bei

From Old High German bī, from Proto-Germanic *bi.

De Schlëssel läit bei der Dier.

Gëschter den Nomëtteg sinn ech bei den Dokter gaangen.

Yesterday afternoon I went to the doctor's.

at, to (the home or workplace of someone)

Wunns du nach bei dengen Elteren?


un

From Old High German ana. The form is phonetically regular through the developments -a- → -ue- in originally open syllables, and -ue- → -u- before nasals.

D’Biller hänken un der Wand.


zu

Reduced form of zou, from Middle High German zuo, from Old High German zuo, from Proto-Germanic *tō.

Ech wunnen zu Réiden.

Dat Blietchen ass nëmmen zu denger Informatioun.

The leaflet is just for your information.


op

From Old High German *up, north-western variant of ūf. Cognate with German auf, Dutch op, English up.

Ech sëtzen op enger Bänk.

Du bass nach op der Schoul.

e Véierel op néng

Wéi seet een dat op Lëtzebuergesch?


aus

From Old High German ūz, from Proto-Germanic *ūt.

Hie kënnt aus Lëtzebuerg.

Den Dësch ass aus Holz.

Ech hunn et aus Frustratioun gemaach.


mat

From Old High German mit, from Proto-Germanic *midi. Cognate with German mit, Dutch met, West Frisian mei, Icelandic með.


fir

From Old High German furi, from Proto-West Germanic *furi, from Proto-Germanic *furi. Cognate with German für, English for.


ze

From Middle High German ze, from Old High German zi, from Proto-Germanic *ta, reduced form of *tō, whence Luxembourgish zu and zou.

De Kaffi ass ze waarm fir ze drénken.


bis

From Middle High German biz, bit, bitze, from bī (“by”) + ze (“to”). See German bis.

D'Metzlerei ass bis fënnef Auer nomëttes op.

The butcher's is open until five in the afternoon.

Hire Jong ka scho bis zéng zielen.


no

Inherited from Middle High German nāh, from Old High German nāh, from Proto-West Germanic *nāhw, from Proto-Germanic *nēhw.


virun

From Old High German fora, from Proto-Germanic *funai. Cognate with German vor, Dutch voor, English fore.

(+ akkusative or + dative) in front of, outside (spatially)

(+ dative) in front of, in the presence of


hanner

From Middle High German hinder, from Old High German hinder, northern variant of hintar, from Proto-Germanic *hinder. Cognate with German hinter.


aplaz

(dated) Alternative form of amplaz (“instead of”)


vun

From northern Middle High German vane, from Old High German fana, alternative form of fona. Cognate with German von, Dutch van, Yiddish פֿון (fun).


duerch

From Old High German duruh, from Proto-Germanic *durh. Cognate with German durch, English through, Dutch door, West Frisian troch.

Den Delphin ass duerch de Reef gesprongen.


ouni

From Old High German āna, from Proto-Germanic *ēnu. Cognate with German ohne, Icelandic án, (dialectal) English on.

Ouni dech kann ech net liewen.


ënner

Inherited from Old High German untar, from Proto-Germanic *under. Cognate with German unter, Hunsrik unne, Dutch onder, English under.


iwwer

From Old High German ubiri, from Proto-Germanic *ubiri. Cognate with German über, Icelandic yfir.


géint

With paragogic -t (as in several prepositions) from Middle High German gegen, from Old High German gagan, from Proto-Germanic *gagin. Cognate with German gegen, Icelandic gegn, Dutch tegen.


amplaz

Moies drénken ech Téi amplaz Kaffi

In the morning I drink tea instead of coffee


baussent

[ˈbæːʊ̯sənt]


säit

From Old High German sīd. Cognate with German seit.


géintiwwer

[ɡəɪ̯nˈdivɐ]

[ɡəɪ̯ntˈʔivɐ]

Equivalent to géint + iwwer. Compare German gegenüber, Dutch tegenover.

Eist Haus läit géintiwwer der Kierch.

Et soll een hëllefsbereet géintiwwer eelere Leit sinn.

One should be helpful towards elderly people.

A weider hutt dir héieren, datt deene Generatioune virun iech gesot ginn ass: Du solls kee falschen Eed doen; du solls dem Här géintiwwer deng Eeder halen!

Luxembourgish translation of Matthew 5:33

And again you have heard that to the generations before you it was said: You shall make no false oath; you shall make your oaths to the Lord!

Dëse Stau ass näischt géintiwwer deem vu gëschter!

This traffic jam is nothing compared to the one yesterday!


zanter

From Old High German sint. The onset z- is probably from prepositioned ze (“to”) as in cognate Dutch sinds (from earlier *t(e)zinds). More distant cognates include German seit and English since.

Ech wunnen hei zanter dem leschte Joer.

Ech wunnen hei zanter engem Joer.


zënter

The alternation -a-/-ë- is due to the irregular lowering of Old High German -i-, which led to Luxembourgish -a- in many cases but -ë- in many others.


tëscht

Contracted from tëschent (like nieft from niewent). From northern Middle High German tüschen, from Proto-Germanic *twiska- with irregular -wi- → -ü- as in Dutch tussen. Also cognate with German zwischen and eventually English betwixt. The onset t- in Luxembourgish (and surrounding varieties of West Central German) is a remarkable relict form without the consonant shift. The rarer variant zwëschen shows the regular development, but is probably influenced by standard German. The languages of the Rhenish Fan include several unshifted relict forms, most importantly dat, wat, et. Compare also Ripuarian Aap (“ape”), söke (“to seek”).

tëschen (alternative)
tëschent (alternative)
zwëschen (alternative)
zwëschent (alternative)
zwëscht (alternative)

D’Kanner sëtzen tëscht hirer Mamm an hirem Papp.

The children are sitting between their mother and their father.

D’Kanner setze sech tëscht hir Mamm an hire Papp.

The children are taking seat between their mother and their father.


zwëscht

(northern dialects, rare) Alternative form of tëscht (“between”)


niewent

From Old High German neben, a contraction of in + eban. Cognate with German neben.

Stell d'Still niewent den Dësch.


ëm

From Middle High German ümbe, from Old High German umbi, from Proto-Germanic *umbi. Cognate with German um, Dutch om, Icelandic um.


zwëschen

(northern dialects) Alternative form of tëscht


uechter

From northern Old High German ahter, a variant of after (“after, behind, along”) with the northern West Germanic development -ft- → -cht-, which in Luxembourgish survives only in a small number of relict words (compare Griecht, Luucht). Cognate with German After (“anus”) and achtern (“abaft”), Dutch achter (“behind”), English after.

Bäi enger konzertéierter Aktioun vun der franséischer Police goufen uechter d’Land méi wéi drësseg Wunnengen duerchsicht.

In a concerted operation by French police, more than thirty dwellings were searched throughout the country.


laanscht

From Middle High German langes. Cognate with German längs.


ronderëm

From ronn + erëm. Compare German rundherum.