Ay, ayns, ayn, and vann can all mean one. Yet they do not mean the same thing. Here’s when to use each.
Ay (a single item)
Use ay when talking about one of an item. For example, one person.
Examples:
- Ay mann un ay fraw.
- Lann vass hott ay mann kolfa haebbi sei.
- Sell is ay reesin.
Ayns (one of; with funn)
Use ayns when talking about one (of) something. It is only used before funn.
Examples:
- Ayns funn sei friends voah da Amos.
- Sell is ayns funn di reesins es miah shaffa missa.
Ayn (a number)
Ayn means the number one and is used only when counting or as part of a number.
Examples:
- Ayn, zvay, drei…
- Gukk moll vass’s sawkt do in Markus gabiddel ayn.
- Miah henn drei geil: zvay sinn brau, un ayn is shvatz.
Vann (pronoun)
Vann is sometimes a pronoun meaning a person. For example, he is the one.
You can recognize when vann is used as a pronoun because it will have da or di right in front of it.
Examples:
- Da Andy is da vann es ‘s haus gebaut hott.
- Di Donna is di vann es ‘s broht gmacht hott.