Author: Shawn

Eb → before, whether

Use eb for the words before and whether.

Before = eb

PG: Eb di Laura kshtauva is hott see kshvetzt mitt fiah funn iahra kinnah.
EN: Before Laura died, she talked with four of her children.

    ?Remember: Use Eb and before as you go out the door.

Whether = eb

Eb can mean whether (as in, when talking about which of 2 possible options).

PG: Di Donna vill vissa eb du hinkel-flaysh adda fish vitt. 
EN: Donna wants to know whether you want chicken or fish.

?Remember: Eb and whether go together. 🙂

More Examples

• Vass sett ma du eb ma shteaht en haus bauwa? (as in, before)
• Es zayld haebna eb du’s gleichsht adda nett. (as in, whether)
• Yaydah vann muss diseiyda fa sich selvaht eb si fisha vella adda nett.​ (as in, whether)

Vann → when, if

Use vann for the words when and if.

When = vann

Vann is used when you’re wanting to say when something happens.

?Remember: Vann and when are like chicks and hens.

If = vann (as in, if this, then that)

PG: Vann miah greeni paint uf di vand doon, zayld’s goot gukka.
EN: If we put green paint on the wall, it will look good.

?Remember: With if and vann, it won’t take long.

More Examples

• Vass gebt mitt uns vann miah shtauva? (as in, when)
• Vann du’s gleichsht, ich kann’s viddah macha. (as in, if)
• Vann du en mann bisht… (as in, if)
• Vann du goodi decisions machsht, zaylsht du haebbi sei. (as in, if or when—depending on the context)
• Vann miah sell doon dann macht’s uns haebbi un si aw. (as in, if or when—depending on the context)

WHETHER / EB	IF / VANN
Whether is used in English for which of at least 2 possible things might happen — as in, which one?	If is used in English when talking about if something happens, then something else will happen.

Bonus

Occasionally, vann can also be used as a pronoun (as in one).

PG: Eah is da vann es alles gmacht hott. (as in, one)
EN: He is the one that made everything.

? When used as a pronoun, vann will always have da or di right in front of it — depending on whether the noun that’s being replaced is masculine or feminine.

Examples 

• PG: Di Donna is di vann es ‘s broht gmacht hott.
• EN: Donna is the one that made the bread.

• PG: Da Andy is da vann es ‘s haus gebaut hott.
• EN: Andy is the one that built the house.

Both een and eem mean him. But the RTO only uses een for simplicity. To make things easier, it’s perfectly acceptable to simply use een anytime you would use him in a sentence.

een

Een is used to refer to him.

Examples

• Vass hott da Billy gedu es een kolfa hott?
• No vitt du alles du es du kansht fa dei leevi veisa zu een.

eem

Eem means him. Used only in The Heilich Shrift.

Examples

• “Eah kumd an sei end, un nimmand zayld eem helfa.”
• Hayvet oh zu eem.

eena

Eena is used when talking about them (dative case). Used only in The Heilich Shrift.

Instead of eena, use si for them or they.

Examples

• “Ich selvaht zayl gay sucha fa mei shohf un nohch gukka noch eena.”
• No hott Jesus eena grawt raus ksawt, ‘Da Lazarus is kshtauva.’

Though different words, thank, think, and thinking sound similar in Pennsylvania Dutch. How do you keep them straight?

To Thank

To thank someone, say thanks, and to be thankful are all different words. See the examples below.

To Thank (v) = danka
(ex: Miah danka een fa awl sei shayni promises.)

Thanks = denki (notice the spelling change)
(ex: Miah sawwa denki fa awl eiyah haddi eahvet.)

Thankful (adj) = dankboah (always used with a form of sei)
(ex: Miah sinn so dankboah fa alles es du gedu hosht.)

To Think

Thinking

Thinking, as in the way a person thinks. This is a noun, not a verb.

Thinking (n) = denkes
(ex: Di veld iahra denkes is letz!)

Need / Braucha

Braucha is used when someone needs something (item, “product”).

? Tip: Can you buy it, gain it, or possess it?

Examples

• Miah braucha ess-sach.
• Miah braucha encouragement.
• Ich brauch en pen.

Missa and Sedda

Both missa (must) and sedda (should) are used when someone needs to do something.

? Tip: Are you talking about an action that needs to be done?

Examples (missa/must)

• See muss zu da shtoah gay.
• Si missa gay breddicha.
• Eah hott missa sei haus butza.

Examples (sedda/should)

• Miah sedda gay si encouragement gevva.
• Eah sett sei hoah sheahra.

Note: braucha, missa, and sedda are the unchanged verbs (infinitive form). Like any other verb, they will need to be changed based on who is doing it.