This lesson covers basic Luxembourgish greetings and introductions.

Table of Contents

1. Countries, People and Languages
2. Grammar Rules
3. Vocabulary
4. Exercises
5. Cultural Notes

1. Countries, People and Languages

Country-Nationality-Language Table

Sample Dialogues

1. Dialog 1:

   - Ech sinn de Sascha Smirnov.
   - Ech kommen aus Russland, vu Moskau.
   - Meng Fra ass Polin.
   - Mir schwätze Russesch a Polnesch doheem.
   - Ech schwätzen awer och e bëssen Däitsch.
   

2. At INL Cafeteria:

   - Moien, ech heesche Markus. An Dir, wéi heescht Dir?
   - Ech sinn d'Isabel. Komm, mir duzen eis.
   - Ech kommen aus Däitschland. An du?
   - Nee, ech kommen net aus Italien, ech kommen aus Portugal.
   

2. Grammar Rules

Basic Sentence Structure

1. Standard Order:

   • Subject + Verb + Rest + (Verb2)
   • Example: Ech lafen haut e Marathon

2. Time Indication:

   • Time + Verb + Subject + Rest + (Verb2)
   • Example: Haut lafen ech e Marathon

Articles and Possessives

1. Mäin/Meng Rules:

   • Mäin (masculine): mäin Mann, mäin Numm
   • Meng (feminine): meng Fra, meng Schwëster

2. Keen/Kee Rules:

   • Keen before:
     • Vowels (a, e, i, o, u)
     • Consonants: d, h, n, t, z
     • Example: keen Auto, keen Handy
   • Kee before other consonants
     • Example: kee Bic, kee Problem

3. Combined Keen/Kee Usage:

   • In same sentence: Follow both rules
   • Examples:
     • Ech hunn keen Auto a kee Bic.
     • Si huet keen Handy a kee Computer.

Question Formation

1. Formal:

   • Wat fir Sprooche schwätzt Dir?
   • Wat fir eng Nationalitéit hutt Dir?

2. Informal:

   • Wat fir Sprooche schwätze du?
   • Wat fir eng Nationalitéit hues du?

3. Vocabulary

Essential Words

• ähnlech = similar
• aus der Stad = from the city
• an der Stad = in the city
• doheem = at home
• bëssen = a little
• awer = but
• oder = or
• dann = then
• jo = yes (often used as interjection)
• gell = right? (interjection)

Common Verbs

• schwätzen = to speak
• léieren = to learn
• liesen = to read
• verstoen = to understand
• kënnen = can/to be able
• sinn = to be

4. Exercises

Practice 1: Keen/Kee Usage

Fill in with keen or kee:

1. Ech hunn _____ Auto.
2. Si huet _____ Handy.
3. Hien huet _____ Durst.
4. Mir hunn _____ Problem.

Practice 2: Combined Usage

Create sentences using both keen and kee:

1. Auto/Bus: _________________
2. Uebst/Geméis: _________________
3. Appetit/Problem: _________________
4. Durscht/Kaffi: _________________

5. Cultural Notes

Language Context

• Luxembourg is multilingual with three official languages:
  1. Luxembourgish (Lëtzebuergesch)
  2. French (Franséisch)
  3. German (Däitsch)

Learning Resources

• LOD - Lëtzebuerger Online Dictionnaire (www.lod.lu)
• Learn Luxembourg (learn.llo.lu/platform/#/learning-path)
• SDL Platform (sdl.inll.lu)

Communication Styles

• Formal (dirzen) - using “Dir”
• Informal (duzen) - using “du”
• When to use each form

Important Places

• Bettebuerg -> Bettebuerger Déierenparc
• INL (Institut National des Langues)

I’ll continue expanding the markdown notes with additional important details and sections.

6. Grammatical Structures

Time Expressions

• normalerweis = normally/usually
• haut = today
• moies = in the morning
• owes = in the evening
• mëttes = at noon/afternoon

Days of the Week Usage

Numbers and Time

• Time Indications:

  um 7 Auer = at 7 o'clock
  um 12 Auer = at noon
  um 1 Auer = at 1 o'clock
  

7. Useful Phrases

Daily Activities

Ech ginn 2 mol an der Woch akafen = I go shopping twice a week
Ech ginn Freides moies akafen = I go shopping on Friday mornings
Ech ginn an den Supermarché = I go to the supermarket

Shopping Vocabulary

• Places:

  • den Supermarché = the supermarket
  • Cactus
  • Lidl
  • d’Belle Etoile

• Items:

  Fësch = fish
  Fleesch = meat
  frëscht Uebst = fresh fruit
  Geméis = vegetables
  Mëllechprodukter = dairy products
  Botzmëttel = cleaning products
  

8. Conversation Topics

Family Members

• mäin Mann = my husband
• meng Fra = my wife
• eis Kanner = our children
• meng Famill = my family

Hobbies and Activities

Ech ginn gär akafen = I like to go shopping
Ech ginn normalerweis alleng = I usually go alone
Ech kafen eng Kaddoen = I buy gifts
Ech schenken gär e perséinlechen Kado = I like to give personal gifts

9. Additional Grammar Points

Article Usage with Places

• With Cities:

  vu Lëtzebuerg = from Luxembourg
  an der Stad = in the city
  zu Esch = in Esch
  

• With Stores:

  an den Cactus = to Cactus
  an den Lidl = to Lidl
  an d'Belle Etoile = to Belle Etoile
  

Frequency Words

• 2 mol an der Woch = twice a week
• 1 mol am Dag = once a day
• all Dag = every day
• heiansdo = sometimes
• normalerweis = usually

KEEN vs NET in Luxembourgish: A Quick Guide

Core Difference

When to Use NET

Net is used to negate:

1. Adjectives

   D'Wieder ass schéin → D'Wieder ass net schéin
   (The weather is nice → The weather is not nice)
   

2. Verbs

   Ech ginn akafen → Ech ginn net akafen
   (I go shopping → I don't go shopping)
   

3. Nouns with:

   • Definite articles

     Dat ass d'Haus → Dat ass net d'Haus
     

   • Possessive pronouns

     Dat ass mäi Vëlo → Dat ass net mäi Vëlo
     

When to Use KEEN

Keen is used to negate:

1. Nouns with indefinite articles

   en Dessert → keen Dessert
   eng Duechter → keng Duechter
   

2. Nouns without articles

   Ech hunn Zäit → Ech hu keng Zäit
   

Gender Forms

• Keen = masculine & neuter nouns
• Keng = feminine nouns & plurals

Special Cases

Some expressions can use both:

Ech spille keen Tennis = Ech spillen net Tennis
Ech schwätze kee Lëtzebuergesch = Ech schwätzen net Lëtzebuergesch

Quick Decision Tree

graph TD
    A[Word to Negate] --> B{What type?}
    B -->|Adjective/Verb| C[Use NET]
    B -->|Noun| D{Has article?}
    D -->|Definite/Possessive| E[Use NET]
    D -->|Indefinite/None| F[Use KEEN]

Pro Tip

💡 When in doubt about a noun:

• If you can put “a/an” before it → Use KEEN
• If you can put “the” or “my/your” before it → Use NET

10. Practice Exercises

Exercise 1: Time Expressions

Complete these sentences:

1. Ech ginn _____ (day) _____ (time of day) akafen.
2. Mir iessen _____ (time) zu Mëtteg.
3. Si schwätzt _____ (frequency) Lëtzebuergesch.

Exercise 2: Shopping Dialogue

Create a dialogue using these elements:

• Greeting
• Asking for products
• Prices
• Thank you and goodbye