och / nach / schonn
Also, Still and Already: Och, Nach, Schonn
och = also, too · nach = still, another · schonn = already: Ech kommen och. Hien ass nach hei. Mir hu scho giess.
How It Works
Och – also, too
- Gees du och mat an de Kino? (Are you coming to the cinema too?)
- Ech si midd. – Ech och. (I am tired. – Me too.)
- Ech och net. (Me neither.) – och comes before net.
Och can also mean even: och dee gescheitste Mënsch (even the cleverest person).
Nach – still, more, another
- Hien ass nach hei. (He is still here.) Nach ëmmer is a stronger still.
- Wëlls du nach e Kaffi? (Would you like another coffee?)
- Soss nach eppes? (Anything else?)
With net, nach means not yet: see net méi and nach net.
Schonn – already
- Et ass schonn dräi Auer! (It is already three o’clock!)
- Mir hu scho giess. (We have already eaten.)
By the n-rule, schonn becomes scho before most consonants and keeps its n before a vowel and before d, h, n, t and z.
Yet in questions
English Have you eaten yet? uses schonn in Luxembourgish, not nach: Hues du scho giess?
Opposites
schonn (already) is the opposite of nach net (not yet), and nach (still) is the opposite of net méi (no longer). In relaxed speech, alt schonn means already, without waiting (see alt (particle)).
Examples (6)
- Gees du och mat an de Kino?
Are you coming to the cinema too?
Word by Word: Go you also with into the cinema?
- Ech si midd. – Ech och.
I am tired. – Me too.
Word by Word: I am tired. – I also.
- Hien ass nach hei.
He is still here.
Hien keeps its n before the vowel of ass.
- Wëlls du nach e Kaffi?
Would you like another coffee?
Word by Word: Want you still a coffee?
Nach before a noun means one more.
- Mir hu scho giess.
We have already eaten.
Word by Word: We have already eaten.
Hunn and schonn both lose their n before a consonant.
- Et ass schonn dräi Auer!
It is already three o’clock!
Schonn keeps its n before d.
Common Mistakes
Putting net before och.
Ech net och.Ech och net.For me neither, och comes first and net after it: Ech och net.
Keeping the n of schonn and hunn before a consonant.
Mir hunn schonn giess.Mir hu scho giess.By the n-rule, both hunn and schonn drop their n before the g of giess.
Translating yet in a question with nach.
Hues du nach giess? (meant: Have you eaten yet?)Hues du scho giess?In a question, English yet is schonn. Hues du nach giess? asks whether you still managed to eat before something else, not whether you have eaten yet.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Before Also, Still and Already: Och, Nach, Schonn, learn Negation With Net.
Related Patterns
- net méi / nach netNo Longer and Not Yet
Nach net (not yet) and net méi (no longer) are the negative partners of schonn and nach.
Level 2 - ze + AdjectiveToo: Ze + Adjective
Ze means too in the sense of excessively, which och never does.
Level 2 - The N-Rule (Eifeler Regel)
Schonn becomes scho before most consonants.
Level 1 - ëmmer / dacks / heiansdo / niHow Often: Ëmmer, Dacks, Heiansdo, Ni
Nach ëmmer means still, and ëmmer is always.
Level 2 - The Particle alt
Alt schonn is an everyday way to say already, without waiting.
Level 6
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice och / nach / schonn in Bubblegum
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