10 back-to-school sentences that simplify your life

Autumn has officially arrived, the kids are back in school and the adults are back at work. Hopefully, you have had a chance to recharge your batteries and are feeling a renewed sense of energy as life and work are speeding up again after the summer break. Maybe you have vowed to finish some important projects before the end of the year or simply taken on some new challenges. Maybe you have even decided to start learning Luxembourgish.

At this time of the year, I imagine that at least one of the following three situations applies to you:

•  you are travelling to school or work
• you need to talk to your coworkers at work
• you need to talk to your children’s teachers at school or daycare

 

Public transport

Driving your car in Luxembourg is a lot less time-consuming than in other corners of the world as distances are smaller and traffic is generally bearable. Still, it might be worth looking into your public transportation options, especially if you like the thought of relaxing or being productive while somebody else chauffeurs you around.

You can find out which buses and trains go where you need to go on the Mobilitéit website. Or, if you’re out and about, you can simply call them and ask them how to get from A to B (tel.: 2465 2465). Here are some useful questions to ask them:

Wéi kommen ech op Stroossen? How do I get to Strassen?

Wéini fiert den nächste Bus op Bouneweg? When does the next bus go to Bonnevoie?

Wou ass de Busarrêt? Where is the bus stop?

 

At work

It’s likely that you will also encounter some Luxembourgish once you are at work, be it from colleagues, customers or suppliers. Use the following Luxembourgish sentences to surprise them and win them over by speaking their language:

Wat ass den Delai fir dëse Projet? What is the deadline for this project?

Maach mir eng PowerPoint-Presentatioun, w.e.g.! Make me a PowerPoint presentation, please!

Doriwwer musse mir nach negociéieren! We still have to negotiate that!

Kanns du mir de Clientsdossier bréngen, w.e.g.? Can you bring me the customer folder, please?

Wat ass de Präis? What is the price?

Fir wéini kënnt Dir mir dat liwweren? When can you deliver that?

 

At school

If you have kids who are starting in a Luxembourgish school or daycare, I would suggest you start talking to the teachers in Luxembourgish using whatever words you know. Teachers are already used to correcting people in a constructive manner so it should be a safe environment for you to practise in. In addition, you will make a good impression and come across as that involved parent who goes the extra mile trying to integrate by learning the local language. Start off your first practising session with the following question:

 Wat muss mäi Jong / Meedchen an d’Schoul matbréngen? What does my son / daughter have to bring to school?

Ersatzkleeder – spare clothes

Stiwwelen – boots

eng Reejackett - a rain coat

e Rucksak mat Schachtel an Hefter  – a bagpack with pencil case and notebooks

Faarwen – colouring pens

e Snack – a snack

Turnsaachen – gym clothes (literally: gym things)

I’d love to hear how these sentences turned out for you and what other sentences could come in  handy. Let me know in the comments section!

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