LëtzQuizSaatzbau · Level 8 of 8
Talking about the past (Perfekt)
Pattern Subject + hunn / sinn (position 2) + … + past participle (end).
Gëschter sinn ech an de Restaurant gaangen an hunn eng Pizza giess. Yesterday I went to the restaurant and ate a pizza.
Same bracket as the modal verbs. Most verbs use hunn. Verbs of movement or change use sinn.
| Infinitive | Past | Example |
|---|---|---|
| iessen | hunn … giess | Ech hunn eng Pizza giess. |
| drénken | hunn … gedronk | Ech hunn e Kaffi gedronk. |
| schaffen | hunn … geschafft | Ech hu gëschter geschafft. |
| kafen | hunn … kaf | Ech hu Brout kaf. |
| goen | sinn … gaangen | Ech sinn an de Restaurant gaangen. |
| fueren | sinn … gefuer | Mir sinn op Lëtzebuerg gefuer. |
- Ech hunn eng Pizza giess.I ate a pizza.
- Ech hunn e Kaffi gedronk.I drank a coffee.
- Ech hu gëschter geschafft.I worked yesterday.
- Ech hu Brout kaf.I bought bread.
- Ech sinn an de Restaurant gaangen.I went to the restaurant.
- Mir sinn op Lëtzebuerg gefuer.We drove to Luxembourg City.
Ech hu gëschter, ech hu Brout: the n-rule again, before g and b. Use war (was) and hat (had) directly:
- Ech war midd.I was tired.
- Ech hat Honger.I was hungry.
| sinn → war (was) | hunn → hat (had) | |
|---|---|---|
| ech | war | hat |
| du | waars | has |
| hien / hatt / si | war | hat |
| mir | waren | haten |
| dir / Dir | waart | hat |
| si (they) | waren | haten |
- Wou waart Dir an der Vakanz?Where were you on holiday? (formal)
- Mir waren an Indien.We were in India.
- Du waars net doheem.You weren't at home.
- Hatt hat vill Aarbecht.She had a lot of work.
- Mir haten keng Zäit.We had no time.
- Si waren immens midd.They were really tired.
Most verbs use hunn. Use sinn for movement from one place to another (goen, fueren, kommen, reesen, lafen), for a change of state (opstoen), and with bleiwen and sinn itself.
| Infinitive | Perfekt | English |
|---|---|---|
| maachen | hunn … gemaach | to do / make |
| kucken | hunn … gekuckt | to watch |
| liesen | hunn … gelies | to read |
| schlofen | hunn … geschlof | to sleep |
| spillen | hunn … gespillt | to play |
| kachen | hunn … gekacht | to cook |
| schreiwen | hunn … geschriwwen | to write |
| gesinn | hunn … gesinn | to see |
| huelen | hunn … geholl | to take |
| kréien | hunn … kritt | to receive |
| wunnen | hunn … gewunnt | to live |
| hunn | hunn … gehat | to have |
| kommen | sinn … komm | to come |
| reesen | sinn … gereest | to travel |
| lafen | sinn … gelaf | to run |
| opstoen | sinn … opgestan | to get up |
| bleiwen | sinn … bliwwen | to stay |
| sinn | sinn … gewiescht | to be |
Verbs ending in -éieren take no ge-: studéieren → studéiert. Nor do verbs starting with er-: erwächen → erwächt. In separable verbs ge- goes after the prefix: opstoen → opgestan.
hunn / sinn stay in position 2, the participle goes to the end: Gëschter hunn ech Tëlee gekuckt. The n-rule works here too: ech hu gekacht, mir si gefuer — but ech hunn eng Pizza giess, ech sinn doheem bliwwen.
- Wat hues du gëschter gemaach?What did you do yesterday?
- Gëschter hunn ech Tëlee gekuckt.Yesterday I watched TV.
- Ech hu gutt geschlof.I slept well.
- Ech si moies um siwen Auer opgestan.I got up at seven in the morning.
- Ech hunn e Buch gelies.I read a book.
- Ech sinn doheem bliwwen.I stayed at home.
- Am Weekend si mir op e Concert gaangen.At the weekend we went to a concert.
- Mir sinn an der Vakanz an Indien gereest.We travelled to India on holiday.
- Wou bass du gewiescht?Where have you been?
- Hues du gutt geschlof?Did you sleep well?
Gëschter sinn ech mat menger Famill an de Restaurant gaangen, well mir Honger haten. Ech hunn eng Pizza giess an e Glas Waasser gedronk.
- Gëschter sinn ech mat menger Famill an de Restaurant gaangen, well mir Honger haten. Ech hunn eng Pizza giess an e Glas Waasser gedronk.Yesterday I went to the restaurant with my family because we were hungry. I ate a pizza and drank a glass of water.
Practice: What did you do?
Talk about the past with hunn or sinn in position 2 and the participle at the end. Read the English, say it, then tap to check.
Yesterday (hunn)
- I worked yesterday.
Show the answer
Ech hu gëschter geschafft. - I cooked fish.
Show the answer
Ech hu Fësch gekacht. - I watched TV.
Show the answer
Ech hunn Tëlee gekuckt. - I read a book.
Show the answer
Ech hunn e Buch gelies. - I played football.
Show the answer
Ech hu Fussball gespillt. - I bought bread.
Show the answer
Ech hu Brout kaf. - I slept badly.
Show the answer
Ech hu schlecht geschlof.
Going and coming (sinn)
- I went to the cinema.
Show the answer
Ech sinn an de Kino gaangen. - We drove to Luxembourg City.
Show the answer
Mir si op Lëtzebuerg gefuer. - I got up early.
Show the answer
Ech si fréi opgestan. - She came home late.
Show the answer
Si ass spéit heemkomm. - I stayed at home.
Show the answer
Ech sinn doheem bliwwen.
Starting with a time word
- Yesterday I watched a film.
Show the answer
Gëschter hunn ech e Film gekuckt. - At the weekend we went to a restaurant.
Show the answer
Am Weekend si mir an e Restaurant gaangen. - On holiday we travelled to India.
Show the answer
An der Vakanz si mir an Indien gereest.
Questions
- What did you do yesterday?
Show the answer
Wat hues du gëschter gemaach? - Where have you been?
Show the answer
Wou bass du gewiescht? - Did you sleep well?
Show the answer
Hues du gutt geschlof? - What did you eat? (formal)
Show the answer
Wat hutt Dir giess?
was / had
- I was tired.
Show the answer
Ech war midd. - I was hungry.
Show the answer
Ech hat Honger. - We were at home.
Show the answer
Mir waren doheem.