et gëtt

There Is and There Are: Et Gëtt

Level 1

To say that something exists or is available, use et gëtt and a noun: Et gëtt e Park hei (There is a park here).

How It Works

The pattern. Et gëtt is the hien form of ginn plus the word et, followed by a noun. It means there is or there are, and gëtt usually stays singular: Et gëtt e Café, Et gëtt zwee Caféen. You will sometimes see a plural verb before a plural noun, as in the dictionary example Zu Lëtzebuerg ginn et vill verschidden Aarte Reeër (In Luxembourg there are many kinds of rain). The singular is more common and is the safe choice.

The noun is an object. Grammatically the noun is in the accusative, but nouns and articles look the same in the nominative and the accusative (three cases), so you simply use the normal forms.

Word order. Gëtt must be the second element (the verb comes second). If a place or time word comes first, et moves after the verb: Hei gëtt et e Park. Haut gëtt et Fësch. In a yes or no question, the verb comes first: Gëtt et hei eng Apdikt? (yes or no questions)

Saying there is none. Use keen or keng: Hei gëtt et keng Apdikt. Et gëtt keng domm Froen.

In the past you will hear et gouf: Gëschter gouf et Fësch (Yesterday there was fish).

Do not mix it up with to become. With an adjective, et gëtt means it is getting: Et gëtt kal (It is getting cold). With a noun, it means there is. See ginn.

Et ass and et sinn. For things in a particular place, speakers also use et ass or et sinn, and then the verb agrees with the noun: Et sinn nach Äppel am Frigo (There are still apples in the fridge). Et gëtt is the general way to say that something exists.

Examples (5)

  1. Hei gëtt et e schéine Park.

    There is a nice park here.

    Word by Word: Here gives it a nice park.

    Hei comes first, so gëtt stays second and et follows it.

  2. Et gëtt vill Leit hei.

    There are a lot of people here.

    Word by Word: It gives many people here.

    Leit is plural, but the verb usually stays gëtt.

  3. Gëtt et hei eng Apdikt?

    Is there a pharmacy here?

    Word by Word: Gives it here a pharmacy?

    In a question, gëtt comes first.

  4. Et gëtt keng domm Froen.

    There are no stupid questions.

    Word by Word: It gives no stupid questions.

    Keng negates the plural noun. This sentence is taken from an LOD example.

  5. Haut gëtt et Fësch an der Kantin.

    There is fish in the canteen today.

    Word by Word: Today gives it fish in the canteen.

    Et gëtt can also mean something is on offer or on the menu.

Common Mistakes

  • Using hunn for there is, as in French il y a.

    Et huet e Park hei.
    Et gëtt e Park hei.

    French il y a and Portuguese há use a verb meaning to have, but Luxembourgish says et gëtt.

  • Putting et gëtt after another first word without swapping.

    Hei et gëtt e Park.
    Hei gëtt et e Park.

    The verb must stay in second place, so et moves after gëtt.

  • Using keen with a feminine noun.

    Hei gëtt et keen Apdikt.
    Hei gëtt et keng Apdikt.

    Apdikt is feminine, so it takes keng.

How It Connects

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

et gëttLevel 1There Is and There Are: Et Gëtt

Learn This First

Before There Is and There Are: Et gëtt, learn To Give and to Become: Ginn and The Verb Comes Second.

Words in This Pattern