kéint for Polite Requests

Polite Requests with Kéint

Level 2

To ask nicely, start with kéint (could) and put the infinitive at the end: Kéint Dir mir hëllefen?

How It Works

A question with kënnen is fine between friends: Kanns du mir hëllefen? (Can you help me?) To sound more polite, use kéint, the "could" form of kënnen. It works like English could you instead of can you.

The forms.

  • ech kéint
  • du kéints
  • hien, si, et kéint (hie kéint before most consonants)
  • mir kéinten
  • dir kéint, and polite Dir kéint
  • si kéinten

Kéinten loses its n before most consonants by the n-rule: Kéinte mir zwee Äppeljuse kréien?

Building the question. Kéint comes first, then the person, and the infinitive goes to the very end, as with every modal verb: Kéint Dir mir hëllefen? A separable verb stays in one piece at the end: Kéints du d'Fënster zoumaachen?

Asking for something for yourself. Use Kéint ech ...?: Kéint ech wannechgelift platt Waasser kréien? (Could I have still water, please?) When you order, ech hätt gär works too.

How polite? From direct to very polite: Hëllef mir! → Kanns du mir hëllefen? → Kéints du mir hëllefen? → Kéint Dir mir wannechgelift hëllefen? With people you do not know, use Dir and add wannechgelift. Géift Dir ...? is another polite way to ask; see the polite conditional.

In quick speech, du often becomes de after kéints: Kéints de mir hëllefen?

Kéint can also mean might: Huel de Prabbeli mat, et kéint Ree ginn. (Take the umbrella, it might rain.) See conditional modals.

Examples (5)

  1. Kéint Dir mir hëllefen?

    Could you help me?

    Polite Dir takes kéint, the dir form. The infinitive hëllefen goes to the end.

  2. Kéints du d'Fënster zoumaachen?

    Could you close the window?

    With du, kéint adds -s. The separable verb zoumaachen stays whole at the end.

  3. Entschëllegt, kéint Dir mir soen, wéi vill Auer et ass?

    Excuse me, could you tell me what time it is?

    A polite question to a stranger in the street.

  4. Kéint ech wannechgelift platt Waasser kréien?

    Could I have still water, please?

    Kéint ech ...? asks for something for yourself.

  5. Kéinte mir zwee Äppeljuse kréien, wannechgelift?

    Could we have two apple juices, please?

    Kéinten loses its n before mir by the n-rule.

Common Mistakes

  • Leaving the -s off the du form.

    Kéint du mir hëllefen?
    Kéints du mir hëllefen?

    With du, the verb ends in -s: du kéints. Kéint without -s goes with ech, hien, si, et, dir and Dir.

  • Using kéinten with polite Dir.

    Kéinten Dir mir soen, wou d'Gare ass?
    Kéint Dir mir soen, wou d'Gare ass?

    Polite Dir uses the dir form of the verb, which is kéint. Kéinten goes with mir and with plural si.

  • Putting the infinitive right after kéint.

    Kéint Dir hëllefen mir?
    Kéint Dir mir hëllefen?

    Everything else comes first. The infinitive always goes to the end of the question.

How It Connects

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

kéint for Polite RequestsLevel 2Polite Requests with Kéint

Learn This First

Before Polite Requests With Kéint, learn Can: Kënnen and Polite Dir.

Words in This Pattern

kënnen