ginn

To Give and to Become: Ginn

Level 1

Ginn has two everyday meanings. With a thing and a person it means to give; with an adjective or a job it means to become.

How It Works

The present forms of ginn

  • ech ginn, du gëss, hien / si / et gëtt
  • mir ginn, dir gitt, si ginn

The ech, mir, dir and si forms are the same as those of goen (to go). Only du gëss and hie gëtt are unique to ginn. Before most consonants ginn is written gi: Ech gi krank.

Meaning 1: to give. The person who receives is in the dative, and the thing is in the accusative: Ech ginn him e Buch. Si gëtt de Kanner Äppel. In the past it uses hunn: Ech hunn him e Buch ginn.

Meaning 2: to become. With an adjective or a job, ginn means to become or to get: Et gëtt kal (It is getting cold), Mäi Brudder gëtt Dokter (My brother is becoming a doctor). In the past it uses sinn: Hien ass Dokter ginn.

Note that the past participle is simply ginn, with no ge-.

Two more jobs. Et gëtt with a noun means there is or there are (et gëtt), and ginn with a past participle forms the passive (the passive with ginn).

If you know German: ginn covers both geben and werden.

Examples (6)

  1. Ech ginn him e Buch.

    I give him a book.

    Word by Word: I give him a book.

    Him is the person who receives, e Buch is the thing.

  2. Gëss du mir wannechgelift d'Salz?

    Could you pass me the salt, please?

    Word by Word: Give you me please the salt?

    Gëss is the du form. A question with ginn is a friendly way to ask for something at the table.

  3. Si gëtt de Kanner Äppel.

    She gives the children apples.

    Word by Word: She gives the children apples.

    Gëtt is the form for hien, si and et. De Kanner is dative plural.

  4. Mäi Brudder gëtt Dokter.

    My brother is becoming a doctor.

    Word by Word: my brother becomes doctor.

    With a job, ginn means to become. No article is needed before the job.

  5. Et gëtt kal.

    It is getting cold.

    Word by Word: It becomes cold.

    With an adjective, ginn means to become or to get.

  6. Ech gi krank.

    I am getting sick.

    Word by Word: I become sick.

    Ginn becomes gi before the consonant k, by the n-rule.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the German verb werden for to become.

    Hie wird Dokter.
    Hie gëtt Dokter.

    Luxembourgish uses ginn for to become.

  • Using the du form of goen when you mean to give.

    Du gees mir d'Buch.
    Du gëss mir d'Buch.

    Gees is from goen (to go). The du form of ginn is gëss.

How It Connects

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

ginnLevel 1To Give and to Become: Ginn

Learn This First

Before To Give and to Become: Ginn, learn Vowel Changes in the Du and Hien Forms.

Words in This Pattern