Editing Plautdietsch (section)

==Grammar==
Low German grammar resembles High German, as the syntax and morphology is nearly the same as High German's. Over the years, Plautdietsch has lost some inflection. It is, however, still moderately inflectional, having two numbers, three genders, two cases, two tenses, three persons, two moods, two voices, and two degrees of comparison.

===Articles===
Even though Plautdietsch has three genders, in the [[nominative case]] it has only two [[definite article]]s (like Dutch and Low German); [[Grammatical gender|masculine and feminine articles]] are homophonous. However, masculine and feminine indefinite articles are still different (like German) and thus, the three genders can still be perfectly established. In the [[oblique case]], the masculine has a special definite article, making it once more different from the feminine, which, like the neuter, does not change. In the plural number, all gender identification is lost (as in German, Dutch and Low German); all plural determiners and adjective endings are homophonous with the feminine singular.

{| class="wikitable"
|+Plautdietsch articles
|-
!scope="col"| Article class
!scope="col" colspan="4" | Definite
!scope="col" colspan="3" |Indefinite
|-
!scope="col"| Number
!scope="col" colspan="3" |Singular
!scope="col"| Plural
!scope="col" colspan="3" |Singular
|-
!scope="col"| Gender
!scope="col"| {{Abbr|masc.|masculine}}
!scope="col"| {{Abbr|fem.|feminine}}
!scope="col"| neuter
!scope="col"| all
!scope="col"| {{Abbr|masc.|masculine}}
!scope="col"| {{Abbr|fem.|feminine}}
!scope="col"| neuter
|-
!scope="row"| Nominative
| de
| rowspan="2" | de
| rowspan="2" | daut
| rowspan="2" | de
| een
| rowspan="2" | eene
| rowspan="2" | een
|-
!scope="row"| Oblique
| dän
| eenen*
|}
* In colloquial speech the indefinite article is reduced practically to a "n", or "ne" if feminine. If used so, there is no case distinction. However, when used as a numeral, meaning "one", the diphthong "ee" is heavily stressed and the oblique form of the masculine gender is used. There is no indefinite plural article; een has no plural.

Some Plautdietsch writers try to use a three case system with the definite articles, without much consistency. The system looks somewhat like this, some might use the dative neuter articles, others might not:

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Number
! colspan="3" | '''Singular'''
! Plural
|-
! Gender
! masc.
! fem.
! neut.
! all
|-
| Nominative
| de
| rowspan="3" | de
| rowspan="2" | daut
| rowspan="3" | de
|-
| Accusative
| dän
|-
| Dative
| däm
| däm
|}

====Determiners====
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!
! Masc. Nom.
! Masc. Obj.
! Feminine
! Neuter
! Plural all
|-
| this
| dis
| disen
| dise
| dit
| dise
|-
| that, proximal
| dee
| dän
| dee
| daut
| dee
|-
| that, distal
| jan
| janen
| jane
| jan
| jane
|-
| which
| woon
| woonen
| woone
| woon
| woone
|-
| such a
| soon
| soonen
| soone
| soon
| soone
|-
| my
| mien
| mienen
| miene
| mien
| miene
|}

All possessives (see under pronouns) are declined like in this way. With the form '''äa''' (her/their) an r has to be reinserted before adding endings ('''äaren, äare''').

===Nouns===
Mennonite Low German nouns inflect into two numbers: [[Grammatical number|singular]] and [[plural]], three genders: masculine, feminine, and neuter, but only two cases, [[nominative]] and [[oblique case|oblique]]. The historical [[Dative case|dative]] and [[Accusative case|accusative]] have merged, even though some writers try to maintain a three cases distinction, which has been lost for most speakers, perhaps centuries ago. The oblique case is distinct from the nominative only in 1) personal pronouns: '''ekj''' froag '''am''', '''hee''' auntwuat '''mie''' (I ask him, he answers me) 2) articles and demonstrative and possessive adjectives in the singular masculine gender: '''de''' Voda halpt '''dän''' Sän (the father helps the son) (observe: nouns are not inflected themselves) and 3) proper names, i. e. traditional Mennonite names: Peeta frajcht Marie'''-en''', Marie auntwuat Peet'''ren''' (Peter asks Mary, Mary answers Peter)
 {| class="wikitable"
|-
! || colspan="3" | '''Singular'''
! colspan="3" | '''Plural'''
|-
|  || Masculine || Feminine || Neuter ||Masculine || Feminine || Neuter
|-
|Nominative|| '''de Mensch''' ||de Sonn ||daut Hüs||de Menschen ||de Sonnen ||de Hiesa
|-
| Oblique  ||'''dän Mensch''' ||de Sonn ||daut Hüs||de Menschen ||de Sonnen ||de Hiesa
|}

====Plurals====
Plural formation is comparatively complex. Three major procedures can be established: 1) through an ending, -a, -en, -s, -sch or none at all; 2) voicing the final devoiced consonant and 3) fronting (and maybe lowering) a back vowel, which might require palatalization of a velar consonant. A given word could have one or two, all or none of these characteristics.

