ier
Before: Ier
Ier means before and sends the verb to the end: Mir iessen, ier mer fortfueren. (We eat before we leave.)
How It Works
1. Word order
Ier starts a subordinate clause, so its verb goes to the end. A comma separates the clauses:
- Ech probéieren, doheem ze sinn, ier et däischter gëtt. (I try to be home before it gets dark.)
A separable verb joins up again at the end: ier mer fortfueren. See Separable Verbs Join Up at the End.
2. Ier clause first
If the ier clause comes first, the main clause starts with its verb: Ier mir schlofe ginn, maache mer d'Lueden ëmmer all zou. See Starting With a Subordinate Clause.
3. With du
When du follows ier, an s is added: ier s de kënns, ier s du fortgees. See The S After Conjunctions With Du.
4. Ier, virun or virdrun?
- ier + clause: ier mer iessen (before we eat)
- virun + noun in the dative: virum Iessen (before the meal). See Prepositions With the Dative.
- virdrun on its own: Ech hu virdrun nach giess. (I ate beforehand.)
5. Spelling
The dictionary also lists the variant éier.
Examples (6)
- Mir iessen, ier mer fortfueren.
We eat before we leave.
The separable verb fortfueren is written as one word at the end.
- Ruff mech un, ier s de kënns.
Call me before you come.
An s is added before de (du).
- Ech probéieren, doheem ze sinn, ier et däischter gëtt.
I try to be home before it gets dark.
- Ier mir schlofe ginn, maache mer d'Lueden ëmmer all zou.
Before we go to bed, we always close all the shutters.
The ier clause comes first, so the main clause starts with the verb maache.
- Mäi Papp huet de Kontrakt dräimol duerchgelies, ier en en ënnerschriwwen huet.
My dad read the contract three times before he signed it.
En en means he it: two short unstressed pronouns.
- Wäsch d'Hänn, ier s de ëss!
Wash your hands before you eat!
Common Mistakes
Using the preposition virun to join a clause.
Mir iessen, viru mer fortfueren.Mir iessen, ier mer fortfueren.Virun only goes before a noun (virum Iessen). To join a whole clause, use ier.
Leaving the verb in the middle of the ier clause.
Ech wëll doheem sinn, ier et gëtt däischter.Ech wëll doheem sinn, ier et däischter gëtt.Ier sends its verb to the end of the clause.
Putting the subject first after the ier clause.
Ier ech schlofe ginn, ech liesen e bëssen.Ier ech schlofe ginn, liesen ech e bëssen.The ier clause fills the first place, so the main verb comes right after the comma.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Before Before: Ier, learn The Verb at the End of Subordinate Clauses.
Related Patterns
- nodeemsAfter: Nodeems
The opposite: after.
Level 3 - bisUntil: Bis
Bis (until) is another time conjunction with the verb at the end.
Level 3 - wann s deThe S After Conjunctions with Du
Explains the s in ier s de.
Level 2 - Starting With a Subordinate Clause
Explains the word order when the ier clause comes first.
Level 3 - Prepositions With the Dative
Virun with the dative says before with a noun.
Level 2
Words in This Pattern
Practice ier in Bubblegum
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