Informal Short Forms: 't and z'

Level 4

In chats and informal texts, et may be written 't and ze may be written z': 't ass waarm. In standard writing, write et and ze in full. The one fixed exception is z'iessen.

How It Works

1. Standard writing
In letters, school work and official texts, write et and ze in full, even when you do not pronounce the e:

  • Et ass kal. (It is cold.)
  • Et ass vill ze entdecken. (There is a lot to discover.)
  • Hie brauch net ze iwwerleeën. (He does not need to think it over.)

2. The fixed form z'iessen
There is one exception, used in all texts: z'iessen (to eat, something to eat):

  • Et gëtt z'iessen an ze drénken. (There is food and drink.)
  • Dat ass net fir z'iessen. (That is not for eating.)

3. Informal writing
In informal texts, such as messages, you may leave out the e of et and ze and write an apostrophe instead:

  • 't ass waarm. 't geet eis gutt. 't ass vill z'entdecken.

When 't starts a sentence, the apostrophe counts as the first letter, so the t stays small: 't ass kal.

4. Ze inside a verb
When ze stands inside a separable verb, it is always written in full, with no apostrophe: matzeiessen, erëmzeerzielen.

5. Other short forms
Do not confuse this with words like elo/lo or esou/sou, whose short forms have no apostrophe (see short forms without e).

Examples (6)

  1. Et gëtt z'iessen an ze drénken.

    There is food and drink.

    z'iessen is the fixed short form; ze drénken stays in full.

  2. Dat ass net fir z'iessen.

    That is not for eating.

  3. 't ass waarm haut.

    It is warm today.

    Informal writing only. Standard: Et ass waarm haut.

  4. 't geet eis gutt.

    We are doing well.

    Informal writing only. Standard: Et geet eis gutt.

  5. Et ass vill ze entdecken.

    There is a lot to discover.

    Standard writing keeps ze in full. Informal: 't ass vill z'entdecken.

  6. Hie brauch net ze iwwerleeën.

    He does not need to think it over.

    ze stays in full before a vowel, too.

Common Mistakes

  • Writing ze iessen instead of the fixed form.

    Mir hunn näischt méi ze iessen.
    Mir hunn näischt méi z'iessen.

    Ze iessen is always written z'iessen, in standard and informal texts alike.

  • Capitalizing the t after the apostrophe.

    'T ass kal.
    't ass kal.

    The apostrophe counts as the first letter of the sentence, so the t stays small.

  • Shortening ze inside a separable verb.

    De Plastik vun der Pizza ass net fir matz'iessen.
    De Plastik vun der Pizza ass net fir matzeiessen.

    When ze stands inside a verb, it is always written in full.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Informal Short Forms: 't and z'Level 4

Learn This First

Before Informal Short Forms: 't and z', learn The Infinitive With Ze and Short Unstressed Pronouns.

Words in This Pattern

ze