The Passive: Luxembourgish Lesson

http://www.letzlearn.org
Learn Luxembourgish with Let'z Learn

Luxembourgish Lesson: The Passive


Singular and Plural

Luxembourgish uses the verb ginn to express the passive. For the singular, we use the form gëtt, for the plural, we use the form ginn:

For example:

I am making my cocktail.: Ech maache mäi Cocktail. (active)
My cocktail is being made.: Mäi Cocktail gëtt gemaacht. (passive)

I am making our cocktails.: Ech maachen eis Cocktailer. (active)
Our cocktails are being made.: Eis Cocktailer gi gemaacht. (passive)


Tense and 2 Verbs

The passive ginn is always in the same tense as the main verb in the active sentence. If we have the present tense in an active sentence, ginn is also used in the present tense. If we have the past tense in an active sentence, ginn is also used in the past tense. If there is another verb before the main verb in the active sentence, then the same verb is also before ginn:

For example:

I eat cake.: Ech iesse Kuch. (active)
Cake is eaten.: Kuch gëtt giess. (passive)

I must eat this cake.: Ech muss dëse Kuch iessen. (active)
This cake must be eaten.: Dëse Kuch muss giess ginn. (passive)

I have eaten the pizzas.: Ech hunn dPizzae giess. (active)
The pizzas have been eaten.: DPizzae si giess ginn. (passive)


People

The passive can also be used to express an action done by an unknown number of people. In these sentences, we start with et gëtt. In English, this construction uses the word people:

For example:

People are dancing the whole night.:
DLeit danzen déi ganz Nuecht. (active)
Et gëtt déi ganz Nuecht gedanzt. (passive)

People are drinking a lot.:
DLeit drénke vill. (active)
Et gëtt vill gedronk. (passive)


Äifler Regel

Do not forget: Because of the Äifler Regel (Rule of Eifel), ginn can become gi if it is not followed by a vowel or the letter n, d, t, z, or h.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• language
• luxembourg
• luxembourgish
• letzebuerg
• letzebuergesch
• course
• let'z
• letz
• let's
• lets
• learn
• lesson

[tpmm1]

I would not write gemaachT (with a t in the end). The official spelling is gemaach.

[doukeyile]

why do you start from the passive then?

[doukeyile]

mmm... this was not very clear.... i know it becomes difficult when it comes to teach grammar.

Good luck. :)