Nouns in -ung

Level 4

Take a verb, drop -en and add -ung: rechnen → d'Rechnung (the bill), bestellen → d'Bestellung (the order). Every -ung noun is feminine.

How It Works

1. How to build it
Drop the -en of the infinitive and add -ung:

  • rechnen (to calculate) → d'Rechnung (the bill, the sum)
  • bestellen (to order) → d'Bestellung (the order)
  • erklären (to explain) → d'Erklärung (the explanation)
  • bezuelen (to pay) → d'Bezuelung (the payment)
  • änneren (to change) → d'Ännerung (the change)

2. Verbs in -elen
When a verb ends in -elen, the e before the l usually drops: entwéckelen → d'Entwécklung (the development), versammelen → d'Versammlung (the meeting), handelen → d'Handlung (the act, the plot). The dictionary shows the exact form.

3. Always feminine
All nouns in -ung are feminine, so they take d', eng and déi, and adjectives before them follow the feminine pattern: eng wichteg Entscheedung (an important decision), déi nei Zeitung (the new newspaper).

4. The plural
The plural adds -en: d'Rechnungen, d'Erklärungen. Like other -en endings, it loses its n before most consonants by the n-rule: D'Rechnunge leien um Dësch. Some abstract nouns are hardly ever used in the plural, such as d'Ausbildung (education, training).

5. In compounds
When an -ung noun is the first part of a compound, a linking -s- is added: Zeitungsartikel (newspaper article), Entwécklungshëllef (development aid).

6. Watch out: Wunneng
The everyday word for a flat is d'Wunneng (from wunnen), written with -eng, not -ung. Its plural is d'Wunnengen.

Another way to turn a verb into a noun is the infinitive as noun: d'Rechnen means the activity of calculating, while d'Rechnung is the bill or the sum.

Examples (6)

  1. Ech muss nach d'Rechnung bezuelen.

    I still have to pay the bill.

    Rechnung comes from rechnen and is feminine, so it takes d'.

  2. D'Versammlung fänkt um aacht Auer un.

    The meeting starts at eight o'clock.

    Versammlung comes from versammelen; the e before the l drops.

  3. Hues du eng Erklärung dofir?

    Do you have an explanation for that?

  4. Mir hunn eng wichteg Entscheedung geholl.

    We made an important decision.

    Feminine eng and wichteg with no ending, like every -ung noun.

  5. D'Rechnunge leien um Dësch.

    The bills are on the table.

    The plural Rechnungen loses its n before l by the n-rule.

  6. Déi ekonomesch Entwécklung vum Land ass net wierklech zefriddestellend.

    The economic development of the country is not really satisfactory.

Common Mistakes

  • Using a masculine article with an -ung noun.

    De Rechnung ass ze héich.
    D'Rechnung ass ze héich.

    Every noun in -ung is feminine, so it takes d', never den or de.

  • Keeping the plural n before a consonant.

    D'Rechnungen leien um Dësch.
    D'Rechnunge leien um Dësch.

    The plural ending -en follows the n-rule: before l the n is dropped. It stays before a vowel or before d, h, n, t and z.

  • Writing -ung in the word for a flat.

    Ech sichen eng nei Wunnung.
    Ech sichen eng nei Wunneng.

    The Luxembourgish word is Wunneng, with -eng. The form Wunnung comes from German Wohnung and is not a Luxembourgish spelling.

How It Connects

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Nouns in -ungLevel 4

Learn This First

Before Nouns in -ung, learn Plurals With -en.

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Patterns that build on this one.