n is a direction of travel, going away from speaker
How to use this interactive worksheet: Select a location or direction word from the dropdown lists in the examples below to see how the sentence changes. The changed word will be highlighted.
Quiz Yourself
Change each example to see how the sentence changes.
Learn more about location and direction in these PDF’s:
In English, when something is happening, -ing goes on the end of the verb.
For example, we might say, “We walk.” when talking about something you do in general. But if you were in the middle of a walk, you would say, “We are walking.”
It’s the same in Pennsylvania Dutch. When talking about actions that are happening right now, or ongoing, those verbs need an -ing to go along with it. But instead of adding something to the end of the verb, in Pennsylvania Dutch, you use the separate word amin front of the verb.
But you do not add am in front of just any -ing verb. How do you know when?
The quick answer is, use am:
When the action is happening right now, or it’s an ongoing action.
When imaging yourself in a past situation or and discussing an action that was currently happening at that time.
You only need to add am with talking about an action that is happening right now or continuing.
Talking about the present in Pennsylvania Dutch
Let’s look at a couple of examples when talking about the present.
EN: Learning deitsh is not easy.
PDC: Deitsh lanna is nett eesi.
In English, the word learning has -ing at the end. But in Pennsylvania Dutch, there’s no need to use am in front of lanna (learning) because this is not specifically talking about an action that’s happening right now.
Let’s look at another similar sentence using the same verb.
EN: I am learning deitsh.
PDC: Ich binn deitsh am lanna.
In this example, lanna (learning) is something that is ongoing, so it does need am in front of lanna. That is to say, you are continuing to learn.
Let’s see another common sentence.
EN: One way that we can do this is by praying.
PDC: Ay vayk es ma dess du kann is bei bayda.
Here, bayda (praying) does not need am because it’s just talking about praying in general; not something being done right now.
Let’s look at one more example. This one is interesting because it has two verbs that would have -ing on the end of them in English.
EN: A lot of people enjoy reading the book and it is helping them.
PDC: En latt leit enjoya ‘s buch laysa un ‘sis si am helfa.
Here, laysa (reading) is not talking about something that’s being done right now. So laysa does not need am with it.
On the other hand, helfa (help) needs am because the [information from the] book is currently helping them.
Talking about the past
When talking about the past, you normally don’t need am since it’s likely not currently happening. You would normally use past tense verbs in those situations anyway.
But here’s the exception: When imagining yourself in the past.
Imagine you’re talking about something that happened in the past. If you’re talking about something that was happening (ongoing action) at that time…your verb needs am.
EN: Who was he probably talking about when he said: “Forgive them?”
PDC: Veah voah eah andem am shvetza diveyya vann eah ksawt hott: “Fagebb si”?
In this sentence, you’re asking your listener to imagine themselves in this situation that happened in the past.
So even though it happened in the past, it’s like you’re being asked to put yourself there. Since this person was talking (shvetza), and it was happening then, you need am.
It’s as if you jump back in time and you’re there; imagining what is currently going on in the situation.
Let’s look at another example that common.
EN: From what Mark 12:41 says, what do you think was happening?
PDC: Funn vass Markus 12:41 sawkt, vass denksht du es am haebna voah?
Again, talking about a past event, but asking the listener to travel back in time and imagine what was happening (am haebna) then. You need am in this situation.
Summary
You only need to use am in front of verbs when:
The action is happening right now, or it’s an ongoing action
Imaging yourself in a past situation and discussing an action that was currently happening at that time.
All three words mean first. So what is the difference between eahsht, s’eahsht, and seahsht?
Eahsht (adj)
Use with nouns
Eahsht is an adjective in Pennsylvania Deitsh. So it’s used to describe a noun that is first in order or time.
This means that it needs to go along with a noun in a sentence — usually right before the noun.
Examples
Vass henn selli in di eahsht century gedu…? (as in the first century)
Gukket da eahsht paragraph. (as in the first paragraph)
Eahsht, Zvett, un Dritt Johannes. (as in first John)
Vass finna ma in di eahshti fiah bichah? (as in the first 4 books. Notice -i is added because it goes with a plural noun.)
