Luxembourgish A1 : Class 13 📚

Time and Work Vocabulary

Key Learning Objectives (Léierziler)

• Express and ask about time in Luxembourgish
• Discuss work schedules and working hours
• Learn vocabulary related to professions and workplaces
• Understand and use time-related expressions
• Practice formal and informal workplace communication
• Conjugate verbs related to work activities

1. Telling Time in Luxembourgish (D’Zäit soen)

Basic Time Expressions

Important Time Vocabulary

Time Expressions Structure

When expressing time in Luxembourgish, you need to pay attention to the following patterns:

1. Full hours: “Et ass [number] Auer”

   • Et ass eng Auer. (It’s 1 o’clock.)
   • Et ass zwou Auer. (It’s 2 o’clock.)
   • Et ass dräi Auer. (It’s 3 o’clock.)

2. Minutes past: “Et ass [minutes] op [hour]”

   • Et ass fënnef op aacht. (It’s five past eight.)
   • Et ass zéng op néng. (It’s ten past nine.)
   • Et ass zwanzeg op siwen. (It’s twenty past seven.)

3. Half past: “Et ass halwer [next hour]”

   • Et ass halwer zwou. (It’s half past one.)
   • Et ass halwer dräi. (It’s half past two.)
   • Et ass halwer véier. (It’s half past three.)

4. Minutes to: “Et ass [minutes] vir [next hour]”

   • Et ass fënnef vir siwen. (It’s five to seven.)
   • Et ass zéng vir aacht. (It’s ten to eight.)
   • Et ass véierel vir néng. (It’s quarter to nine.)

Practice Examples

• 05:15 → Et ass véierel op fënnef.
• 18:00 → Et ass sechs Auer owes.
• 06:40 → Et ass zwanzeg vir siwen.
• 20:35 → Et ass fënnef op halwer néng owes.
• 17:54 → Et ass sechs vir sechs owes.
• 07:34 → Et ass véieranzwanzeg op halwer aacht moies.
• 09:05 → Et ass fënnef op néng moies.
• 07:00 → Et ass siwen Auer moies.
• 03:55 → Et ass fënnef vir véier.
• 01:30 → Et ass halwer zwou.
• 23:11 → Et ass eelef Auer owes.
• 05:25 → Et ass fënnefanzwanzeg op fënnef moies.

2. Work-Related Expressions (Aarbecht-bezunnen Ausdréck)

Work Schedule Expressions

Example Sentences

1. Ech sinn bei Coiffer vun 3 Auer bis fënnef Auer. (I’m at the hairdresser from 3 to 5.)

2. Meng Aarbecht ass einfach. (My work is easy.)

3. De Film fänkt um 7 Auer un. (The movie starts at 7.)

4. Hie schafft vu véier Auer moies bis zwou Auer mëttes. (He works from 4 AM to 2 PM.)

5. Si fänkt um halwer néng un a hält um fënnef Auer op. (She starts at half past eight and finishes at five o’clock.)

Workplace Prepositions

3. Professions and Workplaces (Beruffer an Aarbechtsplazen)

Common Professions

Workplace Vocabulary

4. Asking and Talking About Work (Iwwer d’Aarbecht froen a schwätzen)

Formal Questions

Informal Questions

Answers

5. Verb Conjugations (Verbkonjugatiounen)

Schaffen (to work)

Ufänken (to begin/start)

Ophalen (to stop/finish)

Sinn (to be)

6. Time and Work Dialogue (Dialog iwwer Zäit an Aarbecht)

Dialogue 1: Asking about time at work

Anna: Moien! Wéivill Auer ass et elo?
Tom: Et ass véierel op néng.
Anna: Merci! Ech fänken um néng Auer un.
Tom: Wéini hälts du op?
Anna: Ech halen um fënnef Auer op.
Tom: Dat ass eng laang Aarbechtsdag.
Anna: Jo, mee ech hu mëttes eng Stonn Paus.
Tom: Wou schaffs du?
Anna: Ech schaffen an enger Bank.
Tom: Ah, dat ass interessant. Ech schaffen als Informatiker an engem Büro.

Dialogue 2: Job interview

Interviewer: Gudde Moien! Wat sidd Dir vu Beruff?
Kandidat: Ech sinn Buchhalter.
Interviewer: Wou hutt Dir virdru geschafft?
Kandidat: Ech hunn an enger klenger Firma zu Esch geschafft.
Interviewer: Wéini kënnt Dir ufänken?
Kandidat: Ech ka schonn den éischte September ufänken.
Interviewer: A wéi eng Aarbechtszäite géift Iech passen?
Kandidat: Ech schaffe gär vun aacht Auer moies bis véier Auer mëttes.
Interviewer: Dat ass perfekt fir eis. Mir sichen een, deen tëscht siwen an néng Auer ufänkt.
Kandidat: Super! Dat passt mir ganz gutt.

7. Pronunciation Guide (Aussprochsuleedung)

The images show a pronunciation guide for the sounds “éi”, “ei”, and “äi” which are important in Luxembourgish.

Sounds

Example Words with These Sounds

• wéi (how)
• Béier (beer)
• Déier (animal)
• bei (at)
• hei (here)
• Usträicher (painter)
• mäin (my, masculine)

8. Practice Exercises (Übungen)

Exercise 1: Write the time in Luxembourgish

1. 08:15 → _____________________
2. 14:30 → _____________________
3. 17:45 → _____________________
4. 20:10 → _____________________
5. 12:00 → _____________________

Exercise 2: Answer the questions

1. Wat schaffs du? (What do you do?)
2. Wou schaffs du? (Where do you work?)
3. Wéini fänks du un? (When do you start?)
4. Wéini hälts du op? (When do you finish?)
5. Wat fir eng Aarbecht méchs du? (What kind of work do you do?)

Exercise 3: Translate to Luxembourgish

1. I start work at 8:30 in the morning.
2. She works in a bank from Monday to Friday.
3. What time is it? It’s quarter past twelve.
4. My job is interesting but difficult.
5. He finishes at half past four in the afternoon.

Exercise 4: Fill in the verb forms

1. Ech ________ (schaffen) an engem Büro.
2. Hien ________ (ufänken) um aacht Auer.
3. Si ________ (ophalen) um sechs Auer.
4. Mir ________ (sinn) Kolleegen op der Aarbecht.
5. Du ________ (schaffen) als Dokter?

9. Vocabulary List (Wuertlëscht)

10. Cultural Note (Kulturell Notiz)

In Luxembourg, the work culture often reflects the country’s multilingual identity. Business is typically conducted in Luxembourgish, French, German, or English, depending on the sector and company. The standard working week is 40 hours, usually from Monday to Friday, though some services operate on weekends as well.

Luxembourg has generous holiday allowances compared to many countries, with a minimum of 26 days of paid leave plus 11 public holidays. There is also typically a lunch break of one hour, and work-life balance is valued in the Luxembourgish culture.

When discussing time in a professional context, punctuality is highly valued and expected in Luxembourg. Being on time for work and meetings is considered very important.