hunn

To Have: Hunn

Level 1

Hunn means to have. Learn its forms: ech hunn, du hues, hien huet, mir hunn, dir hutt, si hunn.

How It Works

The present forms of hunn

  • ech hunn – I have
  • du hues – you have (one person you know well)
  • hien / si / et huet – he / she / it has
  • mir hunn – we have
  • dir hutt – you have (several people), and polite Dir hutt
  • si hunn – they have

The n-rule. By the n-rule, hunn keeps its n before a vowel, before d, h, n, t and z, and at the end of a sentence: Ech hunn en Hond. Mir hunn Honger. Before other consonants it is written hu: Mir hu keng Zäit. Si hu Kanner.

What hunn is used for.

  • Owning something or having people in your life: Hues du e Vëlo? Mir hunn zwee Kanner.
  • Some feelings, where English uses to be: Ech hunn Honger (I am hungry), Ech hunn Duuscht (I am thirsty). See Honger and Duuscht.
  • Saying what day it is: Mir hunn haut Freideg (Today is Friday).
  • Liking someone or something with gär: Ech hunn dech gär (I love you). See gär.
  • Forming the everyday past: Ech hunn e Buch gelies (I read a book). See the perfect with hunn.

To say that you have no or not a thing, use keen or keng: Ech hu keen Auto. The simple past of hunn is hat.

Examples (6)

  1. Ech hunn en Hond.

    I have a dog.

    Word by Word: I have a dog.

    The n stays because en starts with a vowel.

  2. Hues du Zäit?

    Do you have time?

    Word by Word: Have you time?

    Hues is the du form. English needs do, but Luxembourgish just puts the verb first.

  3. Mäi Papp huet en neien Auto.

    My dad has a new car.

    Word by Word: my dad has a new car.

    Huet is the form for hien, si and et.

  4. Mir hu keng Zäit.

    We have no time.

    Word by Word: We have no time.

    Hunn becomes hu before the consonant k.

  5. Hutt Dir Kanner?

    Do you have children?

    Word by Word: Have you children?

    Polite Dir takes the form hutt.

  6. Mir hunn haut Freideg.

    Today is Friday.

    Word by Word: We have today Friday.

    Luxembourgish uses hunn to say what day it is. This sentence is taken from the LOD entry for hunn.

Common Mistakes

  • Using sinn for hunger and thirst, as in English.

    Ech sinn Honger.
    Ech hunn Honger.

    Hunger, thirst and fear are nouns that you have: Ech hunn Honger, Ech hunn Duuscht, Ech hunn Angscht.

  • Using the German form hast.

    Hast du Zäit?
    Hues du Zäit?

    The du form of hunn is hues.

  • Keeping the n of hunn before a consonant that drops it.

    Ech hunn keng Zäit.
    Ech hu keng Zäit.

    K is not one of the letters d, h, n, t or z, so hunn is written hu here.

How It Connects

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

hunnLevel 1To Have: Hunn

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Before To Have: Hunn, learn Subject Pronouns: Plural.

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hunn