Vowel Changes in Forms With du and hien

Vowel Changes in the Du and Hien Forms

Level 1

Some verbs change their vowel in two forms: du and hien/si/et. Everything else keeps the vowel of the infinitive: ech kommen, du kënns, hie kënnt, mir kommen, dir kommt, si kommen.

How It Works

Common verbs with a vowel change (infinitive – du form – hien form)

  • kommen – du kënns – hie kënnt (to come)
  • fannen – du fënns – hie fënnt (to find)
  • fueren – du fiers – hie fiert (to drive, to go by vehicle)
  • huelen – du hëls – hien hëlt (to take)
  • iessen – du ëss – hien ësst (to eat)
  • kafen – du keefs – hie keeft (to buy)
  • maachen – du méchs – hie mécht (to do, to make)
  • schlofen – du schléifs – hie schléift (to sleep)
  • halen – du häls – hien hält (to hold, to stop)

Only two forms change. The ech, mir, dir and si (they) forms keep the vowel of the infinitive: mir fueren, dir fuert, si fueren. Sometimes the spelling of the vowel is doubled to show that it is long, as in dir haalt from halen.

Commands keep the original vowel. The du command is built from the infinitive, not from the du form: Komm! Iess! Huel! See commands to one friend.

Watch out for look-alikes. Hie kënnt means he comes (kommen), while dir kënnt means you can (kënnen). The subject tells you which verb it is.

A few very common verbs change even more: see sinn, hunn, goen and ginn.

Examples (6)

  1. Kënns du muer?

    Are you coming tomorrow?

    Word by Word: Come you tomorrow?

    Kommen changes to kënns in the du form.

  2. Hie fiert all Dag mam Bus op d'Aarbecht.

    He goes to work by bus every day.

    Word by Word: He drives every day with-the bus to the work.

    Fueren changes to fiert in the hien form.

  3. D'Kand ësst en Apel.

    The child is eating an apple.

    Word by Word: the child eats an apple.

    Iessen changes to ësst. Kand is neuter, so it takes the et form.

  4. Meng Mamm hëlt den Zuch.

    My mum takes the train.

    Word by Word: my mum takes the train.

    Huelen changes to hëlt.

  5. Si keeft Brout.

    She is buying bread.

    Word by Word: She buys bread.

    Kafen changes to keeft.

  6. Wat méchs du haut?

    What are you doing today?

    Word by Word: What do you today?

    Maachen changes to méchs in the du form.

Common Mistakes

  • Keeping the infinitive vowel in the hien form.

    Hie kommt muer.
    Hie kënnt muer.

    Kommen changes its vowel in the hien form. Kommt is the dir form.

  • Changing the vowel in the dir form too.

    Dir fiert ze séier.
    Dir fuert ze séier.

    Only the du and hien/si/et forms change. The dir form keeps the vowel of fueren.

  • Using the changed vowel in a du command.

    Ëss dat!
    Iess dat!

    The du command keeps the vowel of the infinitive iessen, unlike German iss.

How It Connects

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

Vowel Changes in Forms With du and hienLevel 1Vowel Changes in the Du and Hien Forms

Learn This First

Before Vowel Changes in the Du and Hien Forms, learn Present Tense Endings.

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