ëmmer / dacks / heiansdo / ni
How Often: Ëmmer, Dacks, Heiansdo, Ni
From most to least often: ëmmer (always), meeschtens (usually), dacks (often), heiansdo (sometimes), ni (never).
How It Works
The words.
- ëmmer: always. Hie kënnt ëmmer ze spéit.
- meeschtens: usually, most of the time. Ech huele meeschtens de Bus.
- dacks: often. Et reent dacks am Hierscht. You will also hear oft.
- heiansdo: sometimes. Mir ginn heiansdo an de Kino.
- ni: never. Ech sinn ni krank.
Where they go. The verb comes second, and the frequency word follows it. A pronoun comes before it: Ech gesinn hien dacks. (I see him often.) In the perfect, it comes before the participle at the end: Ech hunn hien nach ni gesinn. (I have never seen him.) See the verb comes second.
Starting with one. You can put the word first for emphasis. The verb stays second, so the subject moves after it: Heiansdo gi mir an de Kino. Dacks reent et hei. See putting something else first.
Ni and net. Ni already means not ever, so it takes the place of net: Ech drénken ni Kaffi. Nach ni means never yet, never before.
Useful combinations. Nach ëmmer means still: Hien ass nach ëmmer do. Ëmmer méi means more and more. Wéi dacks? asks how often: Wéi dacks gees du schwammen?
Examples (6)
- Hie kënnt ëmmer ze spéit.
He always comes too late.
- Ech sinn ni krank.
I am never ill.
- Mir ginn heiansdo an de Kino.
We sometimes go to the cinema.
Heiansdo comes right after the verb.
- Et reent dacks am Hierscht.
It often rains in autumn.
- Heiansdo drénken ech e Kaffi mat Mëllech.
Sometimes I drink a coffee with milk.
Heiansdo comes first, so the verb comes next and ech follows it.
- Ech hunn hien nach ni gesinn.
I have never seen him.
In the perfect, ni comes before the participle at the end.
Common Mistakes
Keeping the subject before the verb after a frequency word.
Heiansdo mir ginn an de Kino.Heiansdo gi mir an de Kino.The verb must stay in second place, so the subject moves after it. Ginn becomes gi before mir by the n-rule.
Putting the frequency word before the verb.
Ech ni drénke Kaffi.Ech drénken ni Kaffi.The conjugated verb comes second, right after the subject. The frequency word follows it.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Before How Often: Ëmmer, Dacks, Heiansdo, Ni, learn Also, Still and Already: Och, Nach, Schonn.
Related Patterns
- The Verb Comes Second
The verb stays in second place, which decides where these words go.
Level 1 - Putting Something Else First
Heiansdo gi mir ...: a frequency word can come first.
Level 3 - netNegation with Net
Ni replaces net when you mean never.
Level 1 - ëmmer méiMore and More: Ëmmer Méi
Ëmmer méi means more and more.
Level 4 - net méi / nach netNo Longer and Not Yet
Net méi (no longer) and nach net (not yet) are other time words used with a verb.
Level 2
Words in This Pattern
Practice ëmmer / dacks / heiansdo / ni in Bubblegum
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