Table of Contents
The Helping Verb װאָלט
Form
The helping verb װאָלט is conjugated like a verb in the present tense:
װאָלט comes with the participle, for example:
Note:
- The second person singular form often sounds as if the ט of the base form is missing: /װאָל(ט)סט/.
- It is not unusual for װאָלט to come with the infinitive. In YiddishPOP, however, we always use װאָלט + participle.
- The helping verb װאָלט is the conjugated verb in the sentence and follows the usual rules of word order (see 5.3 נאָך פּרטים).
Meaning and Usage
וואָלט indicates that a situation or event is hypothetical, does not exist in reality. This is possible only about what is in the past or in the present, because we cannot, in principle, know whether what is in the future will exist in reality or not.
הלװאַי + װאָלט
הלװאַי with װאָלט conveys a longing for something to be different from the way it is or was. In other words, הלװאַי introduces a hypothetical situation that is, from the perspective of the speaker, better than reality. For example:
The timeframe of a sentence with הלװאַי + װאָלט – in the present or the past – is determined by the context. For example:
Present:
Past:
Conditional Sentences
A conditional sentence with װאָלט expresses the result of a hypothetical situation, for example:
Just as with הלװאַי, the timeframe of a conditional sentence with װאָלט is determined by the context. That is, the condition is expressed with the same words whether it is a condition in the past or in the present. For example:
Present:
Past:
The examples of conditional sentences above are compound sentences that consist of an if-clause (the subordinate clause: װען זײ װאָלטן געהאַט לאָקשן) and a then-clause (the main clause: װאָלטן זײ געמאַכט אַ לאָקשן־קוגל).
The if-clause is sometimes implied, as in the following examples where an adverb conveys the meaning of the implied if-clause:
Main clauses with װאָלט can also be found after a conditional sentence or הלװאַי establishes a hypothetical situation. Nomi says in the movie:
and then describes what she and Moby would do in a series of main clauses:
The helping verb װאָלט makes it clear that Nomi is still talking about the hypothetical situation.
Alternative Conjunctions and Sentence Structure for Conditional Sentences with װאָלט
In a conditional sentence with װאָלט, the conjunctions אױב and אַז can be used instead of װען. Another way of forming a conditional sentence is to place the verb in the first position of the if-clause. For example:
Note: When a Condition is Not Necessarily Hypothetical
A condition can potentially be factual: it can pertain to something that already happened, that might currently be the case, or that can happen in the future. This kind of potentially factual condition is introduced with the conjunction אױב (sometimes also with װען or אַז); since it is not purely hypothetical, װאָלט is not used. For example:
Two More Points About װאָלט
A. װאָלט appears quite often with a modal verb. This adds a certain subjectivity. For example:
- In the next lesson (6.4), Nomi conveys her assumption that there are poems about robots with the words:
B. װאָלט can also convey a polite tone and is used to make polite requests. For example:
Substantivized Adjectives
A substantivized adjective has an ending, but is not directly followed by a noun.
The ending is often determined by a noun that appears earlier in the sentence or that was mentioned earlier. The substantivized adjective has the ending, according to gender, number and case, that it would have had if the noun did appear after it. This is the case in the four example sentences above:
Substantivized Adjectives with the Ending ס–
In 5.5 נאָך פּרטים we noted that an adjective that precedes a singular neutral noun and does not come with the definite article has the null ending, for example:
However, the null ending is not possible with a substantivized adjective. Instead, the ending ס– is used, for example:
If the adjective ends in ס– a second ס– is not added, for example:
Substantivized Adjectives that Do Not Correspond to a Specific Noun
A substantivized adjective does not necessarily correspond to a specific noun.
The ending ס– indicates something with the characteristic of the adjective, for example:
On עפּעס + adjective + ס see also 6.4 נאָך פּרטים.
A substantivized adjective can refer to a specific person even when a corresponding noun has not been mentioned. In a case like this, the adjective declines according to the person’s gender. For example:
A substantivized adjective can also be used to talk about people in general. In the singular, the ending is usually masculine, for example:
A Permanent Trait
After the verb זײַן, the base form and the substantivized form of an adjective are often both possible, for example:
In many cases, the meaning is the same, but for some adjectives there is a significant difference. Compare:
The first sentence indicates a permanent trait, the sister is by nature a healthy person. The second, however, is a statement about her current health.
Note: a substantivized adjective after the verb זײַן is declined in the nominative.
The Comparative
A. Form
To form the comparative, the ending ער– is added to the base form of the adjective.
B. Irregular Comparative Forms
There is a vowel change in the comparative of several adjectives. The following table shows the adjectives we have learned in YiddishPOP that have a vowel change in the comparative:
Note the following two irregular comparatives:
For example:
C. Comparative Adjectives Also Have Endings
Like simple (non-comparative) adjectives, adjectives in the comparative have a short form (without an ending) and a long form (with endings, see 5.5 נאָך פּרטים). For the long form the usual adjective endings are used, for example:
D. The Comparative as an Adverb
In 5.5 נאָך פּרטים we noted that the short form of an adjective can also serve as an adverb. The same is true of the comparative, for example:
E. Comparatives with מער
Another way to form a comparative is with the word מער. This form of the comparative is frequently found with longer adjectives.
מער can also function as an adverb or come with a noun, for example:
F. װי and פֿון following the Comparative
The comparative is followed by װי or פֿון if the second element in the comparison is mentioned. The preposition פֿון is followed, as always, by the dative. The conjunction װי introduces a new clause and the case of a noun or pronoun is determined by its role in that clause, even if parts of the clause are omitted. Here are the sentences above with the omitted parts of the second clause:
The preposition פֿאַר also often appears with comparatives, for example:
אַזאַ
The above sentences from this lesson’s movie include the word אַזאַ. The adjective/pronoun אַזאַ has a range of functions similar to those of the adverb אַזױ (see 6.1 נאָך פּרטים).
Note in the following examples how אַזאַ comes with a noun or a substantivized adjective, or replaces a noun. In the section about אַזױ in 6.1 נאָך פּרטים, you can see how אַזױ comes with a verb, an adverb, or the short form of an adjective.
Intensifier
אַזאַ is an intensifier that conveys a strong feeling, positive or negative, that something is not the way it usually is. A result or consequence is introduced with the word אַז (similar to the use of אַזױ...אַז).
אַזאַ – of this kind
אַזאַ can introduce or refer to an observation about the nature of something or somebody (compare the use of אַזױ that conveys the way in which something is done). For example:
When the nature of something or someone is conveyed by a comparison, the comparison is introduced with װי (similar to the construction אַזױ...װי). For example:
אַזאַ is used with nouns in the singular. With nouns in the plural אַזעלכע is used:
אַזאַ and אַזעלכע can be used instead of the noun if we already know what is being talked about. For example:
The phrase עפּעס אַ + noun indicates that something belongs to a certain category without stating what that thing is. When Nomi wants עפּעס אַ הײס געטראַנק, this means that she wants something from the category “hot drinks” but she does not specify what kind of hot drink. When she asks Moby in 4.2 whether he sees עפּעס אַ פֿײגעלע, she wants to know whether he sees any bird at all, she is not asking what kind of bird it is.
There follow more example sentences. The fourth shows how this use of עפּעס is also possible with a plural noun:
