dunn

Then in a Story: Dunn

Level 3

Dunn is then in a past story: Mir hu giess, dunn hu mer e Film gekuckt. (We ate, then we watched a film.) For now or later, say dann.

How It Works

1. Dunn or dann?
Both translate as then, but they point in different directions in time:

  • dunn for the past: Ech sinn de Moie fréi opgestanen an dunn direkt op d'Aarbecht gefuer. (I got up early this morning and then drove straight to work.)
  • dann for the present and future: Ech sti muer fréi op a fueren dann direkt op d'Aarbecht. (Tomorrow I will get up early and then drive straight to work.)

The Lëtzebuerger Online Dictionnaire gives exactly this pair in its usage note for dunn.

2. Word order
When dunn starts a clause, the verb comes right after it and the subject follows: Mir hu giess, dunn hu mer e Film gekuckt. This is the same rule as for any word in first place. See The Verb Comes Second. After an (and) with the same subject, dunn can also come later in the clause: ... an dunn direkt op d'Aarbecht gefuer.

3. Two meanings

  • Next, after that: Hien huet de Bus verpasst, dunn ass hien zu Fouss gaangen.
  • At that moment: Dat sinn ech dunn eréischt gewuer ginn. (Only then did I find out.)

4. Spelling
The dictionary also lists the short variant du. The full form dunn is always correct and cannot be confused with the pronoun du.

Examples (5)

  1. Mir hu giess, dunn hu mer e Film gekuckt.

    We ate, then we watched a film.

    The verb hu comes right after dunn.

  2. Hien huet de Bus verpasst, dunn ass hien zu Fouss gaangen.

    He missed the bus, then he walked.

  3. Ech sinn de Moie fréi opgestanen an dunn direkt op d'Aarbecht gefuer.

    I got up early this morning and then drove straight to work.

    After an with the same subject, dunn can sit inside the clause.

  4. Dat sinn ech dunn eréischt gewuer ginn.

    Only then did I find out.

    Here dunn points to one moment in the past.

  5. Mir iessen, da kucke mer e Film.

    We'll eat, then we'll watch a film.

    For the present or future, use dann. It becomes da before k by the n-rule.

Common Mistakes

  • Using dann in a story about the past.

    Gëschter hu mer giess, dann hu mer e Film gekuckt.
    Gëschter hu mer giess, dunn hu mer e Film gekuckt.

    Standard usage keeps dunn for what happened next in the past and dann for the present and future.

  • Using dunn for the future.

    Muer ginn ech akafen, dunn kachen ech.
    Muer ginn ech akafen, da kachen ech.

    Dunn only refers to the past. For the future, use dann, written da before k.

  • Putting the subject right after dunn.

    Mir hu giess, dunn mir hunn e Film gekuckt.
    Mir hu giess, dunn hu mer e Film gekuckt.

    Dunn takes the first place, so the verb must come next.

How It Connects

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

dunnLevel 3Then in a Story: Dunn

Learn This First

Before Then in a Story: Dunn, learn Then: Dann and When in the Past: Wéi.

Words in This Pattern

dunndann