Idioms and register Riedensaarten
Sound like a local: common idioms, and the difference between formal and informal address in speech and letters.
19 words and phrases
- Et ass mir Wurscht.
- I don't care. Literally: it is sausage to me.
- Hien huet net all Tasen am Schaf.
- He is not all there. Literally: not all cups in the cupboard.
- Näischt fir ongutt.
- No offence.
- mat der Dier an d'Haus falen
- to be far too direct Literally: to fall through the door into the house.
- d'Kierch am Duerf loossen
- not to overdo it Literally: leave the church in the village.
- Et ass net alles Gold, wat blénkt.
- All that glitters is not gold.
- Wien A seet, muss och B soen.
- In for a penny, in for a pound.
- Dat geet op keng Kouhaut.
- That is beyond belief. Literally: it does not fit on a cowhide.
- een op d'Schëpp huelen
- to pull someone's leg
- aus enger Méck en Elefant maachen
- to make a mountain out of a molehill
- Schwäin hunn
- to be lucky
- bis iwwer d'Oueren verléift
- head over heels in love
- Et geet drëm, …
- The point is …
- Et kënnt drop un.
- It depends.
- Salut
- Hi (informal)
- Awuer
- Goodbye (from au revoir)
- Léif Madamm, léiwen Här,
- Dear Madam, dear Sir, (letter opening)
- Mat frëndleche Gréiss
- Kind regards
- Mat beschte Gréiss
- Best regards
Grammar
du or Dir?
Dir (with Iech, Är) is used for strangers, officials, older people and at work until invited otherwise. Luxembourgish switches to "du" faster than French does, but slower than English speakers expect.
The formal forms are capitalised in writing: Kënnt Dir mir hëllefen? Ech schécken Iech d'Dokument.
Idioms are fixed
An idiom keeps its wording. Change one word and it stops being an idiom. Learn the sentence as a whole, with its rhythm.
Practice
6 exercises: multiple choice, typing, matching pairs and word order.