frei

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See also: -frei, Frei, freí, and fréi

German

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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From Middle High German vrî, Old High German frî, from Proto-West Germanic *frī. Compare Dutch vrij, English free, Danish fri.

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /fʁaɪ̯/
  • Audio:(file)
  • Rhymes: -aɪ̯

Adjective

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frei (strong nominative masculine singular freier, comparative freier, superlative am freiesten or am freisten)

  1. free; unenslaved; unimprisoned
    Antonym: unfrei
  2. free; unrestricted; more negative also: unrestrained; licentious
    Synonyms: ungezwungen, ungebunden
  3. unblocked; free for passage
  4. independent; unaffiliated
  5. free of (not containing or unaffected by) [with von ‘something’]
    • Friedrich Karl Kasimir, Freiherr von Creuz, Neujahrsgedanken (from: Die geistliche Dichtung von Luther bis Klopstock. Ausgewählt von Paul Pressel. Einzelausgabe der evangelischen Volksbibliothek. Herausgegeben von Dr. Klaider, Stuttgart, 1864, page 933):
      Wer schläft und ist von Sorgen freier?
      Der Tod belauscht die stille Nacht
      So wie des Nilstroms Ungeheuer
      Des Ufers Schilf unsicher macht.
      (please add an English translation of this quotation)
  6. (not freely applicable) liberal
    Synonyms: liberal, freiheitlich
  7. (not freely applicable; see usage notes) free of charge, gratis
    Synonyms: kostenlos, gratis

Usage notes

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  • Frei can mean “free of charge” only in the context of public services, e.g. freie Krankenversorgung ("free medical care"), and in some fixed expressions such as Freibier (free beer) or freie Kost und Logis (free board and lodge). Otherwise, kostenlos should be used.

Declension

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Derived terms

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Descendants

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  • Romanian: frai

Further reading

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  • frei” in Duden online
  • frei” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache

Luxembourgish

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Verb

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frei

  1. second-person singular imperative of freien

Pennsylvania German

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Etymology

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From Middle High German vrī, from Old High German frī. Compare German frei, Dutch vrij, English free.

Adjective

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frei

  1. free
  2. exempt
  3. clear

Portuguese

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Pronunciation

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  • Hyphenation: frei

Noun

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frei m (plural freis)

  1. Alternative form of freire
    Frei Luís de Sousa
    Brother Luís de Sousa.

Scots

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Etymology

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From Old English frēo.

Adjective

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frei (comparative freier, superlative freiist)

  1. (Southern Scots, archaic) free

Sranan Tongo

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Etymology

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From English fly.

Verb

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frei

  1. fly

Noun

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frei

  1. wing