English Loanwords

Level 4

Many English words are used in Luxembourgish with their English spelling: de Weekend, de Computer, cool, online. But they follow Luxembourgish grammar: nouns get a capital letter, a gender and usually a Luxembourgish plural: d'Weekender, d'Computeren.

How It Works

1. Spelling
English words usually keep their original spelling. Nouns get a capital letter like all nouns:

  • de Weekend, de Computer, de Laptop, de Job
  • but adjectives stay small: cool, online, busy

2. Gender
Every noun needs a gender. Many English loanwords are masculine: de Weekend, de Computer, den Handy, de Meeting. Some are not: d'Party is feminine, and d'E-Mail is used as masculine or feminine. Learn each word with its article.

3. Plural
Most take a Luxembourgish ending, -en or -er:

  • Weekend – Weekender, Computer – Computeren, Handy – Handyen
  • After a short stressed vowel, the last consonant doubles: Job – Jobben, Shop – Shoppen, Fan – Fannen
  • For some words, the English -s plural is also accepted: vill Jobs, vill Fans, vill Hits

A plural in -en follows the n-rule: zwee Computeren, but zwee Computere kaaft. When the plural would then look like the singular, the e gets a trema: Likë kréien. See trema on loanword plurals.

4. Adjectives and verbs
They take Luxembourgish endings:

  • e coolt Motorrad, like any neuter adjective (adjective endings neuter -t)
  • liken (to like a post): du likes, ech hunn et geliket or geliked
  • downloaden: ech hunn et gedownloat

5. Compounds
Compound nouns are written as one word: Smalltalk, Weekendhaischen (or Weekend-Haischen).

French words work in a similar way; see French loanwords.

Examples (6)

  1. Wat méchs du de Weekend?

    What are you doing at the weekend?

  2. Wou ass mäin Handy?

    Where is my mobile phone?

    Handy is masculine, so the possessive is mäin.

  3. Mir hunn zwee nei Computeren am Büro.

    We have two new computers in the office.

    Computer takes the Luxembourgish plural -en.

  4. Mir waren dräi Weekender hannereneen um Mier.

    We spent three weekends in a row at the seaside.

    Weekend takes the plural -er.

  5. Eisen Noper huet e coolt Motorrad.

    Our neighbour has a cool motorbike.

    Cool takes the neuter ending -t, like any adjective.

  6. Firwat likes de meng Fotoen ni?

    Why do you never like my photos?

    The English verb like takes Luxembourgish endings: du likes.

Common Mistakes

  • Writing an English noun with a small letter.

    Ech hunn en neie laptop.
    Ech hunn en neie Laptop.

    In Luxembourgish every noun is capitalized, including English ones.

  • Forgetting the n-rule on the plural.

    Si huet zwee Handyen kaaft.
    Si huet zwee Handye kaaft.

    The plural ending -en follows the n-rule like any other word. Before k, the n drops.

  • Leaving an English adjective without an ending.

    Eisen Noper huet e cool Motorrad.
    Eisen Noper huet e coolt Motorrad.

    English adjectives take Luxembourgish endings. Motorrad is neuter, so the adjective adds -t.

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English LoanwordsLevel 4

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WeekendComputerHandy