Pennsylvania Dutch Dialect - Adjectives Adjectives in Pennsylvania Dutch require endings based on the gender of the object they modify.

A very brief discussion of the cases is shown on the Articles page.


Basic Adjective Endings

Weak Declension (preceded by der/die/daer)

M
F
N
P
N/A
-
-
-
-e
D
-e
-e
-e
-e

Mixed Declension (preceded by en/mei/dei)

M
F
N
P
N/A
-er
-i
-
-e
D
-e
-e
-e
-e

Strong Declension (no preceding modifier)

M
F
N
P
N/A
-er
-i
-
-e
D
-em
-er
-em
-e

return to top

Demonstrative Adjectives

daer (English this, these)

M
F
N
P
N/A
daer
die
des
die
Dative
dem
daerre
dem
denne

Note - often adds do (here)
seller (English that, those)

M
F
N
P
N/A
seller
selli
sell
selli
Dative
sellem (or sem)
sellre
sellem (or sem)
selle

Note - often adds datt (there)

return to top


Interrogative Adjectives

weller? (English which?)

M
F
N
P
N/A
weller?
welli?
well?
welli?
Dative
wellem?
wellre?
wellem
welle?

return to top


Possessive Adjectives

Possessive Adjectives  - Nominative/Accusative

my
your
his/its
our
your
their/her
N/A ref M/F/N/P
mei
dei
sei
unser
eier
ihre


Possessive Adjectives  - Dative

to mine
to yours
to his/its
 to ours
to yours
to theirs/hers
D ref M
meim
deim
seim
unserem,unserm
eierem,eierm
ihrem
D ref F
meinre
deinre seinre
unserer eierer
ihrer
D ref N
meim
deim
seim
unserem,unserm
eierem,eierm
ihrem
D ref P
meine
deine
seine
unsere
eiere
ihre

Note - the above possive adjectives have endings depending on the object being referenced.

return to top


Other Adjectives

eens (English one)

M
F
N
P
N/A
ee
ee
ee
-
Dative
eem
eenre
eem
-

Note - contrast the N/A with use as a pronoun.

ken, kee (English no, none)

M
F
N
P
N/A
ken, kee
ken, kee
ken, kee
ken, kee
Dative
kem
kenre
kem
ken

Note - contrast with use as a pronoun.

return to top


Some Common Adjectives - Opposites

deel
some
viel
much, many
dick
thick
dinn
thin
des
this
sell
that
dunkel
dark
hell
light
glatt
flat, smooth
runslich wrinkly, wrinkled
glee
small
grooss
large
gscheit smart
dumm
stupid
gut
good, well
schlect
bad
heess
hot
kalt cold
kaz
short
lang
long
leer empty
voll
full
links
left
recht
right
nass
wet
drucke
dry
nei
new
alt
old
recht right, correct letz
wrong
sauwer
clean
dreckich
dirty
schnell
fast, quick
langsam
slow
waarm
warm
kiehl
cool
yung
young
alt
old


return to top


Colors

bloo blue
brau
brown
gehl
yellow
grie green
root red
schwaz black
weiss white

return to top


Some Other Common Adjectives

blodd
bald
dabbich
clumsy
dunkel
dark
ehrlich
honest
faul
lazy
finschder
dark
frisch
fresh
froh
happy
glitzerich
glittery
gsund
healthy
halwer
half
hatt
hard, difficult
hungerich
hungary
narrisch
crazy
schee
nice, beautiful
schepp
crooked
schleefrich
sleepy
schlabbisch
sloppy
schnell
quick
schtarrick
strong
schwiel
sultry
verhuddelt confused
weech
soft
weh
hurt, sore
wiescht
ugly
windich
windy
zeidich
ripe
zufridde
satisfied

return to top


The Cardinal Numbers

0
null
1
eens
2
zwee
3
drei
4
vier(e)
5
fimf(e)
6
sex(e)
7
siwwe
8
acht(e)
9
nein(e)
10
zehe
11
elf(e)
12
zwelf(e)
13
dreizeh
14
vazeh
15
fuffzeh
16
sechzeh
17
siwwezeh
18
achtzeh
19
neinzeh
20
zwansich
21
eenunzwansich
22
zweeunzwansich
30
dreissich
40
vazich
50
fuffzich
60
sechzich
70
siwwezich
80
achtzich
90
neinzich
100
en hunnert

return to top