=====Examples=====
'''No ending''', no voicing, no vowel fronting: de Fesch de Fesch, daut Schop, de Schop, daut Been, de Been (fish, fishes; sheep, sheep; leg, legs)

Voicing, no ending, no vowel fronting: Frint, Friend; Boajch, Boaj (friend/s, mountain/s)

No ending, no voicing, vowel fronting: Foot, Feet (foot, feet)

Voicing and vowel fronting, no ending: Hoot, Heed (hat/s)

'''-a ending:'''

only: Licht, Lichta (light/s)

with voicing: {{lang|de|Bilt, Bilda}} (picture/s)

with vowel fronting: Maun, Mana (man, men)

with voicing, vowel fronting and palatalization: Kaulf, Kjalwa (calf, calves)

'''-en ending''' (the -en, -s and -sch endings have no vowel fronting)

only: Näs Näsen, (nose/s)

with voicing: de Tiet, de Tieden, de Erfoarunk, de Erfoarungen (time/s, experience/s)

Words where a historical r is dropped require it to be reinserted: Däa, Däaren (door/s)
Polysyllabic words with a vocalized r drop the final a: Sesta, Sestren (sister/s)

An unstressed [[schwa]] also is dropped: Gaufel, Gauflen (fork/s)

'''-s ending'''

This class consists mainly of 1) short masculine and neuter nouns: Baul -s, Oarm -s (ball/s, arm/s)

2) words related with family members: Sän -s, Fru -es, (son/s, woman, women)

and 3) masculine and neuter nouns ending in -el and -en (the latter may drop the n): Läpel, Läpels; Goaden, Goades (spoon/s; garden/s)

'''-sch ending'''

This class consists of masculine and neuter polysyllabic nouns ending with -a: de Voda, de Vodasch; daut Massa, de Massasch (father/s, knife, knives)

For someone knowing (High) German, pluralizing is a fairly predictable process, with some exceptions: the '''-en''' ending covers pretty much the same words in both languages; the '''-a''' ending is the equivalent for the German '''-er''' plural, where German has [[Germanic umlaut|Umlaut]], Plautdietsch will have vowel fronting in most cases. The '''-s''' and '''-sch''' groups are made almost entirely of polysyllabic nouns which in German have no plural ending.

The most problematic words are those with an '''-e''' plural ending in German. Although the entire class with no ending is made out of them, many other words are treated differently. For example, the plurals for '''Stool''' and '''Stock''' (chair and stick) are '''Steela''' and '''Stakja''' (compare German Stuhl, Stühle; Stock, Stöcke). Since they have their vowels fronted there seems to be no reason for the '''-a''' ending. Many others have been moved into the '''-en''' class: '''Jeboot, Jebooten''' (commandment/s, German: Gebot, Gebote). With some not so common words, there is no certainty about the correct plural, different speakers create them in different ways: the plural of '''Jesaz''' (law) could be '''Jesaza''' or '''Jesazen''' (German: Gesetz, Gesetze).

====Possession====
The classical [[genitive]] is no longer used except in a few relic expressions.{{Citation needed|reason=This actually varies by speaker and by location/education. Also, there is another possessive construction which is used that is not cited here: the "of" construction. It is not as common as the "his" construction, but it can be found.|date=August 2012}} Instead, possession is expressed as in many German dialects with the [[his genitive]], i.e. naming the possessor in the [[oblique case]] with the possessive adjective and the possessed object: Dän Maun sien Hus (the man's house). With proper nouns, and when the possessor is determined by a possessive adjective, the possessor is in the [[nominative case]] instead: Peeta sien Hus (Peter's house); mien Voda sien Hus (my father's house). Very long possessive clauses can be created: Mien Voda seine Mutta äare Mutta es miene Uagrootmutta (my father's mother's mother is my great grandmother).

For inanimate or generalized constructions, the preposition ''von'' or a composition are used instead: De Lichta von de Staut/ de Stautslichta (the lights of the city).

====Diminutive====
The diminutive is formed adding by '''-kje''' to the noun: de Jung, daut Jungkje; de Mejal, daut Mejalkje (the boy, the little boy; the girl, the little girl). All diminutive nouns take the neuter gender, with two exceptions: de Oomkje, de Mumkje, two forms used very commonly for mister/man/husband and mistress/woman/wife. These seem to have been created originally as diminutive forms of, respectively, Oom and Mumm (uncle and aunt; cf. German: Oheim/Ohm, Öhmchen/Öhmlein and Muhme, Mühmchen/Mühmlein). Today, they are no longer seen as diminutives and therefore retain their respective masculine and feminine genders.

