wien ... deen

Whoever: Wien ...

Level 5

Wien can mean whoever: Wie Loscht huet, ka matkommen. The main clause can pick it up with deen: Wien ze spéit kënnt, dee muss waarden.

How It Works

1. Wien meaning whoever
The question word wien can also start a statement about any person at all. Its verb goes to the end:

  • Wie Loscht huet, ka matkommen. (Whoever feels like it can come along.)
  • Wien am meeschte bitt, kritt den Zouschlag. (Whoever bids the most gets the lot.)

The whole wien clause is the first element, so the main verb comes right after it, as when a subordinate clause comes first.

2. Picking it up with deen
The main clause can repeat the person with deen, which then stands in first place:

  • Wien ze spéit kënnt, dee muss waarden. (Whoever comes too late has to wait.)

When both parts use the subject, deen is optional. When the main clause needs another case, it is required, and it takes that case: dative deem:

  • Wien hëlleft, deem soen ech Merci. (I say thank you to whoever helps.)

3. The n-rule
Wien and deen follow the n-rule: wie Loscht but wien ze spéit; dee muss but deen ass.

4. For things: wat ... dat
For whatever, use wat, picked up by dat: Wat s de sees, dat stëmmt. (What you say is true.)

Examples (6)

  1. Wie Loscht huet, ka matkommen.

    Whoever feels like it can come along.

    Wien loses its n before L, and the main verb ka follows the clause directly.

  2. Wien ze spéit kënnt, dee muss waarden.

    Whoever comes too late has to wait.

    Dee picks up the person; deen loses its n before m.

  3. Wien am meeschte bitt, kritt den Zouschlag.

    Whoever bids the most gets the lot.

  4. Wie gewënnt, kritt e Kaddo.

    Whoever wins gets a present.

  5. Wien hëlleft, deem soen ech Merci.

    I say thank you to whoever helps.

    The main clause needs a dative, so the pick-up word is deem.

  6. Wat s de sees, dat stëmmt.

    What you say is true.

    For things, use wat and dat.

Common Mistakes

  • Keeping the verb in second place in the wien clause.

    Wie kënnt ze spéit, dee muss waarden.
    Wien ze spéit kënnt, dee muss waarden.

    A wien clause meaning whoever has its verb at the end.

  • Using deen when the main clause needs the dative.

    Wien hëlleft, dee soen ech Merci.
    Wien hëlleft, deem soen ech Merci.

    You say Merci to someone, which is a dative. The pick-up word therefore takes the dative form deem.

  • Forgetting the n-rule on deen.

    Wie Loscht huet, deen ka matkommen.
    Wie Loscht huet, dee ka matkommen.

    Deen loses its n before k, just like wien loses it before L.

How It Connects

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

wien ... deenLevel 5Whoever: Wien ...

Learn This First

Before Whoever: Wien ..., learn Relative Clauses With Deen, Déi and Dat and What and Who: Wat and Wien.

Words in This Pattern

wiendeen