Learn how to make an appointment in Luxembourgish

IN Level A2, Useful Phrases

In today’s lesson you’ll learn more about how to make appointments in Luxembourg and express relevant arrangements in Luxembourgish.

Now no matter if you are arranging a first date or a dentist appointment, the etiquette of punctuality is important in Luxembourg.

1. Calendar Dates and Clock Times in Luxembourgish

Let’s start with fixing a date. Dates in the month are described with a system called ordinal numbers. Here’s a quick overview assuming you already know the names of days and months.

In Spoken Luxembourgish

For numbers up to 19, add the suffix -ten to the number. After 19, the suffix is -sten. So to make the 15th part of a number like the 15th of May, you take fofzéng (15) and you add -ten → fofzéngten. So you can say for 12th → zwieleften, or for 20th → zwanzegsten etc. Notice these two exceptions:

den éischten (1.) → the first
den drëtten (3.) → the third

To tell the date you have to add like in English the Luxembourgish definite masculine article den before the number.

Beispill (Example):

Den drëtten Abrëll 2018. – The 3rd of April 2018.

In Written Luxembourgish

Expressing ordinal numbers in written Luxembourgish is a lot easier: For dates in the calendar, simply add a dot after the number. Note that the Luxembourgish calendar format is dd.mm.yyyy.

Beispiller (Examples):

Treffe mir eis den 31. Oktober? – Are we meeting on 31st of October?
Kanns du de 6. Dezember bei eis kommen? – Can you (informal) come to our house on 6th of December?
Hutt Dir / Hues du den 1. Januar Zäit? – Do you have time on 1st of January?
Leider kann ech net den 31. Wéi wier et den 3. November? – Unfortunately I can’t make it on the 31st. How about 3rd of November?

2. How to Set a Time

The second part of making your appointment is setting a suitable time. If you want to leave the suggestion up to your conversation partner, you can ask

Beispiller (Examples):

Um wéi vill Auer geet et Iech am Beschten? – What time is best for you (formal)?
Kommt Dir léiwer moies oder mëttes? – Do you (formal) prefer to come in the morning or in the afternoon?
Kënnt Dir/Kanns du um 11h30? – Can you make it at 11.30am?
Soll ech dech den Owend um 8 Auer siche kommen? – Shall I pick you up at 8pm this evening.

In formal environments and written language, native speakers will speak in terms of the 24 hour clock, but colloquially it’s common to hear times of the day described in the 12 hour format. If you would like to make a suggestion for a meeting at 2pm, 14 Auer or 2 Auer mëttes or 2 Auer can all be considered appropriate. It’s best to take the cue from your conversation partner.

Here’s an in-depth article on how to talk about the time in Luxembourgish.

Sample Conversation*: Making an appointment at the doctor

A: Gudde Moien. Hei ass d’Praxis vum Dokter Weber.
B: Moien, mäin Numm ass Beffort. Ech hätt gär e Rendez-Vous, wgl.
A: Ass et fir eng Kontroll?
B: Jo. Also et ass fir mech a fir meng Duechter.
A: Kommt Dir léiwer moies oder mëttes?
B: Léiwer nomëttes, no 3 Auer.
A: Hutt Dir nächste Mëttwoch, also de 5. Februar um 4 Auer, Zäit?
B: Ee Moment, ech kucken a mengem Agenda …… Do hunn ech leider schonn eppes.
A: An, wéi wier et fir e Freideg de 7. Februar um 4h30?
B: …. Jo, dat geet.
A: Dat ass dann notéiert. E Freideg de 7. Februar um 4h30. E schéinen Dag.
B: Merci gläichfalls.

*Get the translation by downloading the PDF

Useful sentences to make an appointment

Formal

Ech hätt gär e Rendez-Vous, wgl. – I would like an appointment, please.
Um wéi vill Auer geet et Iech am Beschten? – What time is best for you?
Wéini geet et Iech am Beschten? –When does it suits you best?
Kommt Dir léiwer moies? – Do you prefer to come in the morning ?
Hutt Dir ….. Zäit? – Do you have time on ……..?

Informal:

Solle mir eis en (+ day) treffen? – Shall we meet on (+ day)?
Solle mir zesummen erausgoen? – Shall we go out together?
Hues du … Zäit? – Do you have time on ……..?
Hues du Loscht mat mir (+ place) ze goen? – Do you feel like coming with me to (+ place)?
Wëlls du muer den Owend bei eis iesse kommen? – Do you want to come for dinner tomorrow?
Wéi wier et muer um 7 Auer owes? – How about tomorrow at 7pm?