With nouns ending in '''t''' or '''k''', only '''-je''' is added; a few nouns ending in '''kj''', an additional '''s''' is inserted: de Staut, daut Stautje, daut Buak, daut Buakje; daut Stekj, daut Stekjsje (the (little) city, the (little) book, the (little) piece).

Plural diminished nouns take -s ending: Jungkjes, Mejalkjes; however, if the original plural requires fronting of a back vowel or has an '''-a''' ending, these features are retained before adding the diminutive suffix: de Stool, de Steela → daut Stoolkje, de Steelakjes (chair/s, little chair/s)

===Adjectives===
Mennonite [[Low German]] also shows a rich inflectional system in its adjectives. Although once even richer, simplification has done its work here too, leaving Mennonite [[Low German]] with three [[Grammatical gender|genders]]: feminine, masculine and neuter, and two comparison degrees: [[Comparative]] and [[Superlative]].
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| ||Predicate||Masculine || Fem/Pl/Weak Neuter || Strong Neuter** ||Oblique***
|-
| Positive|| woam ||woama ||woame||woamet ||woamen
|-
| Comparative||woama ||woamra ||woamre||woamret ||woamren
|-
| Superlative||woamst- ||woamsta ||woamste||woamstet ||woamsten
|}
The plural of all genders is identical to the feminine singular.

Strong and weak neuter [[declension]]: after the definite article '''daut''' or the demonstratives '''daut''' and '''dit''' (neuter form of that, this) the '''t''' is dropped and a form identical to the feminine and plural is used. In other situations, as with indefinite articles, possessive adjectives or without article, the strong form is used.

The oblique is used only in the masculine singular. However, if a preposition-article compound is used with a neuter noun, then the oblique would be used. Example: '''em grooten Hus, '''but:''' en daut groote Hus, en een grootet Hus'''.

There is no predicate form for the superlative, a preposition-article compound with the oblique or weak neuter is used: '''aum woamsten''', or: '''oppet woamste''', or newly just the neuter form without preposition: '''daut woamste''': '''Zemorjes es et woam, opp Meddach woat et woama, no Meddach es et aum woamsten/ oppet woamste/ daut woamste''' (in the morning it is warm, at noon it is getting warmer, after noon it is the warmest).

The predicate form is used in predicate sentences for all genders: '''De Maun es oolt, de Fru es oolt, daut Hus es oolt''' (the man is old, the woman is old, the house is old).

===Numerals===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! 0-9
| 0 null
| 1 eent
| 2 twee
| 3 dree
| 4 vea
| 5 fief/fiew
| 6 sas
| 7 säwen
| 8 acht
| 9 näajen
|-
! 10-19
| 10 tieen
| 11 alf/alw
| 12 twalf/twalw
| 13 drettieen
| 14 vieetieen
| 15 feftieen
| 16 sastieen
| 17 säwentieen
| 18 achttieen
| 19 näajentieen
|-
! 20-1000
| 20 twintich
| 30 dartich
| 40 vieetich
| 50 feftich
| 60 zastich
| 70 zäwentich
| 80 tachentich
| 90 näajentich
| 100 hundat
| 1000 dusend
|-
! 0-99
| 
| 
| 22 twee un twintich
| 33 dree un dartich
| 44 vea un vieetich
| 55 fiew un feftich
| 66 sas un zastich
| 77 säwen un zäwentich
| 88 acht un tachentich
| 99 näajen un näajentich
|-
! ordinal
|
| 1st ieeschta
| 2d tweeda
| 3d dredda
| 4th vieeda
| 5th fefta
| 6th sasta
| 7th säwenda
| 8th achta
| 9th näajenda
|-
! partitive
|
|
| 1/2 haulf, de Halft
| 1/3 een Dreddel
| 1/4 een Vieedel
| 1/5 een Feftel
| 1/6 een Sastel
| 1/7 een Säwendel
| 1/8 een Achtel
| 1/9 een Näajendel
|}
Observation: the numeral eent (one) is declined like the indefinite article (masculine ''een'' [oblique ''eenen''], feminine ''eene'', neuter ''een'') or a demonstrative or possessive pronoun (''eena'' [oblique ''eenen''], ''eene'', ''eent'' for the respective genders); when counting, the neuter form ''eent'' is used.

The ordinal for 11th and 12th are: ''alfta, twalfta''; from 13 to 19 use the ordinal + da: ''drettieenda'' (13th) ; from 20 to 99 use the ordinal + ''sta'': ''fiew un twintichsta'' (25th). All ordinal numbers are declined like an adjective, the forms given here are masculine nominative.

The partitive numbers for 1/10, 1/11, 1/12 are ''een Tieedel, een Alftel, een Twalftel,'' for 13–19 add ''-del'' to the ordinal number, for 20–99 add ''-stel''.

