About Luxembourgish
A short introduction to the language, the CEFR levels, and a few books to get started.
History of the Luxembourgish language
Lëtzebuergesch is a West Germanic language spoken by around 400,000 people, primarily in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. It evolved from the Moselle Franconian dialects of High German and shares many features with neighbouring varieties spoken in Germany, Belgium and France.
For centuries, Luxembourgish lived alongside French and German as part of the country's unique trilingual culture. It was officially recognised as a national language in 1984, and standardised orthography rules have continued to evolve since.
Today, Luxembourgish plays a central role in everyday life — from family conversations and parliamentary debates to literature, media and music — while French and German remain widely used in administration, education and the press.
Language levels guide (A1 – C2)
The Common European Framework of Reference defines six levels of proficiency.
- A1
Beginner
Understand and use familiar everyday expressions and very basic phrases.
- A2
Elementary
Communicate in simple, routine tasks on familiar topics.
- B1
Intermediate
Deal with most situations while travelling, describe experiences and opinions.
- B2
Upper-Intermediate
Interact with fluency and spontaneity; produce clear, detailed text on a wide range of subjects.
- C1
Advanced
Express ideas fluently and use language flexibly for social, academic and professional purposes.
- C2
Proficient
Understand virtually everything heard or read; express yourself precisely in complex situations.
Recommended books
A starter list of widely-used books for learning Luxembourgish.
- A1–A2
Lëtzebuergesch fir all Dag
by INL
- A1
Schwätzt Dir Lëtzebuergesch?
by Lex Roth
- A2–B1
Mir schwätzen Lëtzebuergesch
by François Schanen
- B1–C1
Grammaire de la langue luxembourgeoise
by François Schanen