As you now may have noticed, kréien is a versatile verb. In the previous lesson you have learnt 7 different meanings of kréien. In this lesson you will learn different prefixes which can be added to kréien for example zou-, op-, hin-, or the preposition mat and you will learn that kréien can be used to express the passive voice and even the future.
The prefix-versions of kréien
Kréien was used in the sense of to make an effort and then changed to to successfully make an effort and that’s where the basic idea of to attain comes from. One aspect of that idea is the simple getting of things you solicited like a kiss or not like a cold. But maybe the even more important idea is the manage to do stuff and many of the prefix-versions like zoukréien, opkréien or hikréien have this at their core. Actually, for kréien you always have to fill in the done part… like…
Zoukréien –to get something closed, to manage to close
Ech kréie meng Wallis einfach net zou. I can’t manage to close my suitcase.
Firwat kréien ech elo déi Dier hei net zou? Why can’t I (manage) to close that door now?
Opkréien – to get something open
Ech kréien dës Dier net op. I can’t manage to open this door.
Kriss du dës Fläsch op? Can you manage to open this bottle?
Ukréien – to manage to start, to put on
Mir hunn den Auto de Moien net ukritt. We didn’t manage to start the car this morning.
Ech kréien dës Box net méi un. I can’t put on these trousers anymore.
Hikréien – to get it done
Literally hikréien means to get it there and that is really almost the actual meaning: to get it done. It is generic. It can fill in for all of the above. For example: your friend asks you for help with a computer program, because you’re “that guy”. And so you sit there hammering codes into the keyboard. But your friend has no idea what exactly you’re doing. And here’s how he would inquire about the progress:
An? Kriss du et hin? And? Can you do/fix it?
By itself it means nothing other than do it. But it can stand for anything, really. And native speakers do use that A LOT. And that makes sense because we replace things that have been said before all the time.
Examples:
Den Tom huet versicht, d’ Wäschmaschinn ze reparéieren: An? Huet hien et hikritt? Tom tried to fix the washing machine:And? Could he do it?
Ech kréien dat nimools ouni deng Hëllef hin. I will never get this done without your help.
Now, those of you who know the word fäerdegbréngen may be asking at this point “Wait a second, are hikréien and fäerdegbréngen synonymous?” And they kind of are. I would say that hikréien is more suitable for small things like fixing something.
Bréngs du dat fäerdeg? = Kriss du dat hin? Can you do it/pull it off?
The preposition mat + kréien
Matkréien – to notice, to understand or to overhear something
Literally that would mean to receive with/alongside other things but the main meaning is more broad.
Examples:
Hues du matkritt, datt ech eng nei Posch hunn? Have you noticed that I have a new bag?
Hoffentlech hunn d’Noperen näischt matkritt. Hopefully, the neighbours didn’t overhear anything.
Hues du eppes vum Film matkritt? Did you understand anything about the movie?
Listen to this lesson on the “Luxembourgish with Anne podcast” via iTunes.
Use Kréien To Express The Passive Voice
One way to form the passive voice in Luxembourgish is by combining the verb kréien with the past participle of the verb you are making passive. To conjugate the verb forms in the passive voice, you use kréien in its various tenses: present, simple past, present perfect.
Examples:
Meng Duechter kritt muer d’Hoer geschnidden. My daughter will get her hair cut tomorrow.
Muer kréien ech endlech mäin Auto gefléckt. I finally will get my car repaired tomorrow.
Mir hunn d’Fassad frësch gemaach kritt. Our facade has been refurbished.
Ech krut gëschter mäin Handy geklaut. My mobile phone has been stolen yesterday.
In these examples kréien means to get, to be but it is used to express the passive voice: when you get something done by someone else.
A passive voice sentence may or may not include the “agent” – by whom something was done. Then it is expressed in Luxembourgish with a vun-phrase. The preposition vun is always dative case: vum Anna (by Anna) or vun mir (by me).
Ech hunn d’Hoer (vum Coiffer) geschnidde kritt. I ‘ve got the hair cut by the hairdresser.
Use Kréien to express the future
In the sense of to get something or that you will get something.
Examples:
Ech mengen, ech kréien d’ Gripp. I think, I will get the flu.
Ech kréie muer 30 Joer. I’ll get 30 years old tomorrow.
D’nächst Woch kréie mir eisen neien Auto. Next week, we will get our new car.
A Luxembourgish Expression With Kréien
Learn this typical Luxembourgish expression: de Mond net zoukréien which is used when someone speaks all the time or too much.
Example:
Mäi Jong kritt doheem de Mond einfach net zou. My son can’t stop talking at home.
I hope, that this lesson was helpful. If you have any questions or suggestions just leave me a comment.