S’eahsht (adj)
Use with nouns
S’eahsht is really just eahsht when used with a neuter noun.
The word es (the) sometimes gets shortened to s’ or ‘s; especially near the start of a sentence. Even though the and first are two separate words, they are often pronounced so they almost sound like one word.
Examples
S’eahshtmoll es ich do voah… (as in the first time)
Gukket’s eahshtpiktah. (as in the first picture)
Vass hott kaebbend in’s eahsht part funn di fasamling? (part is neuter)
In both examples above, moll and piktah are neuter nouns, so they would normally have ‘s or es in front of them.
Seahsht (adv)
Use with verbs
Seahsht is an adverb in Pennsylvania Deitsh. It works along with a verb. It can also describe placing or viewing something as first in priority or importance.
Examples
Vi kann ebbah mitt nett feel zeit alsnoch iahra family seahshthalda kann?
Bei seahshtabheicha zu anri zayld’s uns helfa fa nett kshvind bays vadda.
Boviahseahsht da mayn idea greeya funn da subject.
In English, some adjectives are spelled and pronounced exactly the same as past tense verbs (actions in the past). This is also true in Pennsylvania Dutch.
Some English examples:
Made can describe an action in the past, or the ingredients of something.
I made a cake. (past tense verb)
What is this table made from? (adjective)
Blessed can describe an action in the past, or your current condition.
God blessed them. (past tense verb)
We are really blessed. (adjective)
Scheduled can talk about an action in the past, or the condition of an event.
I scheduled the meeting last week. (past tense verb)
Our meeting is scheduled for next week. (adjective)
Knowing the difference between an adjective and a past tense verb helps make it clear whether someone is talking about the past, present, or future.
This is because both adjectives and past tense verbs need other verbs to go along with them in a sentence. These other verbs are different based on whether it is an adjective or a past tense verb, so you must know which ones to use.
With past tense verbs, these are called helper verbs: havva, voahra, and occasionally sei.
With adjectives, these verbs are a form of sei or vadda.
First of all; what are adjectives and what are past tense verbs?
What are Adjectives and Past Tense Verbs
Adjectives
Adjectives describe a noun.
Adjectives also describe someone or something’s condition or situation — what they are or could become.
For example, a person might be young (yung), hungry (hungahrich), tired (meet), or angry (bays). Something might be new (nei), old (ald), rusty (roshtich), or fast (shteik).
Past Tense Verbs
Verbs are actions.
So past tense verbs (past participles, PP) are actions done in the past.
Examples of past tense verbs are: ran (kshprunga), wrote (kshrivva), threw (kshmissa), thought (gedenkt), said (ksawt).
Many adjectives are placed right next to the nouns they describe. For example, fat cat, fast dog, big trees. But adjectives do not have to appear right next to the noun they describe.
When an Adjective and a Past Tense Verb Look the Same
It’s very easy to spot most adjectives. But some adjectives look and sound exactly the same as past tense verbs. Let’s look at just 2 examples where it might be hard to tell an adjective from a past tense verb.
Destroyed
As a Past Tense Verb
The dog destroyed the shoe. | Da hund hott da shoo distroit.
Destroyed is a past tense verb because it’s an action the dog has already done. So it needs the helper verb hott.
As an Adjective
The town will be destroyed by the storm. | Di shtatt zayld distroitvadda bei da shtoahm.
Destroyed is an adjective because it talks about the future condition of the town—what it will be. Here, it needs the verb vadda since it is an adjective.
Found
As a Past Tense Verb
He found the book. | Eah hott‘s buch kfunna.
Found is a past tense verb because it is a something that happened in the past.
Clue: Notice the helper verb hott.
As an Adjective
It’s information that is found in the library. | ‘Sis information es kfunnais in di library.
Found is an adjective since it describes the condition of the information.
Clue: Note the is that follows it.
How to Tell a Verb From an Adjective
The easiest way to tell the difference is to ask yourself some questions.
Past Tense Verbs
Is it an action?
Did it happen in the past?
…then it’s a past tense verb (PP)
… then make sure it has an helper verb like sei or havva.
Adjectives
Is it describing a condition?
