wéini
When: Wéini
Wéini means when in a question: Wéini kënnt de Bus? (When is the bus coming?).
How It Works
Word order
Put wéini first, the conjugated verb second, and then the subject, just as with the other question words:
- Wéini kënnt de Bus? (When is the bus coming?)
- Wéini hues du Gebuertsdag? (When is your birthday?)
- Wéini fänkt de Film un? (When does the film start?) – a separable verb sends its prefix un to the end.
With a preposition
Bis wéini asks until when, and zënter wéini asks since when: Bis wéini bass du an der Vakanz?
Answers
Typical answers are time words and time phrases: haut, muer, e Samschdeg, um fënnef Auer. See haut/muer/gëschter and time prepositions.
Inside a longer sentence
After Ech weess net or Sot mir, wéini starts an indirect question, and the verb goes to the end: Ech weess net, wéini den Zuch kënnt.
Wéini, wann and wéi
All three can be translated as when, but only wéini asks a question. wann means when or if for present, future or repeated events, and wéi means when for a single event in the past. Neither of them can replace wéini in a question.
Examples (6)
- Wéini kënnt de Bus?
When is the bus coming?
Word by Word: When comes the bus?
The verb kënnt comes right after wéini. Den becomes de before the B of Bus by the n-rule.
- Wéini hues du Gebuertsdag?
When is your birthday?
Word by Word: When have you birthday?
Luxembourgish says you have your birthday: Gebuertsdag hunn.
- Wéini fänkt de Film un?
When does the film start?
Word by Word: When starts the film?
Ufänken is a separable verb, so un goes to the end of the question.
- Bis wéini bass du an der Vakanz?
Until when are you on holiday?
Word by Word: Until when are you in the holiday?
Bis wéini asks how long something will last.
- Wéini gees du heem? – Um fënnef Auer.
When are you going home? – At five o’clock.
Word by Word: When go you home? – At the five hour.
A clock time answers a wéini question.
- Ech weess net, wéini den Zuch kënnt.
I don’t know when the train is coming.
Word by Word: I know not, when the train comes.
Inside a longer sentence the verb goes to the end. Den keeps its n before the Z of Zuch.
Common Mistakes
Using wann as the question word for when.
Wann kënnt de Bus?Wéini kënnt de Bus?Wann means when or if in statements, as in Wann et reent, huelen ech de Bus. It never asks a question. The question word is wéini.
Putting the subject before the verb after wéini.
Wéini de Bus kënnt?Wéini kënnt de Bus?In a direct question the conjugated verb comes right after the question word, and the subject follows it.
Keeping question word order inside a longer sentence.
Ech weess net, wéini kënnt den Zuch.Ech weess net, wéini den Zuch kënnt.After Ech weess net, the wéini clause is an indirect question, so its verb moves to the end.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Before When: Wéini, learn What and Who: Wat and Wien.
Related Patterns
- wou / wuerWhere and Where to: Wou and Wuer
Wou and wuer ask about place, while wéini asks about time.
Level 1 - wannIf and When: Wann
Wann also translates as when, but it joins clauses in statements and cannot ask a question.
Level 2 - wéi (When in the Past)When in the Past: Wéi
Wéi is when for a single past event in a statement; wéini is only for questions.
Level 3 - Indirect Questions
After Ech weess net, a wéini clause puts its verb at the end.
Level 3 - Time Expressions: um / ëm / am / eTime Expressions: Um, Ëm, Am and E
Answers to wéini often use um, am or e, as in um aacht Auer or e Samschdeg.
Level 2
Words in This Pattern
Practice wéini in Bubblegum
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