Tips for learning irregular verbs in Luxembourgish

IN Learning Tips, Verbs

Did you know that between 60% and 70% of the time when we use a verb in Luxembourgish, it is an irregular one? That means that learning and using correctly irregular verbs is essential for learning Luxembourgish!

Luxembourgish has so many irregular verbs that it can make you go crazy… but even irregular verbs follow some patterns. In this lesson, you’ll learn “series” of irregular verbs and their conjugation that can make it easier to memorize them.

Learn the basics (the conjugation of regular, irregular & modal verbs) of the Luxembourgish verbs!

Irregular Verbs in Luxembourgish

The conjugation of irregular verbs follows a predictable pattern: only the 2. person singular (du) and 3. person singular (hien, hatt, si) change their stem. That is, the verb changes its stem vowel, but the endings are the same as for any other regular verb in the present tense.

Let’s take for example the conjugation of the verb maachen (to make / to do):

ech	maachen
du	méchs
hien/hatt	mécht
si	mécht
mir	maachen
dir	maacht
si	maachen

1. Series – vowel change → ë

a (short) & ie – ue → ë

schwammen (to swim), fannen (to find), klammen (to climb), gewannen (to win), verschwannen (to disappear)

iessen (to eat), vergiessen (to forget), huelen (to take) –

These verbs always follow the same pattern:

ech	schwammen / huelen
du	schwëmms / hëls
hien/hatt	schwëmmt / hëlt
si	schwëmmt / hëlt
mir	schwammen / huelen
dir	schwammt / huelt
si	schwammen / huelen

2. Series – vowel change → ee

a / o long→ ee

lafen (to run), kafen (to buy), akafen (to go shopping), oprafen (to pick up from the floor)

froen (to ask), soen (to say), undoen (to put on / to wear)

ech	lafen / soen
du	leefs / sees
hien/hatt	leeft / seet
si	leeft / seet
mir	lafen / soen
dir	laaft / sot
si	lafen / soen

3. Series – vowel change → ä

a → ä

falen (to fall), halen (to hold), gefalen (to like / to please)

ech	falen
du	fäls
hien/hatt	fält
si	fält
mir	falen
dir	faalt
si	falen

Remember that in Luxembourgish we can change the meaning of a verb by adding a separable particle. For example we can have for halen & falen the following verbs:

ophalen (to stop) – ofhalen (to hold) – aushalen (to support, to endure) – anhalen (to keep to, to repsect) asw…

opfalen (to catch one’s eye) – eroffalen (to fall down) – ausfalen (to fall out, to be cancelled) – virfalen (to occur)

4. Series – vowel change → éi

o long→ éi

droen (to carry), schlofen (to sleep), loossen (to let/to leave), roden (to advise), blosen (to blow)

ech	schlofen
du	schléifs
hien/hatt	schléift
si	schléift
mir	schlofen
dir	schlooft
si	schlofen

5. Series – Sepcial Verbs:

éi → i

The 5 following verbs (which are used on a daily basis in conversations) follow a special pattern. Learn them separately.

kréien (to get); and

fléien(to fly), geschéien (to happen), léien (to lie), zéien (to pull)

ech	kréien / fléien
du	kriss / flitts
hien/hatt	kritt / flitt
si	kritt / flitt
mir	kréien / fléien
dir	kritt / flitt
si	kréien / fléien

fueren (to drive / to go)

ech	fueren
du	fiers
hien/hatt	fiert
si	fiert
mir	fueren
dir	fuert
si	fueren

kommen (to come / arrive)

ech	kommen
du	kënns
hien/hatt	kënnt
si	kënnt
mir	kommen
dir	kommt
si	kommen

These 3 verbs are completely irregular!! If you know how to conjugate the verb goen, you will remember easier how to conjugate verstoen:-))

goen (to go/ to walk) – verstoen (to understand) – stoen (to stand / to be situated)

ech	ginn
du	gees
hien/hatt	geet
si	geet
mir	ginn
dir	gitt
si	ginn

This is of course, not an exhaustive list. I just would like that you learn the verbs that are used in every day conversations and that are useful for you in everyday conversations, dear learner.