Prepositions With the Accusative
Fir (for), ouni (without), géint (against), ëm (around, at a time) and duerch (through) take the accusative: fir mäi Brudder, ouni dech.
How It Works
The prepositions
- fir – for: fir mäi Brudder, Hues du eppes fir mech?
- ouni – without: ouni dech, Kaffi ouni Zocker
- géint – against: géint Frankräich
- ëm – around; with clock times, at: ëm d'Haus, ëm aacht Auer
- duerch – through: duerch de Park
Bis (until) also takes the accusative: bis nächste Méindeg.
What changes
The article stays as in the nominative: den (de), d', en (e), eng. See case system overview. The personal pronouns take their accusative forms: mech, dech, hien, si, hatt, et, eis, iech, si. See mech/dech/hien/si/hatt/et.
Ëm with times
With a clock time, ëm means at, just like um: De Film fänkt ëm aacht Auer un. See time prepositions.
Asking about people
After these prepositions, whom is wien: Fir wien ass dat? See preposition + wiem.
Compare
dative prepositions such as mat and vun take the dative: mat mir, but fir mech.
Examples (6)
- Dëse Kaddo ass fir mäi Brudder.
This present is for my brother.
Word by Word: This present is for my brother.
Mäin becomes mäi before the B of Brudder. The accusative looks the same as the nominative.
- Hues du eppes fir mech?
Do you have something for me?
Word by Word: Have you something for me?
The pronoun after fir is the accusative mech, not mir.
- Ouni dech ginn ech net.
I am not going without you.
Word by Word: Without you go I not.
Ouni takes the accusative pronoun dech.
- Mir ginn duerch de Park.
We are walking through the park.
Word by Word: We go through the park.
Den becomes de before P. The article is the same as in the nominative.
- Lëtzebuerg spillt haut géint Frankräich.
Luxembourg is playing against France today.
Word by Word: Luxembourg plays today against France.
Country names without an article need no ending.
- De Film fänkt ëm aacht Auer un.
The film starts at eight o'clock.
Word by Word: The film catches around eight hour on.
With a clock time, ëm means at.
Common Mistakes
Using a dative pronoun after fir.
Ass dat fir mir?Ass dat fir mech?Fir takes the accusative, so the pronoun is mech. Mir is the dative form, used after prepositions such as mat.
Using the dative article after duerch.
Mir ginn duerch dem Park.Mir ginn duerch de Park.Duerch takes the accusative. For masculine nouns that is den, or de before most consonants.
Keeping the n of den before a consonant.
Dat ass fir den Papp.Dat ass fir de Papp.By the n-rule, den becomes de before P and most other consonants. It keeps the n before a vowel and before d, h, n, t and z: fir den Hond.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Before Prepositions With the Accusative, learn Object Pronouns (Accusative).
Related Patterns
- Prepositions With the Dative
Mat, bei, vun, no, zu and aus take the dative instead of the accusative.
Level 2 - Two-Way Prepositions
Some prepositions take the accusative only for movement toward a place.
Level 2 - Time Expressions: um / ëm / am / eTime Expressions: Um, Ëm, Am and E
Ëm and um both mean at with clock times.
Level 2 - Preposition + wiemWith Whom? Preposition + Wiem
After an accusative preposition, whom is wien: Fir wien ass dat?
Level 3 - fir ... zeIn Order to: Fir ... Ze
Fir also starts infinitive phrases meaning in order to.
Level 3
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice Prepositions With the Accusative in Bubblegum
Poppy, your AI tutor, writes Luxembourgish lessons at your level. Tap any grammar point in a lesson to see its full explanation.
