Amounts Without Of
No of: e Liter Mëllech (a litre of milk), eng Taass Kaffi (a cup of coffee), e Stéck Kuch (a piece of cake).
How It Works
Measure word + noun
Luxembourgish, like German, needs no word for of here:
- e Liter Mëllech – a litre of milk
- e Kilo Miel – a kilo of flour
- eng Taass Kaffi – a cup of coffee
- eng Fläsch Wäin – a bottle of wine
- e Glas Waasser – a glass of water
- e Stéck Kuch – a piece of cake
Which article?
The article matches the measure word, not the drink or food: Fläsch is feminine, so it is eng Fläsch Waasser, even though Waasser is neuter. Liter and Kilo are masculine and Stéck and Glas are neuter, so they take en, which becomes e before most consonants (see en/eng and noun gender).
After a number
Units such as Liter, Kilo and Glas usually stay singular after a number: zwee Liter Waasser, véier Kilo (see measure nouns after numbers). Containers such as Fläsch and Taass take their plural: zwou Fläsche Wäin, zwou Tasen.
When vun is needed
If the second noun has its own article, a possessive or a demonstrative, link the two with vun: e Stéck vu mengem Apel (a piece of my apple), e Véierel vun der Taart (a quarter of the cake). A plain amount never takes vun.
Ordering
This pattern is perfect with ech hätt gär: Ech hätt gär e Stéck Kuch. The same no-of rule applies after vill, e bëssen and e puer.
Examples (6)
- Bréng nach e Liter Mëllech aus dem Buttek mat!
Bring another litre of milk back from the shop!
Word by Word: Bring still a litre milk out of the shop with!
Matbréngen is separable, so mat goes to the end.
- Däerf ech Iech eng Taass Kaffi ubidden?
May I offer you a cup of coffee?
Word by Word: May I you a cup coffee offer?
Taass is feminine, so the article is eng.
- Ech hätt gär e Stéck Kuch.
I would like a piece of cake.
Word by Word: I would have gladly a piece cake.
- D’Noperen hunn eis eng Fläsch Wäin matbruecht.
The neighbours brought us a bottle of wine.
Word by Word: The neighbours have us a bottle wine brought.
- Ech drénken all Dag zwee Liter Waasser.
I drink two litres of water every day.
Word by Word: I drink every day two litre water.
Liter stays singular after the number.
- An der Dier vum Frigo stinn zwou Fläsche Wäin.
There are two bottles of wine in the fridge door.
Word by Word: In the door of the fridge stand two bottles wine.
Fläsch takes its plural Fläschen, which becomes Fläsche before the w of Wäin.
Common Mistakes
Adding vun as a word for of.
Ech hätt gär eng Taass vu Kaffi.Ech hätt gär eng Taass Kaffi.After a plain amount the noun follows directly. Vun is used only when the second noun has its own article or possessive.
Choosing the article by the drink instead of the container.
Ech hätt gär e Fläsch Waasser.Ech hätt gär eng Fläsch Waasser.The article belongs to Fläsch, which is feminine, so it must be eng. The gender of Waasser does not matter here.
Using vun after vill.
Hei si vill vu Leit.Hei si vill Leit.Vill, e puer and e bëssen work like measure words: the noun follows directly, without vun.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Before Amounts Without Of, learn Quantities: Vill, E Bëssen and E Puer.
Related Patterns
- Measure Words After Numbers
After a number, units such as Liter and Kilo usually stay singular.
Level 2 - en / engIndefinite Article: En and Eng
The article of the measure word follows its own gender: e Liter, eng Taass.
Level 1 - Three Noun Genders
Knowing the gender of Taass, Fläsch or Stéck tells you which article to use.
Level 1 - ech hätt gärI Would Like: Ech Hätt Gär
Ordering in a café combines ech hätt gär with a measure phrase.
Level 1 - Halves, Quarters and Thirds
E Véierel vun der Taart shows when vun is needed before a noun with an article.
Level 3
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Practice Amounts Without Of in Bubblegum
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