The N-Rule With Loanwords

Level 6

With loanwords, listen to the first sound. en Job keeps the n because Job starts with a dsch sound. de Chef drops it because Chef starts with a sch sound.

How It Works

1. Sound, not spelling
The n-rule looks at the next sound. Native words are easy because their spelling matches the sound. Loanwords keep their foreign spelling, so you have to think of how they are pronounced.

2. J and ch

  • English j = dsch sound, the n stays: en Job, en Jeanshiem, den Jazz.
  • French j = soft zh sound, the n drops: de Journalist, de Jury.
  • English ch = tsch sound, the n stays: iwwer den Chat, en internationalen Challenge.
  • French ch = sch sound, the n drops: de Chef, de Chauffer.

3. U, o and other letters
An English word written with u or o can start with a vowel sound or with a consonant sound: en Update, en Undercover-Agent, en Online-Formulaire, but e User. W is always a consonant: e Workshop. A c said like ts keeps the n: en Cent, but a c said like k drops it: e Cousin. Centime can go either way: en Centime if you say it with ts, e Centime if you say it with s.

4. The same idea elsewhere
Numbers and abbreviations follow the same principle. See n-rule with numbers and abbreviations.

Examples (6)

  1. De Student sicht en Job fir d'Päischtvakanz.

    The student is looking for a job for the Whitsun holidays.

    Job starts with a dsch sound, so en keeps its n.

  2. Ech hunn en Jeanshiem un.

    I am wearing a denim shirt.

  3. Iwwer den Chat sinn ech all Dag a Kontakt mat menger Famill.

    I am in touch with my family every day through the chat.

    Chat starts with a tsch sound, so den keeps its n.

  4. De Chef ass grad net do.

    The boss is not here right now.

    Chef starts with a sch sound, so den becomes de.

  5. Wann Dir den Update net wëllt selwer maachen, schécke mer Iech en Informatiker laanscht.

    If you do not want to do the update yourself, we will send you a computer specialist.

    Update starts with a vowel sound.

  6. Ech hu mech fir e Workshop ugemellt.

    I signed up for a workshop.

    W is a consonant sound, so en becomes e.

Common Mistakes

  • Following the letter j instead of the sound.

    De Student sicht e Job fir d'Vakanz.
    De Student sicht en Job fir d'Vakanz.

    In native words like Jong, j sounds like the y in yes, so the n drops: de Jong. In Job, j is a dsch sound, so the n stays.

  • Dropping the n before an English word that starts with a vowel sound.

    Hues de schonn e Update gemaach?
    Hues de schonn en Update gemaach?

    Update starts with a vowel sound, so en keeps its n.

How It Connects

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

The N-Rule With LoanwordsLevel 6

Learn This First

Before The N-Rule With Loanwords, learn English Loanwords and The N-Rule (Eifeler Regel).