abee / majo
Well: Abee and Majo
Abee and majo start a reply, like English well or okay then: Abee, da kënne mer jo elo ufänken. Majo, esou ass dat!
How It Works
1. Before the sentence
Abee and majo stand outside the sentence, with a comma after them. The sentence that follows keeps its normal verb-second order:
- Abee, da kënne mer jo elo ufänken. (Well then, we can start now.)
- Majo, esou ass dat! (Well, that's how it is!)
2. What abee can mean
- Okay then, so: moving on or accepting something: Abee gutt, da maache mer dat esou! (Okay then, let's do it that way!)
- Surprise or admiration, often as abee jo: Abee jo, da ginn déi zwee matenee bestuet! (Well, well, so those two are getting married!)
- Annoyance, in abee merci: Abee merci, elo kann ech erëm vu vir ufänken! (Well, thanks a lot, now I can start all over again!) This merci is not a real thank you.
3. What majo can mean
- Well, oh well: accepting how things are: Majo, esou ass dat!
- Well then: making a suggestion: Majo, wéi wier et dann, wa mer et esou géife maachen? (Well then, how about we do it like this?)
4. Tone matters
These words live in speech and in chat messages. Your voice shows whether you are pleased, surprised or annoyed. In formal writing, leave them out.
Other small words that add feeling go inside the sentence instead, such as dach, jo and mol. To answer a plain yes or no question, use jo and nee.
Examples (6)
- Abee, da kënne mer jo elo ufänken.
Well then, we can start now.
After abee, da takes first place and the verb kënne comes second.
- Abee gutt, da maache mer dat esou!
Okay then, let's do it that way!
Abee gutt accepts a suggestion.
- Abee jo, da ginn déi zwee matenee bestuet!
Well, well, so those two are getting married!
Abee jo shows surprise.
- Abee merci, elo kann ech erëm vu vir ufänken!
Well, thanks a lot, now I can start all over again!
Abee merci is annoyed, not grateful.
- Majo, wéi wier et dann, wa mer et esou géife maachen?
Well then, how about we do it like this?
Majo introduces a suggestion.
- Majo, esou ass dat!
Well, that's just how it is!
Majo accepts something that cannot be changed.
Common Mistakes
Putting the verb right after abee in a statement.
Abee, kënne mer elo ufänken.Abee, da kënne mer elo ufänken.Abee does not fill the first place. With the verb first, the sentence becomes a question: Well, can we start now? For a statement, put a word such as da or mir first.
Using abee merci as a warm thank you.
Abee merci fir de schéine Kaddo!Villmools merci fir de schéine Kaddo!Abee merci sounds annoyed, like English well, thanks a lot. To thank someone for a present, use a plain merci or villmools merci.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Before Well: Abee and Majo, learn Yes and No: Jo and Nee.
Related Patterns
- The Verb Comes Second
The sentence after abee or majo keeps the verb in second place.
Level 1 - Small Words That Add Feeling: dach / jo / molSmall Words That Add Feeling: Dach, Jo, Mol
Dach, jo and mol also add feeling, but they sit inside the sentence.
Level 4 - merci / wannechgeliftThank You and Please
Merci is a real thank you, except in the annoyed phrase abee merci.
Level 1 - Question Tags: gell? and oder?Checking Questions: Gell? and Oder?
Gell? and oder? are other small words used in conversation.
Level 3
Words in This Pattern
Practice abee / majo in Bubblegum
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