Time, Manner, Place

Level 3

After the verb, put the details in this order: when, then how, then where. Ech fuere muer mam Zuch op Paräis. (I am going to Paris by train tomorrow.)

How It Works

1. The basic order

  • Time (when?): muer, haut, d'lescht Woch
  • Manner (how?): mam Zuch, zu Fouss, eleng
  • Place (where? where to?): op Paräis, an der Stad, op d'Aarbecht

Ech fuere muer mam Zuch op Paräis.
Mir waren d'lescht Woch zu Fouss an der Stad.

2. A reason goes after the time
A reason (why?) usually sits between time and manner or place: Mir bleiwen haut wéinst dem Reen doheem. (We are staying home today because of the rain.)

3. Verb forms at the end
In the perfect or with a modal verb, the participle or infinitive comes after all the details:

  • Mir si gëschter mam Bus an d'Stad gefuer.

See The Verb Comes Second and Perfect Tense With Sinn.

4. Starting with the time
The time is often put first. The verb stays second, so the subject follows it: Muer fueren ech mam Zuch op Paräis. See Putting Something Else First.

5. Pronouns come first
Short pronouns come before all these details: Ech gesinn dech muer an der Stad. See Pronouns Come Early.

6. A guide, not a law
The order is the normal one, not the only possible one. A detail can move to stress it. But a place or direction such as op Paräis almost always stays at the end, just before any final verb form.

Examples (6)

  1. Ech fuere muer mam Zuch op Paräis.

    I'm going to Paris by train tomorrow.

    Time (muer), manner (mam Zuch), place (op Paräis).

  2. Mir waren d'lescht Woch zu Fouss an der Stad.

    Last week we went into town on foot.

    Time (d'lescht Woch), manner (zu Fouss), place (an der Stad).

  3. Hatt geet haut mam Vëlo op d'Aarbecht.

    Today she is cycling to work.

  4. Mir si gëschter mam Bus an d'Stad gefuer.

    Yesterday we took the bus into town.

    The participle gefuer comes after all the details.

  5. Muer fueren ech mam Zuch op Paräis.

    Tomorrow I'm going to Paris by train.

    The time comes first, so the verb fueren comes before the subject.

  6. Mir bleiwen haut wéinst dem Reen doheem.

    We're staying home today because of the rain.

    The reason comes after the time.

Common Mistakes

  • Putting the time after the direction.

    Ech fuere mam Zuch op Paräis muer.
    Ech fuere muer mam Zuch op Paräis.

    A direction such as op Paräis closes the sentence. The time comes earlier.

  • Putting the participle before the details.

    Mir si gefuer gëschter an d'Stad.
    Mir si gëschter an d'Stad gefuer.

    The participle goes to the very end, after time and place.

  • Keeping the subject before the verb after a time word.

    Muer ech fueren op Paräis.
    Muer fueren ech op Paräis.

    When the time starts the sentence, the verb must still come second.

How It Connects

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

Time, Manner, PlaceLevel 3

Learn This First

Before Time, Manner, Place, learn Putting Something Else First and Going Places: An, Op and Bei.