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.