Negation in Luxembourgish: net, keen, keng, näischt, ni and dach
Net or keen? Luxembourgish has two ways to say “not”, plus näischt, ni, néierens and the very useful dach. When to use which, where net goes in the sentence, and real examples from the LOD dictionary with native recordings.
Updated · 4 min read
Saying no is a survival skill: *I don't understand*, *I have no time*, *not yet*, *never*. Luxembourgish does it with two main words — net and keen/keng — and a handful of others. Every form here is listed in the Lëtzebuerger Online Dictionnaire (LOD), and every example is an LOD sentence read by a native speaker.
net = not
net negates a verb, an adjective or a whole statement — like English *not*. It comes after the conjugated verb and after pronouns, and before the word or phrase it negates, and before the verb part at the end of the sentence (see word order).
Schwätz e bësse méi haart, wannechgelift, ech verstinn dech net!
Literally: Speak a little louder, please — I can't understand you!
Meaning: ech verstinn dech net — after the verb (verstoen) and the pronoun dech.
Et ass net ganz ongeféierlech, fir an de Floss schwammen ze goen.
Literally: It isn't entirely safe to go swimming in the river.
Meaning: net before the adjective it negates. schwammen = to swim.
Ech kommen haut net iwwer Mëtteg heem iessen.
Literally: I'm not coming home for lunch today.
Si sinn all midd, mee ech net.
Literally: They're all tired, but I'm not.
Meaning: ech net — “not me”, with no verb at all. sinn = to be.
Ierger dech net doriwwer!
Literally: Don't get annoyed about it!
Meaning: A negative command: verb first, then the pronoun, then net.
keen, kee, keng = no, not a, not any
Where English says *no time*, *not a jacket*, *not any horses*, Luxembourgish puts keen in front of the noun — instead of an article, not after one. Its form follows the noun:
| Noun | Form | LOD example |
|---|---|---|
| masculine and neuter | keen (before a vowel and n, d, t, z, h) / kee (before other consonants) | *keen Téi* — no tea |
| feminine | keng | *keng Zäit* — no time; *keng Jackett* — no jacket |
| plural | keng | *keng Päerd* — no horses |
*keen* and *kee* are the same word: the n disappears under the n-rule.
An eise Géigende wiisst keen Téi.
Literally: No tea grows in our part of the world.
Meaning: wiisst is wuessen, to grow.
Du brauchs haut keng Jackett matzehuelen, et soll schéint Wieder ginn.
Literally: You don't need to take a jacket today — it's supposed to be nice weather.
Meaning: brauchen + keng = don't need (any).
Hie verpasst keng Molzecht.
Literally: He never misses a meal.
Meaning: Literally “he misses no meal”.
Quick test: if English could put *a*, *an*, *any* or *no* in front of the noun — *I have no car*, *I don't have any time* — use keen/keng. Everything else takes net: *ech sinn net midd* (I am not tired).
On its own, without a noun, keen means *nobody* and kee vun… means *none of…*:
Keen hat d'Abriecher héieren.
Literally: Nobody had heard the burglars.
Meaning: héieren in the past perfect.
Kee vun hire Bouwen daacht eppes.
Literally: None of her sons was any good.
näischt, ni, néierens: nothing, never, nowhere
| Luxembourgish | English | Positive partner |
|---|---|---|
| näischt | nothing | eppes (something) |
| ni (often *nach ni*) | never (ever) | ëmmer (always) |
| néierens | nowhere | iwwerall (everywhere) |
| keen | nobody | jidderee (everyone) |
| net méi / keng … méi | no longer, not … any more | nach (still) |
| nach net | not yet | schonn (already) |
Esou eng bëlleg Ausried hunn ech nach ni héieren.
Literally: I've never heard such a cheap excuse.
Meaning: héieren — its participle is also *héieren*.
Ech hu meng Schlësselen néierens fonnt.
Literally: I couldn't find my keys anywhere.
Meaning: fannen → *fonnt*.
Schwätz méi haart, ech héieren net méi gutt!
Literally: Speak louder — I don't hear well any more!
Meaning: schwätzen as a command.
Ech hale keng Päerd méi, well et ze vill Aarbecht ass.
Literally: I don't keep horses any more — it's too much work.
Meaning: keng … méi with a noun; halen = to hold, to keep.
Et hält net u mir, datt d'Saach nach net erleedegt ass.
Literally: It's not my fault that the matter isn't settled yet.
Meaning: nach net = not yet. In the datt clause the verb goes last.
Yes, no — and dach
Jo is yes and neen is no. But to say *yes* to a negative question or statement — *Don't you like it? — Yes I do!* — Luxembourgish uses dach, like German *doch* or French *si*.
Jo, du hues Recht!
Literally: Yes, you're right!
neen
Literally: no
Dach, dat stëmmt!
Literally: Yes it is — that's true!
Meaning: The answer to someone who has just said it isn't.
Ma dach, ech sot der et jo!
Literally: But yes, I told you so!
Meaning: sot is the simple past of soen — one of the few verbs that has one.
Sentences to learn by heart
- *Ech verstinn dech net.* — I don't understand you. Ask them to repeat it slowly, please.
- *Ech hu keng Zäit.* — I have no time (*hunn* loses its n before k).
- *Dat weess ech net.* — I don't know that (wëssen).
- *Ech hu keen Auto.* — I don't have a car (hunn).
- *Dat ass net schlëmm.* — That's not a problem. Say it after an excuse me or sorry.
- *Ech schwätzen nach net gutt Lëtzebuergesch.* — I don't speak good Luxembourgish yet (schwätzen).
Say it, hear it, 16 at a time
16Word's Luxembourgish sentences use net and keen in real situations, with native recordings and a Blocks break between answers. The first page is free.
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Questions about negation in Luxembourgish
What is the difference between net and keen in Luxembourgish?
net negates a verb, adjective or statement (ech sinn net midd). keen replaces the article in front of a noun (ech hu keng Zäit — I have no time). keen/kee is for masculine and neuter nouns, keng for feminine and plural.
Where does net go in a Luxembourgish sentence?
After the conjugated verb and after pronouns, before what it negates and before a verb part at the end: ech verstinn dech net; ech kommen haut net heem iessen.
How do you say nothing, never and nowhere in Luxembourgish?
näischt (nothing), ni or nach ni (never), néierens (nowhere). Nobody is keen, no longer is net méi, not yet is nach net.
What does dach mean in Luxembourgish?
Dach is yes in answer to a negative statement or question, like German doch or French si: Dach, dat stëmmt! — yes it is, that's true.
Official sources
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