What is the correct word order in a Frisian sentence?
How important is word order in a Frisian sentence? The answer is very important, as explained in the video above and words below.
Word order
In Frisian, the position of the verb is very important in the word order of a sentence. The position of the verb depends on the type of clause.
Main clause
In the main clause, the conjugated verb stands in second position.
The word order is:
subject – conjugated verb – rest
For example:
| Ik wenje yn ‘t sintrum. | I live in the city centre |
| We sille mei ús allen ite. | We are going to eat together. |
| Dat is sa. | That is right. |
Emphasised element
An emphasised element can be put in the first position. The verb still stays in the second position, followed by the subject. This is called inversion.
This is the word order:
stressed element – conjugated verb – subject – rest
For example:
| No wenje ik yn Ljouwert. | Now I live in Leeuwarden. |
| Dan moat ik fuort. | I have to leave then. |
| Yn Bûtenpost wennet myn famylje. | My family lives in Buitenpost. |
Questions
In questions, the word order changes.
The word order of a yes/no question is as follows:
conjugated verb – subject – rest
For example:
| Wenje sy ek yn Ljouwert? | Do they also live in Leeuwarden? |
| Ha jim ek fakânsje? | Do you have a holiday? |
The word order of a question formed with a question word is:
question word – conjugated verb – subject – rest
For example:
| Hoe let begjinne we? | What time do we start? |
| Wêr wenje se? | Where do they live? |
| Wa is jim dosint? | Who is your teacher? |
Sentences with two verbs
In a sentence with more than one verb, the conjugated verb comes in the second position and the other verbs are at the end.
For example:
| We kinne by my ite. | We can eat at my place. |
| Ik sil in lekkere pizza meitsje. | I am going to make a delicious pizza. |
Practise with Quizlet
Would you like to practise Frisian grammar? Please visit our grammar section on the word order on Quizlet.
