Everyday French Words

Level 2

French words are part of daily life: merci, pardon, de Coiffeur, d'Vakanz. Some keep the French spelling, and others are written the Luxembourgish way: Pompjee, Billjee.

How It Works

French is one of Luxembourg's official languages and is heard every day in shops, offices and on signs. Many French words have become part of everyday Luxembourgish.

Common words.

  • merci (thank you), pardon (sorry, excuse me)
  • de Coiffeur (hairdresser), de Chauffeur (driver)
  • d'Vakanz (holidays), d'Gare (railway station)
  • den Trottoir (pavement), de Camion (lorry)

Two ways to spell them. Many keep their French spelling: Coiffeur, Trottoir, Rendez-vous. Others are written the way they sound in Luxembourgish:

  • pompier → de Pompjee (firefighter)
  • caissier → de Keessjee (cashier)
  • billet → de Billjee (ticket)
  • porte-monnaie → de Portmonni (wallet)
  • vélo → de Vëlo (bicycle)

Some words are accepted in both spellings, such as Chauffeur and Chauffer, or Cadeau and Kaddo. The Lëtzebuerger Online Dictionnaire shows which spellings are standard; see one official spelling.

Luxembourgish grammar. Once a French word is used in Luxembourgish, it follows Luxembourgish rules:

  • Nouns are capitalized: de Coiffeur. See noun capitalization.
  • The gender can differ from French: d'Fotell (armchair) is feminine, while French le fauteuil is masculine.
  • The plural usually ends in -en, not -s, and follows the n-rule: zwee Croissanten, but zwee Croissante mat Botter. Words ending in ee add -ën, and the ë stays when the n drops: d'Pompjeeën, but d'Pompjeeë si komm. Words with a silent last letter show ë only when the n drops; see the trema in loanword plurals.

Merci and pardon. Used on their own, they are written in small letters inside a sentence: Jo, merci! At the start of a sentence they are capitalized like any first word: Merci villmools! See merci and wannechgelift.

Examples (6)

  1. Merci villmools!

    Thank you very much!

  2. Pardon, ass dee Stull nach fräi?

    Excuse me, is this chair free?

  3. Ech ginn haut bei de Coiffeur.

    I'm going to the hairdresser's today.

    Coiffeur keeps its French spelling, with a capital letter.

  4. An zwou Wochen ass endlech Vakanz!

    In two weeks it's finally the holidays!

    Vakanz comes from French vacances and is feminine.

  5. D'Pompjeeë si séier komm.

    The firefighters came quickly.

    Pompjee is respelled from pompier. The plural Pompjeeën loses its n before s.

  6. Ech hu mäi Portmonni vergiess.

    I forgot my wallet.

    Portmonni is respelled from porte-monnaie.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the French plural -s.

    Ech hätt gär zwee Croissants.
    Ech hätt gär zwee Croissanten.

    Borrowed nouns take a Luxembourgish plural, usually -en.

  • Writing a borrowed noun in small letters.

    Ech ginn haut bei de coiffeur.
    Ech ginn haut bei de Coiffeur.

    All nouns are capitalized in Luxembourgish, including words from French.

  • Taking the gender from French.

    Hie sëtzt am Fotell.
    Hie sëtzt an der Fotell.

    Fotell is feminine in Luxembourgish, so the dative is an der. Am is for masculine and neuter nouns.

How It Connects

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Everyday French WordsLevel 2

Learn This First

Before Everyday French Words, learn Nouns Are Capitalized.

Words in This Pattern

pardonVakanzKeessjeeCoiffer