Perfect Passive: ass ... ginn

The Perfect Passive: Ass ... Ginn

Level 4

To say what was done, use sinn + participle + ginn: D'Haus ass 1990 gebaut ginn. (The house was built in 1990.)

How It Works

1. How it is built
Conjugated sinn in second place, the main participle, then ginn at the end:

  • D'Haus ass 1990 gebaut ginn. (The house was built in 1990.)
  • Hien ass gëschter operéiert ginn. (He had an operation yesterday.)
  • Mir si vum Chef invitéiert ginn. (We were invited by the boss.)

2. Why sinn?
Ginn is a verb of change, and those form the perfect with sinn: Hien ass krank ginn (he became ill). The passive keeps that helper. See perfect with sinn. The participle of ginn is ginn, like the infinitive; see irregular participles.

3. The n-rule
A participle ending in -en loses its n before ginn: De Bréif ass ënnerschriwwe ginn. Ginn itself keeps its n before a full stop or comma. See n-rule.

4. In a subordinate clause
Sinn moves to the very end: Ech weess net, wéini d'Kierch gebaut ginn ass.

5. The pluperfect
Use war instead of ass: D'Strooss war scho gebotzt ginn. (The street had already been cleaned.) See pluperfect.

6. Other ways to say it
News and written texts often use the simple past gouf: D'Haus gouf 1990 gebaut. Without ginn, D'Haus ass zougemaach describes a state, not an action; see state passive. The present passive is explained in passive with ginn.

Examples (6)

  1. D'Haus ass 1990 gebaut ginn.

    The house was built in 1990.

    Sinn in second place, then gebaut, then ginn.

  2. Hien ass gëschter operéiert ginn.

    He had an operation yesterday.

  3. Déi jonk Patientin ass gëschter mam Häerz operéiert ginn.

    The young patient had heart surgery yesterday.

  4. Mäi Vëlo ass geklaut ginn!

    My bike has been stolen!

  5. De Kontrakt ass gëschter ënnerschriwwe ginn.

    The contract was signed yesterday.

    Ënnerschriwwen loses its n before ginn.

  6. Ech weess net, wéini d'Kierch gebaut ginn ass.

    I don't know when the church was built.

    In a subordinate clause, ass goes to the very end.

Common Mistakes

  • Using hunn as the helper verb.

    D'Haus huet 1990 gebaut ginn.
    D'Haus ass 1990 gebaut ginn.

    The passive perfect always uses sinn, because ginn takes sinn in the perfect.

  • Using a German-style word for the passive participle.

    D'Haus ass 1990 gebaut gewuerden.
    D'Haus ass 1990 gebaut ginn.

    German uses worden here. In Luxembourgish, the participle is ginn.

  • Putting ginn before the main participle.

    D'Haus ass 1990 gi gebaut.
    D'Haus ass 1990 gebaut ginn.

    The main participle comes first and ginn comes last.

How It Connects

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

Perfect Passive: ass ... ginnLevel 4The Perfect Passive: Ass ... Ginn

Learn This First

Before The Perfect Passive: Ass ... ginn, learn The Passive: Ginn + Participle and Perfect Tense With Sinn.

Words in This Pattern