Adjective Stem Changes

Level 3

Adding an ending can change how an adjective is spelled: al → den ale Mann, en aalt Haus; gutt → e gudde Film.

How It Works

1. Long vowels: one letter or two
In the official spelling, a long a, i, o or u is written once at the end of a word or before one consonant, and twice before two or more consonants. See Long and Short Vowels. So an adjective with a long vowel doubles it when the neuter -t is added:

  • al: den ale Mann, déi al Fra, en aalt Haus
  • kal: e kale Wand, eng kal Dusch, kaalt Waasser
  • aktiv: en aktive Mënsch, en aktiivt Liewen

The sound of the vowel does not change. Only the spelling shows that it is still long.

2. Hard sounds that soften
At the end of a word, you hear a hard t or f. When an ending follows, the sound becomes d or w, and the spelling changes with it:

  • t → d: gutt → e gudde Film; rout → e roude Ballon; breet → e breede Wee; haart → en haarde Kéis
  • f → w: léif → mäi léiwe Jong; déif → am déiwe Bësch

The same change happens in verbs, the other way round: schreiwen, but du schreifs. See W Becomes F.

3. Neuter -t after t
An adjective that already ends in t does not add another t in the neuter: e gutt Iessen, e rout Kleed. But léif and déif do add it: e léift Kand, en déift Lach. See Adjective Endings: Neuter -t.

4. Where to check
The Lëtzebuerger Online Dictionnaire (lod.lu) shows every form of an adjective in its inflection table. When an adjective ends in t or f, or has a long vowel before one consonant, check it there.

Examples (6)

  1. Den ale Mann sëtzt op der Bänk.

    The old man is sitting on the bench.

    Alen loses its n before M. One a, because only one consonant follows.

  2. Dat ass en aalt Haus.

    That's an old house.

    Before -lt the long a is written aa.

  3. Ech drénke gär kaalt Waasser.

    I like drinking cold water.

    Kal becomes kaalt with the neuter -t.

  4. Dat ass e gudde Film.

    That's a good film.

    Gutt becomes gudd- before an ending. Gudden loses its n before F.

  5. Mäi léiwe Jong!

    My dear boy!

    Léif becomes léiw- before an ending.

  6. D'Hex wunnt am déiwe Bësch.

    The witch lives in the deep forest.

    Déif becomes déiw- before an ending.

Common Mistakes

  • Writing one a before two consonants.

    Dat ass en alt Haus.
    Dat ass en aalt Haus.

    With the neuter -t, two consonants follow the long vowel, so it must be written aa.

  • Writing a double vowel before one consonant.

    Den aale Mann sëtzt op der Bänk.
    Den ale Mann sëtzt op der Bänk.

    Before a single consonant followed by a vowel, the long a is written once: ale.

  • Keeping the hard t before an ending.

    Dat ass e gutte Film.
    Dat ass e gudde Film.

    Before an ending, gutt is spelled gudd-, because the sound becomes d.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Adjective Stem ChangesLevel 3

Learn This First

Before Adjective Stem Changes, learn Adjective Endings: Masculine -en and Long and Short Vowels.