mir / dir / si

Subject Pronouns: Plural

Level 1

Mir si midd (We are tired), Dir sidd ze spéit (You are late), Si kommen haut (They are coming today).

How It Works

1. The pronouns and their verbs

  • mir sinn / hunn / wunnen (we are / have / live)
  • dir sidd / hutt / wunnt (you are / have / live)
  • si sinn / hunn / wunnen (they are / have / live)

2. The n-rule on the verb
The pronouns themselves never change, but verb forms ending in n do: Mir sinn doheem, but Mir si midd. Si hunn en Hond, but Si hu keng Zäit.

3. Si: she or they?
Si means both she and they. The verb shows which one: Si kënnt haut (She is coming today), Si kommen haut (They are coming today). See ech/du/hien/si/et.

4. dir or Dir?
Lowercase dir is for several people you would each call du. Capitalized Dir (polite you) is the polite form for one person or more. Both use the same verb form.

5. Mir also means to me
Mir and dir are also dative pronouns (to me, to you): Hëllef mir! Context tells you which one is meant. See mir/dir/him/hir (dative). When they are not stressed, mir, dir and si often become mer, der and se, in speech and in everyday writing (see unstressed pronouns).

Examples (6)

  1. Mir si midd.

    We are tired.

    Sinn becomes si before m.

  2. Dir sidd ze spéit.

    You are late.

    Said to several friends.

  3. Si kommen haut.

    They are coming today.

    The plural verb kommen shows that si means they.

  4. Mir wunnen zu Esch.

    We live in Esch.

    Wunnen keeps its n before z.

  5. Wou wunnt dir?

    Where do you (all) live?

    The dir form ends in t.

  6. Si schwätzen Lëtzebuergesch.

    They speak Luxembourgish.

Common Mistakes

  • Forgetting the n-rule on the verb.

    Mir sinn midd.
    Mir si midd.

    Before m the n of sinn drops.

  • Using the mir form of the verb with dir.

    Dir sinn ze spéit.
    Dir sidd ze spéit.

    Dir has its own verb form. For sinn it is sidd.

  • Using a singular verb when si means they.

    Si kënnt haut.
    Si kommen haut.

    Si kënnt means she is coming. To say they are coming, the verb must be plural.

How It Connects

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mir / dir / siLevel 1Subject Pronouns: Plural

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Before Subject Pronouns: Plural, learn Subject Pronouns: Singular.

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Words in This Pattern

mirsi