et for Weather and Time
It for Weather and Time
Talk about weather and time with et: Et reent. Et ass kal. Et ass spéit.
How It Works
Some things just happen, and nobody does them. Luxembourgish uses et (it) as the subject for these, just like English:
- Weather verbs: Et reent. (It's raining.) Et schneit. (It's snowing.) Et donnert. (It's thundering.)
- Et ass with a weather word: Et ass kal. (It's cold.) Et ass waarm. (It's warm.)
- Time: Et ass spéit. (It's late.) Et ass dräi Auer. (It's three o'clock.) See telling the time.
- Changes, with ginn: Et gëtt däischter. (It's getting dark.)
Et never disappears. Some languages leave out "it" in weather sentences, but Luxembourgish keeps it. When a time word comes first, the verb stays in second place and et comes right after it: Haut reent et. (It's raining today.) In a yes or no question, the verb comes first: Schneit et? (Is it snowing?) See word order basics.
The weather or you? Et ass kal describes the weather or a room. To say that you feel cold, use et ass mer kal.
Et also starts et gëtt (there is), and among the subject pronouns it is the one for neuter nouns. A masculine or feminine thing is hien or si, not et.
Examples (6)
- Et reent.
It's raining.
- Haut schneit et.
It's snowing today.
Word by Word: Today snows it.
Haut comes first, so et moves after the verb.
- Et ass kal dobaussen.
It's cold outside.
- Et ass schonn dräi Auer!
It's already three o'clock!
- Et gëtt däischter.
It's getting dark.
Ginn describes a change.
- Reent et nach?
Is it still raining?
In a question, the verb comes first.
Common Mistakes
Leaving out et when another word comes first.
Haut reent.Haut reent et.A weather verb always needs et. When haut starts the sentence, et comes right after the verb.
Saying "I am cold" with ech and sinn.
Ech si kal.Et ass mer kal.To say that you feel cold, Luxembourgish uses et, ass and mer (to me). Ech si kal describes you as a cold person.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Before It for Weather and Time, learn Subject Pronouns: Singular.
Related Patterns
- et gëttThere Is and There Are: Et Gëtt
Et gëtt (there is) also has et as an empty subject.
Level 1 - Telling the Time
Times are given with et ass: Et ass dräi Auer.
Level 2 - et ass mer kalFeeling Cold or Sick: Et Ass Mer Kal
How to say that you feel cold, rather than the weather.
Level 3 - The Verb Comes Second
Et moves after the verb when another word comes first.
Level 1 - et Pointing Forward
Later, et can also point forward to a whole clause.
Level 5
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice et for Weather and Time in Bubblegum
Poppy, your AI tutor, writes Luxembourgish lessons at your level. Tap any grammar point in a lesson to see its full explanation.
