Place-Name Adjectives in -er

Level 4

Add -er to a place name: Esch → d'Escher Autobunn, Lëtzebuerg → de Lëtzebuerger Wäin. The word is capitalized and never takes an ending.

How It Works

1. How to build it
Add -er to the name of a town, a region or a country:

  • Lëtzebuerg → Lëtzebuerger, Esch → Escher
  • Éislek → Éisleker, Lalleng → Lallenger
  • d'Schwäiz → Schwäizer, Genf → Genfer, Wien → Wiener

Watch the spelling of d'Stad (Luxembourg City): it becomes Stater, with t: d'Stater Gemeng (the City council), d'Stater Bussen (the City buses).

2. Always capitalized
The official rules say that a word made with -er from a place name is always capitalized: d'Lallenger Kierch, de Schwäizer Kéis.

3. No endings
Unlike normal adjectives, the -er form never changes:

  • masculine: e Lëtzebuerger Wäin
  • feminine: d'Lëtzebuerger Kichen
  • plural and dative: an de Lëtzebuerger Schoulen, am Stater Park

4. Written apart
It stands as a separate word before the noun: de Genfer Séi, d'Lëtzebuerger Strooss. Only a few fixed place names are written as one word.

5. Two different words
The same form can also be a noun for a man: Hien ass Lëtzebuerger. A woman is eng Lëtzebuergerin (see -in and -esch (female nouns)). The normal adjective lëtzebuergesch is written small and takes endings: déi lëtzebuergesch Kichen (see Lëtzebuergesch/lëtzebuergesch).

Examples (6)

  1. Mir ginn op d'Stater Braderie.

    We are going to the Luxembourg City street market.

    Stad becomes Stater, with t.

  2. D'Lëtzebuerger Wäiner kréie reegelméisseg international Auszeechnungen.

    Luxembourg wines regularly win international awards.

    Lëtzebuerger stays the same before a plural noun.

  3. D'Escher Autobunn war de Mueren iwwerfëllt.

    The Esch motorway was packed this morning.

  4. Déi nei Methode sollen och an de Lëtzebuerger Schoulen ageféiert ginn.

    The new methods are also to be introduced in Luxembourg's schools.

    No ending, even in the dative plural.

  5. Ech hu Schwäizer Kéis kaaft.

    I bought Swiss cheese.

  6. Mir trëppele gären am Stater Park.

    We like to walk in the City park.

Common Mistakes

  • Writing the -er form with a small letter.

    Ech schaffe bei der stater Gemeng.
    Ech schaffe bei der Stater Gemeng.

    Words made with -er from a place name are always capitalized.

  • Adding an adjective ending.

    Dat ass e gudde Lëtzebuergere Wäin.
    Dat ass e gudde Lëtzebuerger Wäin.

    The -er form never takes an ending, whatever the gender, number or case.

  • Writing it together with the noun.

    De Genferséi ass grouss.
    De Genfer Séi ass grouss.

    The -er form is written as a separate word before the noun.

How It Connects

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

Place-Name Adjectives in -erLevel 4

Learn This First

Before Place-Name Adjectives in -er, learn Lëtzebuergesch and lëtzebuergesch and In a Town: Zu.