do- + Preposition

It with Prepositions: Domat, Dofir, Dorop

Level 3

Luxembourgish does not say mat et. For things and ideas it joins do- to the preposition: domat (with it), dofir (for it), dorop (on it, for it).

How It Works

1. Building the word
Put do- in front of the preposition. If the preposition starts with a vowel, add r so the two vowels do not meet:

  • do- + consonant: domat (with it), dofir (for it), dovun (of it, from it), dobäi (with it, at the same time), dozou (to it, about it), doduerch (through it, because of it)
  • dor- + vowel: dorop (on it), dorun (of it, on it), doran (in it), doriwwer (about it, over it)

The word stays the same whatever the gender of the thing: de Vëlo, d'Kaart and d'Buch all become domat.

2. Things and ideas, not people
A do- word stands for a thing, an idea or a whole situation. For a person, keep the preposition and add a pronoun: Ech spille mat him. (I play with him.) Compare Ech spillen domat. (I play with it.)

3. Short forms in everyday speech
The dictionary calls the do- words the strong forms. Each has a weak, unstressed form that is very common in speech: drop, drun, dran, driwwer, and with consonants dermat, derfir, dervun. Ech freeë mech drop. means the same as Ech freeë mech dorop. Use the full do- form when the word is stressed or starts the sentence: Domat hat hien net gerechent.

4. With verbs with fixed prepositions
Do- words go naturally with verbs with fixed prepositions: waarden op de Bus → dorop waarden, schwätzen iwwer de Film → driwwer schwätzen.

5. The n-rule
Forms that end in n follow the n-rule: Dovu weess ech näischt. Doru kënne mer näischt änneren.

6. Two related uses
Dofir also means that's why; see That's Why: Dofir and Also. A do- word can also point ahead to a whole datt clause: Ech freeë mech drop, datt s de kënns. See Pointing to a Clause.

Examples (6)

  1. Dat ass mäin neie Vëlo. Ech fueren domat op d'Aarbecht.

    That's my new bike. I ride it to work.

    Domat stands for mat dem Vëlo. The thing is masculine, but domat never changes.

  2. De Weekend gi mer schwammen. D'Kanner freeë sech dorop.

    We're going swimming this weekend. The children are looking forward to it.

    Op starts with a vowel, so it becomes dor- + op: dorop.

  3. Mir hunn de ganzen Owend driwwer geschwat.

    We talked about it the whole evening.

    Driwwer is the short, unstressed form of doriwwer.

  4. Ech sinn domat net averstanen.

    I don't agree with that.

    Here domat refers to an idea, not an object.

  5. Dovu weess ech näischt.

    I don't know anything about that.

    Dovun loses its n before w by the n-rule. The do- word starts the sentence, so the verb weess comes next.

  6. Wat mengs du dozou?

    What do you think about it?

Common Mistakes

  • Using a preposition with et for a thing.

    Dat ass mäi Bic. Ech schreiwe mat et.
    Dat ass mäi Bic. Ech schreiwen domat.

    For a thing, Luxembourgish uses the do- word, not preposition + et.

  • Using a do- word for a person.

    Dat ass mäi Brudder. Ech spillen dacks domat.
    Dat ass mäi Brudder. Ech spillen dacks mat him.

    Do- words only stand for things and ideas. For a person, keep the preposition and use a pronoun in the right case: mat him.

  • Forgetting the r before a vowel.

    Ech freeë mech doop.
    Ech freeë mech dorop.

    When the preposition starts with a vowel, do- becomes dor-: dorop, doriwwer, dorun.

How It Connects

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

do- + PrepositionLevel 3It with Prepositions: Domat, Dofir, Dorop

Learn This First

Before It With Prepositions: Domat, Dofir, Dorop, learn Verbs With Fixed Prepositions.

Words in This Pattern

do-domatdofirdovundoropdoriwwerdorundropdriwwerdrun