Learn Dutch: Het is vandaag een beetje fris, of niet? - It is a bit chilly today, isn't it?

In English, question tags change depending on the verb and subject (isn't it, aren't we, doesn't she). Dutch is much simpler! You can just add of niet (literally "or not") to the end of a statement to ask for agreement, regardless of the verb used in the main sentence.

Could I use hè or toch instead of of niet in this sentence?

Yes, you absolutely can! You could say Het is vandaag een beetje fris, hè? or Het is vandaag een beetje fris, toch?. All three ask for confirmation. of niet literally asks "or not?", giving the listener a direct choice to agree or disagree. hè is a bit more informal, while toch implies you strongly expect them to agree with you.

I thought fris meant fresh. Does it mean cold here?

Yes! While fris does mean "fresh" (like fresh food or laundry), when you use it to describe the weather or temperature, it means "chilly" or "crisp". It is used when the air is a bit cold, but not freezing.

Why is vandaag placed right after the verb is?

In Dutch, words that indicate time (like vandaag) like to be as close to the beginning of the sentence as possible. The general word order rule is Time-Manner-Place, so time usually comes right after the main verb and the subject, rather than at the very end like in English.