brīvs
- → Livonian: brī
- → Norwegian: fri
- → Swedish: fri

Etymology 2

From Proto-Germanic *frijō.

Noun

frī f

woman

References

Joseph Wright, An Old English Grammar (Oxford 1908)

Scots

Etymology

From Old English fram.

Preposition

fri

(Southern Scots) from

Sranan Tongo

Etymology

From English free.

Adjective

fri

free

Verb

fri

to set free

Noun

fri

freedom
- 1961, Michaël Slory, ““Sarka – Gi Yomo Kenyata (Kenya)” [Bitter struggle – For Jomo Kenyatta (Kenya)]”, in Sarka / Bittere strijd‎^[2], Amsterdam: Pegasus:
  Fri yu no kan skrifi na / ini den nangra fu den opete.
  Freedom cannot be written / in the clutches of vultures.

Swedish

Etymology

From Middle Low German vri, from Old Saxon frī, from Proto-West Germanic *frī, from Proto-Germanic *frijaz.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /friː/
Audio: (file)
Rhymes: -iː

Adjective

fri

free (unconstrained)
free (not imprisoned)
free (without obligations)
Du är fri att göra som du vill.
You are free to do as you please.
free (obtainable without payment)
Synonym: gratis
free (without)
- 2000, 1973 års bibelkommission [The Swedish Bible Commission of 1973], “Johannesevangeliet [John] 8:7”, in Bibel 2000‎^[3], © Svenska Bibelsällskapet, accessed at Bible.com, archived from the original on 14 October 2025:
  [Jesus såg] upp och sade: »Den av er som är fri från synd skall kasta första stenen på henne.«
  Jesus looked up and said, "Whoever among you is free from sin shall cast the first stone at her."

Declension

Inflection of **fri**
Indefinite	positive	comparative	superlative¹
common singular	fri	friare	friast
neuter singular	fritt	friare	friast
plural	fria	friare	friast
masculine plural²	frie	friare	friast

Definite	positive	comparative	superlative
masculine singular³	frie	friare	friaste
all	fria	friare	friaste

¹ The indefinite superlative forms are only used in the predicative.
² Dated or archaic.
³ Only used, optionally, to refer to things whose natural gender is masculine.

Derived terms

References

fri in Svenska Akademiens ordböcker
fri in Elof Hellquist, Svensk etymologisk ordbok (1st ed., 1922)

Tarifit

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.).

Pronunciation

Verb

fri (Tifinagh spelling ⴼⵔⵉ)

(transitive) to tear, to rip

Conjugation

This verb needs an inflection-table template.

Derived terms

Verbal noun: afray

Welsh

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /vriː/

Noun

fri

soft mutation of bri

Mutation

Mutated forms of *bri*
radical	soft	nasal	aspirate
bri	fri	mri	unchanged

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Welsh.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.

[1] Wennergren, Bertilo (14 November 0202), “Neoficialaj rolvortetoj”, in Plena Manlibro de Esperanta Gramatiko‎^[1] (in Esperanto), retrieved 8 October 2010

[ND-2] 1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 “fri” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

[1]

[1]

Translingual

Etymology

Symbol

Bislama

Etymology

Adjective

Breton

Etymology

Pronunciation

Noun

Danish

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

Verb

Conjugation

Derived terms

Etymology 2

Adjective

Declension

Derived terms

Etymology 3

Verb

Conjugation

Derived terms

References

Esperanto

Pronunciation

Preposition

Usage notes

References

Irish

Preposition

Kashubian

Etymology

Pronunciation

Adjective

Adverb

Further reading

Middle Irish

Etymology

Preposition

Inflection

Descendants

North Frisian

Alternative forms

Etymology

Adjective

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

Pronunciation

Adjective

Derived terms

References

Norwegian Nynorsk

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

Adjective

Derived terms

Etymology 2

Alternative forms

Verb

Derived terms

Etymology 3

Alternative forms

Verb

References

Anagrams

Old Dutch

Etymology

Adjective

Declension

Descendants

Further reading

Old English

Pronunciation

Adjective

Old Frisian

Etymology

Adjective

Descendants