frase

See also: Frase, frasé, frâse, fräse, and fråse

Catalan

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Late Latin phrasis (“diction”), from Ancient Greek φράσις (phrásis, “manner of expression”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Northern, Balearic, Central) [ˈfɾa.zə]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia, Northwestern) [ˈfɾa.ze]

• Audio (Catalonia):

  (file)

Noun

frase f (plural frases)

1. phrase
2. sentence

   Synonym: sentència

Derived terms

• frase feta
• frase ganxo
• frasejar

Related terms

• fraseologia

Further reading

• “frase”, in Diccionari de la llengua catalana [Dictionary of the Catalan Language] (in Catalan), second edition, Institute of Catalan Studies [Catalan: Institut d'Estudis Catalans], April 2007
• “frase”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2026
• “frase” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• Alcover, Antoni Maria; Moll, Francesc de Borja (1963), “frase”, in Diccionari català-valencià-balear (in Catalan)

Dutch

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Late Latin phrasis (“diction”), from Ancient Greek φράσις (phrásis, “manner of expression”).

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: fra‧se

Noun

frase f (plural frasen or frases, diminutive frasetje n)

1. phrase

Descendants

• → Indonesian: frase
  • Indonesian: frasa

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fʁaz/
• Homophones: frasent, frases

Verb

frase

1. inflection of fraser:
   1. first/third-person singular present indicative/subjunctive
   2. second-person singular imperative

Galician

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Late Latin phrasis (“diction”), from Ancient Greek φράσις (phrásis, “manner of expression”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈfɾase/ [ˈfɾa.s̺ɪ]
• Rhymes: -ase
• Hyphenation: fra‧se

Noun

frase f (plural frases)

1. phrase

Further reading

• “frase”, in Dicionario da Real Academia Galega (in Galician), A Coruña: Royal Galician Academy, 2012–2026

Indonesian

Etymology

Borrowed from Dutch frase (“phrase”), from Late Latin phrasis (“diction”), from Ancient Greek φράσις (phrásis, “manner of expression”).

Pronunciation

• (Standard Indonesian) IPA^(key): /ˈfrasə/ [ˈfra.sə]
• Rhymes: -asə
• Syllabification: fra‧se

Noun

frasê (plural frase-frase)

1. obsolete form of frasa

Italian

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Late Latin phrasis (“diction”), from Ancient Greek φράσις (phrásis, “manner of expression”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈfra.ze/
• Rhymes: -aze
• Hyphenation: frà‧se

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

frase f (plural frasi)

1. sentence
2. phrase, clause
3. expression, phrase
4. (music) phrase

Synonyms

• polirematica
• espressione
• locuzione

Related terms

• frase fatta
• fraseggiare
• fraseologia

Further reading

• frase in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana

Anagrams

• farse, fresa, sfare, sfera

Norwegian Bokmål

Noun

frase m (definite singular frasen, indefinite plural fraser, definite plural frasene)

1. a phrase
2. (music) a phrase

Derived terms

• fraseologi

Norwegian Nynorsk

Noun

frase m (definite singular frasen, indefinite plural frasar, definite plural frasane)

1. a phrase

Derived terms

• fraseologi

Old Frisian

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *fraisō. Cognates include Old Saxon frēsa and Old Dutch frēsa.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈfraːse/

Noun

frāse f

1. danger

Descendants

• West Frisian: freze

References

• Bremmer, Rolf H. (2009), An Introduction to Old Frisian: History, Grammar, Reader, Glossary, Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing Company, →ISBN

Portuguese

Alternative forms

• phrase (pre-standardization spelling)

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Late Latin phrasis (“diction”), from Ancient Greek φράσις (phrásis, “manner of expression”).

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈfɾa.zi/

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈfɾa.zi/
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈfɾa.ze/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈfɾa.zɨ/

• Audio (Brazil (Caipira)):

  (file)

• Hyphenation: fra‧se

Noun

frase f (plural frases)

1. phrase (a short written or spoken expression)
   • 1880, Maria Amalia Vaz de Carvalho, “O annel do diplomata [The diplomat’s ring]”, in Contos e phantasias [Short stories and fantasies]‎^[1], 2nd edition, Lisbon: Parceria Antonio Maria Pereira, published 1905, page 146:

     O pobre rapaz, que conhecia a falsa posição em que se collocara com a sua phrase, sentia-se humilhado e como que vendido n’aquelle meio.

     The poor young lad, who knew the false position in which he had put himself with his phrase, felt humiliated and embarrassed in the group.

   • 2012, Luís Fernando Veríssimo, “Os pêssegos”, in Diálogos Impossíveis, Rio de Janeiro: Editora Objetiva, →ISBN, page 29:

     Não se ouvia mais nada, além dos ruídos naturais do pôquer. O clicar das fichas. Frases curtas: "Dou cartas." "Vou." "Não vou." "Pago pra ver." "Não é possível!"

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

2. (grammar) sentence (grammatically complete series of words)

   Synonym: (archaic) sentença

3. (grammar, Portugal) clause

   Synonym: oração

4. (music) phrase (a small, somewhat independent series of notes)

Usage notes

• In grammar, frase is a false friend and does not mean "phrase". The word for "phrase" in Portuguese is locução or sintagma, depending on the context.

Derived terms

• frasal
• frasear

Further reading

• “frase”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026
• “frase”, in Dicio – Dicionário Online de Português (in Portuguese), São Paulo: 7Graus, 2009–2026
• “frase”, in Dicionário da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisboa: Academia das Ciências de Lisboa, 2001–2026
• “frase”, in Dicionário inFormal (in Portuguese), 2006–2026
• “frase”, in Dicionário infopédia da Lingua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Porto: Porto Editora, 2003–2026
• “frase”, in Michaelis Dicionário Brasileiro da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), São Paulo: Editora Melhoramentos, 2015–2026, →ISBN
• “frase”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026

Spanish

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Late Latin phrasis (“diction”), from Ancient Greek φράσις (phrásis, “manner of expression”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈfɾase/ [ˈfɾa.se]

• Audio (Colombia):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ase
• Syllabification: fra‧se

Noun

frase f (plural frases)

1. phrase
2. sentence

   Synonym: oración

Derived terms

• frase hecha
• frasear
• libro de frases

Further reading

• “frase”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025