Verb-second (V2) word order in main clauses
Can construct sentences with correct V2 word order
Schau dir diese Beispiele an. Kannst du das grammatische Muster erkennen?
Haut ginn ech an d'Stad.
Heute gehe ich in die Stadt.
Moies dréinken ech Kaffi.
Morgens trinke ich Kaffee.
Lëtzebuergesch schwätzen ech gär.
Luxemburgisch spreche ich gern.
Achte auf die hervorgehobenen Teile. Was haben sie gemeinsam?
In a Luxembourgish main clause the conjugated verb is the second element. English has something similar in a few fixed patterns ("Never have I seen..."); Luxembourgish applies it to every statement.
| Position 1 | Position 2 (verb) | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Ech | schwätzen | Lëtzebuergesch. - I speak Luxembourgish. |
| Haut | schwätzen | ech Lëtzebuergesch. - Today I speak Luxembourgish. |
| Um Weekend | fuere | mir an d'Éislek. - At the weekend we drive up to the Éislek. |
| Bouneschlupp | iessen | ech gär. - Bean soup I love. |
Position 1 can be the subject, but it can also be a time word, a place, an object or a whole phrase. Whatever stands there, the verb stays second and the subject moves behind it. English says "Today I speak", with the subject before the verb; in Luxembourgish that is *Haut ech schwätzen, which is wrong. It has to be Haut schwätzen ech.
When a sentence has two verbs, the second one (an infinitive or a past participle) goes to the end of the clause, often far from the first:
After words like well (because), datt (that) and wann (if, when) the conjugated verb goes to the very end: ... well ech haut schaffen. And when a subordinate clause comes first, it fills position 1, so the main verb follows straight after the comma: Wann et reent, bleiwen ech doheem. - If it rains, I'll stay at home.
Questions are the exception to verb-second: a yes/no question starts with the verb (Schwätz du Lëtzebuergesch?), and so does a command.
Wende diese Grammatik in den Übungen des Kurses A1 an
ÜbungsaufgabenV2 rule: the conjugated verb is always in position 2. When something else fills position 1, subject-
Haut ginn ech an d'Stad.
Heute gehe ich in die Stadt.
Haut (today) in position 1, so verb ginn moves to position 2 and subject ech follows.
Moies dréinken ech Kaffi.
Morgens trinke ich Kaffee.
Time expression moies in position 1 → verb-subject inversion.
Lëtzebuergesch schwätzen ech gär.
Luxemburgisch spreche ich gern.
Object Lëtzebuergesch fronted to position 1 for emphasis.
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Wende diese Grammatik in den Übungen des Kurses A1 an