Is it something a person, place, or thing is or can become?
Is it happening currently or in the future?
… then it’s an adjective.
… and it needs a form of sei or vadda.
Also, when reading, look at clue words in the sentence.
Past tense verbs will have helper verbs — forms of havva are most common, but a few can also be sei.
Adjectives, on the other hand, will often have forms ofsei or vadda.
To make it easier to spot, where possible, each word in the Words List is marked as either a past tense verb (PP) or as an adjective (adj).
A sentence can be simple. But they can also be complex — having more than one thought. Below is a list of Pennsylvania Dutch words (mostly prepositions) that signal a change of thought in a sentence.
es (that)
vann (when)
fa (for)
funn (from/of)
zu (to)
mitt (with)
veyyich (about)
in (in)
eb (before)
zvishich (between)
un (see below)
There may be other words, but these are the most common in Pennsylvania Dutch.
Why is this important? Just as in English, Pennsylvania Dutch is a V2 (verb-second) language. That means that the second word in a sentence tends to be a verb.
Ich gleich broht. (I like bread.)
However, when a sentence contains more than one thought, the first verb in the new thought jumps to the end of the thought. The Deitsh words listed above make it easier to spot the start of a new thought. Knowing this will help you put the verbs in the second and any following thoughts in the correct order.
un (sometimes)
Un also signals a change of thought.
But not when simply separating multiple items (as in: mich un dich (me and you)).
Remember when it comes to un and verb order:
When un glues 2 separate sentences together that could stand on their own that are within a single sentence… || EN: It has been a long week and I am looking forward to a break.
… the first thought after un starts the verb order over again as if it were a new sentence.
In Pennsylvania Dutch, past tense verbs (past participles; PP) need a helper verb when speaking about the past. Most of the time, that helper verb is a form of havva (to have). However, there are some past tense words that use a form of sei (to be). Which ones?
When To Use Sei
The general rule for when to use sei (to be) is when the past tense verb is talking about a change in condition or location.
fell asleep = eikshlohfa Si sinneikshlohfa. (They fell asleep.)
flew = kflowwa Deah raven is zrikk un faddi kflowwa.
grew up = ufgvaxa Ich binnufgvaxa in Ohio. (I grew up in Ohio.)
left = falossa Si sinnfalossa. (They left.)
ran = kshprunga See is fatt kshprunga. (She ran away from home.)
resurrected / stood up / got up = uf kshtanna Eah isuf kshtanna free. (He got up early.) Da Jesus isuf kshtanna funn di dohda. (Jesus was resurrected from the dead.)
stayed = geblivva Eah is datt geblivva. (He stayed there.)
walked = gloffa Eah is vekk gloffa. (He walked away.)
went = ganga Miah sinn haym ganga. (We went home.)
* Note 1: There may be other past tense verbs that also use sei as their helper verb. However, these are some of the more common ones that you might use in conversation.
still (as in will or is happening despite difficulties or unlikely situations)
even so / nevertheless / after all (as in the final result)
Doch is used to talk about something that is true, continues to be true, or is happening even when this is surprising. Doch is almost always used when talking about something that has already been mentioned.
Examples:
Unsah boss is en importandah mann mitt feel responsibilities, eah is doch immah goot zu uns. (as in still)
Leit henn iahra questions kshikt zu iahra boss. Doch, si feela es iahra questions sinn nett gensaht. (as in even so)
Di Mowrey’s zayla doch pizza macha. (as in after all.)
Note: In the last example, if the Mowrey’s plans to make pizza had never been called into question, doch would not be used. You would instead simply say, “Di Mowrey’s zayla pizza macha.”
Basically both nee nett and selayva nett mean never.
Nee Nett → Selayva Nett
Both phrases mean never, and using either one interchangeably should be understandable to a native speaker. So don’t get too worried about which to use.
As with many similar words that mean the same thing, it’s often a matter of picking which sounds and flows better in the sentence.
Nee Nett = Never
Examples
Di batteries zayla nee nett shtauva koss si sinn rechargeable.
PG: Eah is davann es alles gmacht hott. (as in, one) EN: He is theone 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.
