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Blog · Family life

Hello in Luxembourgish: Moien, and the first classroom words.

By the Kawi team · Updated

One word opens almost every door in Luxembourg, and your child will say it from their very first morning at school. Here it is, along with the small handful of words that go with it, to discover through the first words with the official pronunciation.

Tap a card to hear it, spoken by a Luxembourgish voice from the official LOD.lu dictionary:

Moien, the all-purpose word

Hello is Moien. And it's the handiest of words: it works at any time of day, with anyone, from the baker to the teacher. Your child will hear it every morning at drop-off, and it's often the very first Luxembourgish word they'll bring home. Say it to them as you drop them off, and they'll make the connection all by themselves.

Literally, Moien means “morning”: it's the same word as in Gudde Moien (good morning), a cousin of the German Morgen. In everyday use, though, it has lost its time of day: people say it at noon and in the evening too, and the natural reply is simply another Moien. The reference pronunciation, with a recording, is in the official Luxembourgish dictionary.

By time of day, if you want to be precise

In speech, plain Moien is enough in almost every case. Keep the others for play, children love the "evening" version at bedtime.

How are you, goodbye, see you soon: the other phrases

Each phrase links to its entry in the official dictionary, where the example can be heard in a real Luxembourgish voice.

The words your child will hear in class

Beyond hello, a handful of words come up all the time in cycle 1. Knowing them gives your child a few "oh, I know that" moments on the first day of school.

Hearing them well pronounced

Moien has the good manners to come out right the first time, which is not true of every word: Luxembourgish also has words that trip up every newcomer. Start with the easy ones.

A mispronounced word has to be learned twice, so you may as well start from the right voice. A child builds their ear on what they hear: favour a real Luxembourgish voice. Our first words with the pronunciation from the official dictionary can be touched and heard in the browser, and they fit into the wider method: how to bring Luxembourgish to a child who can't read yet.

Moien, and the words that follow.

Kawi lets your child hear and recognise words from the classroomroom, with the official pronunciation, in short sessions to do together. Free to start.

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Your questions

How do you say hello in Luxembourgish?+
Moien. It's the all-purpose greeting: it works at any time of day and with anyone. In the morning you can say Gudde Moien, in the afternoon Gudde Mëtteg, in the evening Gudden Owend.
What does Moien mean?+
Moien means hello or hi. Literally it's the word for morning (as in Gudde Moien, good morning), but it's used at any time of day, and the natural reply is simply another Moien. It's the first word your child will hear and repeat, because the teacher uses it every morning at drop-off.
How do you say thank you and goodbye in Luxembourgish?+
Thank you is Merci. Goodbye is Äddi. Yes is Jo, no is Nee, and please is wannechgelift, written as one word. To a thank you, the reply is gär geschitt.
How do you say how are you in Luxembourgish?+
Wéi geet et? To be polite, say Wéi geet et Iech? In the evening, the official dictionary gives the example Gudden Owend, wéi geet et Iech?: good evening, how are you?