Modal verbs

Modal verbs (can, want, must, should, may) let you soften, request and plan. The modal takes second position and pushes the main verb, as an infinitive, to the end of the clause.

How modal verbs work: the infinitive goes last

A modal verb (can, want, must, should, may) changes the meaning of a second verb. In Luxembourgish the modal is the conjugated verb, so it sits in second position — and the other verb travels to the very END of the clause as an infinitive.

The pattern is: [subject] then [modal, second position] then [everything else] then [infinitive]. 'Ech muss muer schaffen goen' = 'I have to go to work tomorrow.' Resist the English or French habit of keeping the two verbs side by side.

Ech kann Lëtzebuergesch schwätzen.	I can speak Luxembourgish.	Modal second, infinitive last.
Muer muss ech schaffen goen.	Tomorrow I have to go to work.	Two infinitives can even stack at the end.
Hie wëll en neien Auto kafen.	He wants to buy a new car.
❌ Ech muss goen schaffen muer.	(wrong) word order	Put the time in the middle and the infinitives last: 'Ech muss muer schaffen goen.'

Try it

Muer muss ech schaffen . (goen)

The infinitive goes to the very end of the clause.

The forms: kënnen, wëllen, mussen

Modals are irregular in the singular — the stem vowel usually changes — but regular in the plural. Learn the three singular forms of each by heart; the plural is simply the infinitive pattern.

kënnen: ech kann, du kanns, hie kann, mir kënnen, dir kënnt, si kënnen	can / to be able to
wëllen: ech wëll, du wëlls, hie wëll, mir wëllen, dir wëllt, si wëllen	to want
mussen: ech muss, du muss, hie muss, mir mussen, dir musst, si mussen	must / to have to
Kanns du mir hëllefen?	Can you help me?	Yes/no question: modal to the front, infinitive still last.

Try it

du mir muer hëllefen? (kënnen)

2nd person singular of 'kënnen' (with vowel change).

Ech haut leider net kommen. (kënnen)

1st person singular of 'kënnen'.

sollen, dierfen and a polite softener

'Sollen' means should / ought to; 'dierfen' means to be allowed to / may. 'Dierfen' with a negation is the normal way to say 'must not': 'Hei dierf ee net fëmmen' = 'you may not smoke here'.

For politeness the conditional 'géif' + infinitive, or 'kënnt' (could), softens a request — very useful in the exam: 'Kënnt Dir dat wannechgelift widderhuelen?' = 'Could you please repeat that?'

sollen: ech soll, du solls, hie soll, mir sollen, dir sollt, si sollen	should / ought to
dierfen: ech dierf, du dierfs, hie dierf, mir dierfen, dir dierft, si dierfen	may / to be allowed to
Du solls méi Waasser drénken.	You should drink more water.
Hei dierf ee net fëmmen.	One may not smoke here.	'dierfen' + 'net' = must not.

Saying you like or would like: gär

Luxembourgish rarely uses a verb like English 'to like'. To say you like DOING something, add the little word 'gär' (or 'gären') after the verb: 'Ech kache gär' = 'I like cooking'. To say you like a thing or a person, use 'gär hunn': 'Ech hunn dech gär'.

For a polite 'I would like', use 'Ech hätt gär …' with a noun, or 'Ech géif gär …' with an infinitive. 'Léiwer' (rather) makes the comparison: 'Ech drénke léiwer Téi'.

Ech spille gär Foussball.	I like playing football.	'spillen' becomes 'spille' before 'gär' (Eifeler Regel).
Ech hunn dech gär.	I like you.	'gär hunn' for people and things.
Ech hätt gär e Kaffi, wannechgelift.	I'd like a coffee, please.	polite request.
Ech drénke léiwer Téi wéi Kaffi.	I prefer tea to coffee.