Patience, luck and timing: Luxembourgish sayings about time
Tomorrow is another day, that train has gone, and an old man is no express train. Seventeen Luxembourgish sayings about time, patience and luck — each read by a native speaker.
Updated · 3 min read
Time words — days, months, hours, “tomorrow” and “yesterday” — are on our numbers and time vocabulary page. The sayings below show how Luxembourgers talk about waiting, hurrying, chances and luck.
No hurry
Muer ass nach en Dag.
Literally: Tomorrow is still a day.
Meaning: It can wait until tomorrow; there is no need to hurry. Muer is tomorrow — a favourite for putting things off with a smile.
Maach lues, en ale Mann ass kee Schnellzuch!
Literally: Go slowly, an old man is no express train!
Meaning: Slow down, I cannot keep up! Slow down, an old man is no express train. The train words are worth knowing in a country where trains are free — see free public transport in Luxembourg.
Et ass nach kee Meeschter vum Himmel gefall.
Literally: No master has ever fallen from the sky.
Meaning: You have to learn for a long time before you are good at something. No master has fallen from the sky: everyone has to learn.
Kräisch net, ier s de geschloe bass!
Literally: Do not cry before you have been hit!
Meaning: Do not get upset about something that has not happened yet. Don’t cry before you have been hit — don’t worry in advance.
Géi näischt sichen, wou näischt ass.
Literally: Do not go looking for something where there is nothing.
Meaning: Do not worry about problems that do not exist. Don’t look for anything where there is nothing — the verb is sichen.
Too late, too fast
Deen Zuch ass fort!
Literally: That train is gone!
Meaning: That opportunity has been missed. That train has left: the chance is gone. Fueren is what trains do; fort means gone.
Dat do ass Schnéi vu gëschter.
Literally: That is snow from yesterday.
Meaning: That is no longer current. Snow from yesterday: old news.
Dat geet ewéi de Blëtz!
Literally: That goes like the lightning!
Meaning: That happens very fast. Like lightning: very fast.
Geschitt ass geschitt!
Literally: Happened is happened!
Meaning: What has happened cannot be undone. Happened is happened — what is done is done. Geschitt is the past participle; see the past tense.
Mir gesinn nach net un d'Enn vum Tunnel.
Literally: We do not see the end of the tunnel yet.
Meaning: We do not see a solution to our problem yet. We don’t see the end of the tunnel yet.
Once is never; you only live once
Eemol ass keemol.
Literally: Once is never.
Meaning: A single time does not count. Once is never: one time doesn’t count.
Et lieft een nëmmen eng Kéier!
Literally: One lives only once!
Meaning: You should enjoy life while you can. You live only once — the verb is liewen.
Esou ass d'Liewen!
Literally: That is how life is!
Meaning: That is the way things are; you have to accept it. That’s life — the most-used saying of all.
Luck
Schierbele brénge Gléck.
Literally: Shards bring luck.
Meaning: Breaking something by accident is not a disaster (said as comfort). Broken pieces bring luck — said when a glass or plate breaks.
Loosse mer Holz upaken!
Literally: Let us touch wood!
Meaning: Hopefully nothing goes wrong. Let’s knock on wood: let’s hope nothing goes wrong.
Et läit eppes an der Loft!
Literally: There is something lying in the air!
Meaning: A change is coming. Something is in the air: a change is coming.
D'Gléck geet dem Soff no.
Literally: Luck follows the drunk.
Meaning: People who are drunk often have luck. Luck follows the drunkard.
To wish someone luck, see how to say good luck in Luxembourgish; for the turn of the year, happy New Year.
Time grammar in a nutshell
- Future with the present tense: Luxembourgish usually talks about the future with the present plus a time word — ech kommen muer. See the present tense.
- Time first, verb second: Muer ass nach en Dag — the verb stays in second place. Word order explains it.
- Telling the time and dates: our numbers page and numbers and time words have the recordings.
- Waiting and hurrying: the verbs waarden (to wait), kommen (to come), goen (to go) and bleiwen (to stay).
Related: why “the Prussians don’t shoot that fast” means “there’s no rush” is told in Kiermes, priests and Prussians. More sayings: love and friendship, money and work.
Reading a saying is one thing; using it at the right moment is another. For that, practise with a person: on Edluxio you can book 1-to-1 online lessons with independent teachers, native speakers among them, and try your new sayings in a real conversation. Book a trial lesson; if your first lesson isn’t right for you, you get a full refund.
Practise with native audio
Every saying here is in 16Word’s Proverbs & Idioms track — the meaning, your answer, the native recording.
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Frequently asked questions
How do you say “tomorrow is another day” in Luxembourgish?
Muer ass nach en Dag — tomorrow is still a day.
What does “Deen Zuch ass fort” mean?
That train has left: the opportunity has been missed.
How do you say “knock on wood”?
Loosse mer Holz upaken! — let’s touch wood.
What do Luxembourgers say when a glass breaks?
Schierbele brénge Gléck — broken pieces bring luck.
How do you say “you only live once”?
Et lieft een nëmmen eng Kéier.
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