Today, we’re moving on to the next chapter of life: starting a family.
In episode 96, part 3 of the series Talk About Your Life in Luxembourgish, we talked about marriage. Remember how to say: “We got married in England in 2022”? That’s: Mir hunn eis 2022 an England bestuet.
If you haven’t listened to that episode yet, I recommend checking it out before continuing with this one.
Today, we’ll focus on starting a family — for example, “e Puppelche kréien” (having a baby) or how to say you’re pregnant in simple, natural Luxembourgish. You’ll learn phrases you can actually use when talking about your own life or asking questions in conversation.
Are you ready to dive into part 4 of Talk About Your Life in Luxembourgish and keep building your skills, step by step, moment by moment, so you can tell your story with confidence?
E Puppelche kréien - to have a baby
Let’s talk about having babies and start to learn how to say a baby in Luxembourgish. Actually we have 2 words and the one most native speakers use is Puppelchen, e Puppelchen because it’s a masculine noun. Or you can say e Bëbee.
Now in English you say to have a baby and in Luxembourgish we use the verb kréien so e Puppelchen kréien or e Bëbee kréien. Literally this means to get a baby.
Beispiller – Examples
- Meng Frëndin d’Lucy kritt e Puppelchen / Bëbee – My friend Lucy is having a baby.
- Eis Noperen kréie geschwënn e Puppelchen – Our neighbours are having a baby soon
So you can use it for a couple as well: mir kréien am Mee e Puppelchen.
Nos let’s learn the word for pregnant – so when a woman is pregnant we say Hatt ass schwanger. Schwanger is an adjective meaning pregnant. Zum Beispill: meng Schwëster ass schwanger.
But you can also say e Kand erwaarden – meaning to expect a child. Erwaarden meaning to expect. Meng Schwëster erwaart e Kand.
How to use this in a conversation?
So you meet someone and you want to ask them some questions. And I recommend that you let them tell you they are pregnant. I don’t think it’s a good idea to say: Sidd Dir schwanger? Because if they are not it’s embarrassing. So once the woman says:
Ech si schwanger or Ech erwaarden e Kand or Ech kréie geschwënn e Bëbee
You can ask them the following questions:
- Oh, fir wéini ass et? Oh, when is the baby due?
- Am wivillte Mount bass du? How far along are you? Literally: In which month are you?
- Weess de schonn, ob et e Meedchen oder e Jong gëtt? Do you know yet if it’s a boy or a girl?
Here is a little conversation between 2 friends:
A: Salut Sarah, wéi geet et?
B: Et geet. An dir?
A: Mir geet et ganz gutt. An? Wat gëtt et Neits? – I’m very fine. And? What’s new?
B: Majo ech erwaarden e Puppelchen. – Well I’m expecting a child.
A: Oh, wat eng flott Noriicht. Fir wéini ass et dann? Oh,what good news. When is the baby due?
B: Den Dokter sot et wier fir Enn Juli. – The doctor said it is due at the end of July.
A: An gëtt et e Meedchen oder e Jong? – Is it a girl or a boy?
B: Et ass nach ze fréi fir dat ze soen. Ech si réischt am 3. Mount. That’s too early to say. I’m only in my 3rd month.
Hutt dir Kanner? - Do
Let’s now talk after the pregnancy, so when you have children. And the Luxembourgish word for children is Kanner and it is the plural form of Kand – e Kand (neutral noun). To say I have a child you’ll say
- Ech hunn e Kand or if you want to stress that you have one child you’ll say
- Ech hunn ee Kand – “ee(n)” meaning one whereas “e(n)” Kand is a child.
Or if you want to be more precise you can say:
- Ech hunn ee Kand, an zwar e Meedchen – I have one child, namely a girl. Or just:
- Ech hunn ee Meedchen or Ech hunn ee Jong – I have one boy.
How to use this in a conversation?
When you are in a conversation with someone you won’t ask them do you have a child but rather Do you have children?
How would you ask me this question in a formal conversation?
- Hutt Dir Kanner? – Do you have children? (formal)
- Hues du Kanner? – Do you have children? (informal)
Let’s practice with a little conversation in an informal situation:
A: Wou wunns du? – Where do you live?
B: Ech wunne mat menger Famill an der Stad, zu Gasperech. An du? – I live with my family in the city, namely in Gasperich. And you?
A: Mäi Mann an ech wunnen och an der Stad awer um Kierchbierg. – My husband and I are also living in the city but in Kirchberg.
B: Hues du Kanner? – Do you have children?
A: Jo, mir hunn e Meedchen. Hatt heescht Nathalie. An du? – Yes, we have a daughter. She is called Nathalie. And you?
B: Jo, ech hunn dräi Kanner, an zwar zwee Meedercher an ee Jong. – Yes, I have 3 children, namely 2 girls and one boy.
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Wrap Up
Do you remember the 2 words for a baby:
- E Puppelchen, e Bëbee
To have a baby:
- E Puppelchen / e Bëbee kréien
To be pregnant is:
- Schwanger sinn or e Kand erwaarden
How would you say: my wife is pregnant?
- Meng Fra ass schwanger – Meng Fra erwaart
When is the baby due?
- Fir wéini ass et?
Do you know yet if it’s a boy or a girl?
- Weess du schonn, ob et e Jong oder e Meedche gëtt?
How to ask someone formally: Do you have children?
- Hutt Dir Kanner?
Next you learned how to answer this: Yes, I have one child, a girl. She is called Sara.
- Jo, ech hunn ee Kand, e Meedchen. Hatt heescht Sara.
- Hutt Dir Kanner? – Do you have children? (formal)
- Hues du Kanner? – Do you have children? (informal)
Let’s practice with a little conversation in an informal situation:
A: Wou wunns du? – Where do you live?
B: Ech wunne mat menger Famill an der Stad, zu Gasperech. An du? – I live with my family in the city, namely in Gasperich. And you?
A: Mäi Mann an ech wunnen och an der Stad awer um Kierchbierg. – My husband and I are also living in the city but in Kirchberg.
B: Hues du Kanner? – Do you have children?
A: Jo, mir hunn e Meedchen. Hatt heescht Nathalie. An du? – Yes, we have a daughter. She is called Nathalie. And you?
B: Jo, ech hunn dräi Kanner, an zwar zwee Meedercher an ee Jong. – Yes, I have 3 children, namely 2 girls and one boy.
