The easiest way to learn Luxembourgish is to start with greetings, then read and listen to short, easy Luxembourgish about things you already like, checking the translation when you need it. Leave grammar tables and long word lists for later, because easy Luxembourgish keeps showing you the most common words and patterns. Below are the first steps in order, and some easy Luxembourgish to start with.
Is Luxembourgish Easy to Learn?
Luxembourgish is easy to start for English speakers, and its words, sounds and grammar take longer to learn well. Luxembourgish is not on the U.S. Foreign Service Institute's list. Luxembourg's official website says it is closely related to the German dialects spoken along the Rhine, and FSI puts German in its second group, which takes longer than Spanish and less time than Russian. Our guide to the fastest way shows how long it takes.
Three things make the start easier than it looks.
- An Alphabet You Already KnowLuxembourgish uses the same letters as English, plus three letters with marks: é, ä and ë.
- Words You Already KnowMany Luxembourgish words look like English ones, such as Haus (house) and Waasser (water).
- Luxembourgish You Already HearIf you live in Luxembourg or visit it, you have probably heard Moien (hello) and Äddi (goodbye) in shops and cafes.
What Is the Easiest Way to Start?
The easiest way to start is with greetings and other short Luxembourgish you enjoy, one small step at a time.
- Start With GreetingsBegin with lines you can use right away, like Wéi geet et? (How are you?) and Merci (thank you).
- Read About What You LoveRead short dialogues about food, music, or anything else you already enjoy.
- Listen While You ReadPlay the audio as you read, so each word's sound and spelling go together.
- Hide the TranslationKeep the English hidden, and check it only when a line stops you.
- Save a Few WordsSave only the few words you want to keep from each lesson.
- Say a Line Out LoudRead a line aloud whenever it feels fun, like a question you want to ask your neighbors.
Bubblegum is a language app for reading and listening to Luxembourgish at your level, with lessons that Poppy, its AI tutor, writes about the things you like. Words you save come back inside new lessons through Regenerative Review™, so reviewing them means reading more Luxembourgish.
What Makes Luxembourgish Feel Hard, and How Can You Make It Easier?
Four parts of Luxembourgish feel hard at first, and each one gets easier when you meet it again and again in easy Luxembourgish.
| What feels hard | The easy fix |
|---|---|
| Three genders | Each noun is masculine, feminine or neuter, and that changes the word for "the", as in de Mann (the man) and d'Fra (the woman). Easy reading shows each noun with its word for "the" many times, so you learn the two together. |
| Words that drop an n | A final n drops before many consonants, so the word for "the" is den in den Hond (the dog) and de in de Ball (the ball). Easy reading shows both forms so often that they soon look normal. |
| Conversations that switch languages | Many people in Luxembourg also speak French, English or German, according to STATEC, the national statistics office, so a chat can change language quickly. Tell people you're learning, and practice with a tutor or a Tandem partner who stays in Luxembourgish. |
| Fast speech on the radio | Listen to slow, clear audio made for learners first. Words you already know are much easier to catch in fast speech. |
What Is Easy Luxembourgish to Start With?
Easy Luxembourgish to start with is short and slow, and it is about something you enjoy. Luxembourgish you can mostly understand is called comprehensible input.
| What | Why it's easy | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Luxembourgish with Anne | Short word lessons and real-life conversations start at A1, the first level. | Apple Podcasts |
| Poterkëscht | The language institute's podcast for beginners shows the level in most episode titles, and most episodes come with a transcript. | inll.lu |
| LLO.LU | The free course from Luxembourg's language institute has exercises and a level test. | llo.lu |
| News in Slow Luxembourgish | A teacher from Luxembourg made this news podcast in slow Luxembourgish, for when you know some words. | newsinslowluxembourgish.com |
If a new word shows up in almost every line, switch to something easier.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to know German or French before I learn Luxembourgish?
No. You can start in Luxembourgish from your first lesson, and LOD.lu, the official dictionary, gives each word's meaning in English. German or French helps you spot many words, such as Awuer (goodbye), which comes from the French au revoir.
Can I learn Luxembourgish just by watching TV?
Not at the start, because most of a show goes by too fast for a beginner to learn from. Shows help more once you can follow a simple conversation. RTL Play streams De Journal, RTL's evening news, with French subtitles, and Language Reactor lists the series Capitani on Netflix with Luxembourgish subtitles.
Which Luxembourgish app should a beginner choose?
If you are serious about learning Luxembourgish, start with Bubblegum. Poppy writes lessons at your level about things you like. For courses, tutors and speaking practice, see our comparison of Luxembourgish apps.
Is Bubblegum free?
Yes. The lesson library is free for everyone, because we believe everyone should be able to learn. It holds lessons that other learners asked Poppy for. A new custom lesson costs us real money to make, so your first one is free, and Bubblegum Pro gives you unlimited custom lessons.
Sources
- U.S. Department of State, Foreign Language Training (FSI language categories)
- Luxembourg.lu: Luxembourgish, language history (closely related to the Rhenish dialects of German; Awuer from the French au revoir)
- Wikipedia: Luxembourgish (the letters é, ä and ë; three genders; de Mann and d'Fra)
- Wikipedia: Eifeler Regel (final n-deletion in Luxembourgish, den Hond and de Ball)
- STATEC: Linguistic diversity, 2021 census
- LOD.lu, the Luxembourgish online dictionary (Moien, Äddi, Haus, Waasser)
- Apple Podcasts: Luxembourgish with Anne PODCAST
- Institut national des langues Luxembourg: Poterkëscht, the podcast in Luxembourgish from the INLL
- LLO: Léier Lëtzebuergesch Online (free course)
- News in Slow Luxembourgish
- Language Reactor, Netflix titles with Luxembourgish subtitles
