dësen / dës / dëst

This: Dësen, Dës and Dëst

Level 2

Dësen, dës and dëst mean this or these: dëse Pullover, dës Woch, dëst Joer, dës Kanner.

How It Works

Nominative and accusative

  • masculine: dësen (dëse by the n-rule): dësen Owend, dëse Pullover
  • neuter: dëst: dëst Joer, dëst Buch
  • feminine: dës: dës Woch, dës Iddi
  • plural: dës: dës Kanner, dës Biller

Check the noun gender first; the ending of dës- depends on it.

Dative
After a dative preposition, or for an indirect object, use dësem (masculine and neuter), dëser (feminine) and dësen (plural): an dësem Haus, an dëser Stad, an dësen Deeg. See dem/der/den (dative).

Time words
With time nouns, dës- means the current one: dës Woch (this week), dëse Mount (this month), dëst Joer (this year). No preposition is needed: Dës Woch hunn ech vill Aarbecht.

On its own
The same forms can replace the noun: Dësen ass méi bëlleg wéi deen do. (This one is cheaper than that one.)

This or that?
Dës- points at something near or current. For that, use the stressed article with do: dee Mann do.

Examples (6)

  1. Dëse Pullover gefält mer.

    I like this pullover.

    Word by Word: This pullover pleases me.

    Pullover is masculine. Dësen becomes dëse before the P by the n-rule.

  2. Dës Woch hunn ech vill Aarbecht.

    I have a lot of work this week.

    Word by Word: This week have I much work.

    Woch is feminine, so it takes dës. The time phrase comes first and the verb follows.

  3. Dëst Joer léieren ech Lëtzebuergesch.

    This year I am learning Luxembourgish.

    Word by Word: This year learn I Luxembourgish.

    Joer is neuter, so it takes dëst.

  4. Dës Kanner spille gär Fussball.

    These children like playing football.

    Word by Word: These children play gladly football.

    All plural nouns take dës.

  5. An dëser Stad gëtt et vill Parken.

    There are a lot of parks in this town.

    Word by Word: In this town gives it many parks.

    An describes a location here, so it takes the dative. Stad is feminine, so the form is dëser.

  6. Dësen ass méi bëlleg wéi deen do.

    This one is cheaper than that one.

    Word by Word: This-one is more cheap than that-one there.

    Dësen stands on its own for a masculine noun. It keeps its n before the vowel of ass.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the neuter form dëst with a feminine noun.

    Dëst Woch hunn ech keng Zäit.
    Dës Woch hunn ech keng Zäit.

    Woch is feminine, so it takes dës. Dëst is only for neuter nouns, as in dëst Joer.

  • Keeping the n of dësen before a consonant.

    Dësen Pullover ass ze grouss.
    Dëse Pullover ass ze grouss.

    By the n-rule, dësen loses its n before P and most other consonants. It keeps the n before a vowel and before d, h, n, t and z, as in dësen Owend.

  • Using the nominative form after a preposition that needs the dative.

    An dës Stad wunnen ech gär.
    An dëser Stad wunnen ech gär.

    Wunnen describes a location, so an takes the dative. The feminine dative form is dëser.

How It Connects

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

dësen / dës / dëstLevel 2This: Dësen, Dës and Dëst

Learn This First

Before This: Dësen, Dës and Dëst, learn The Article Before an Adjective: Déi and Dat and The N-Rule (Eifeler Regel).

Words in This Pattern

dësendësdëst