===Pronouns===
====Personal pronouns====
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!
! colspan="5" | '''Singular'''
! colspan="3" | '''Plural'''
|-
!Person
! 1st
! 2d
! 3d masc
! 3d fem
! 3d nt
! 1st
! 2d
! 3d
|-
| Nominative
| ekj
| du
| hee
| see
| rowspan="2" | daut (et)
| wie
| jie
| dee, see
|-
| Oblique
| rowspan="2" | mie
| rowspan="2" | die
| am
| ar (äa)
| rowspan="2" | ons
| rowspan="2" | junt (ju)
| an (äant)
|-
| Reflexive
| colspan="3" | sikj
| sikj
|-
| Possessive Adjectives
| mien
| dien
| sien
| äa
| sien
| ons
| jun
| äa
|}
Some pronouns have two forms, different persons may use one or other form, or even alternate between them. '''Daut''' is used at the beginning of a sentence, but may be replaced by '''et''' in other positions.

Possessive adjectives are of the masculine (nominative case) or neuter gender. Otherwise, they are declined like the indefinite article and determiners (see under article section).

====Demonstrative pronouns====
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!
! masc
! fem
! nt
! plural
|-
| Nominative
| dee
| dee
| daut
| dee
|-
| Oblique
| dän
| dee/däa
| daut
| dee/dän
|}
Demonstrative pronouns are frequently used instead of the personal pronouns. When used so, some people use special oblique forms for feminine and plural. When used strictly demonstrative, only the singular masculine has a special oblique form.

===Verbs===
Mennonite Low German verbs have six tenses. The present and first past tenses are inflected, while the second and third past and both future tenses are different words marked by auxiliary verbs. Verbs can have two moods: Declarative and Imperative, two voices: active and passive, and three persons:1st pers. sing., 2nd pers. sing., 3rd pers. sing., and plural.

====Weak verbs====
The basic conjugation pattern is as follows:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! -
! 1st sing
! 2nd sing
! 3rd sing
! plural
|-
| present
| stem
| stem + st
| stem + t
| infinitive*
|-
| past
| stem + d
| stem + sd
| stem + d
| stem + den
|-
| imperative
| -
| stem
| -
| stem + t
|}

To determine the stem, take the infinitive and drop the -en ending. There are a few modifications to this basic pattern: 1) If the stem ends with a [[plosive]] or [[fricative]] [[voiced consonant]] (d, g, j, soft s, w, zh), that consonant is [[Consonant voicing and devoicing|devoiced]] in the 2nd and 3d persons of the present, since voiceless t and st automatically force the preceding consonant (compare the sound of the letter d in English lived and liked). 2) If the stem ends with a [[voiceless consonant]] (ch, f, jch, k, kj, p, hard s, sch, t) that consonant devoices the d, sd, d, den endings of the past tense (into t, st, t, ten) for the same reason. 3) If the stem ends with two consonants, the second one being a [[nasal stop|nasal]] or [[Lateral consonant|lateral]], a [[schwa]] e is inserted to ease pronunciation. 4) Verbs with a [[diphthong]] and r have a special treatment; the r is dropped before endings are attached, and the st/sd of the second person is replaced by scht/zhd.

Examples of a regular verbs: '''spälen''' (to play), '''lachen''' (to laugh), '''läwen''' (to live), '''odmen''' (to breathe) and '''roaren''' (to cry). The first one follows strictly the basic pattern, the others show the various adjustments needed as described above.

If the inverted word order is used, the '''-en''' ending of the plural '''wie''', '''jie''' (but not '''see''') form is dropped, and a root-only form, identical to the 1st person singular, is used.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!
! ekj
! du
! hee, see, daut
! wie, jie, see
! ____ wie, jie
|-
! colspan="6" | spälen, to play
|-
| present
| späl
| spälst
| spält
| spälen
| späl
|-
| past
| späld
| spälsd
| späld
| spälden
| späld
|-
| imperative
| -
| späl (du)
| -
| spält (jie)
|-
! colspan="6" | lachen, to laugh
|-
| present
| lach
| lachst
| lacht
| lachen
| lach
|-
| past
| lacht
| lachst
| lacht
| lachten
| lacht
|-
| imperative
| -
| lach (du)
| -
| lacht (jie)
|-
! colspan="6" |läwen, to live
|-
| present
| läw
| läfst
| läft
| läwen
| läw
|-
| past
| läwd
| läwsd
| läwd
| läwden
| läwd
|-
| imperative
| -
| läw (du)
| -
| läft (jie)
|-
! colspan="6" | odmen, to breathe
|-
| present
| odem
| odemst
| odemt
| odmen
| odem
|-
| past
| odemd
| odemsd
| odemd
| odemden
| odemd
|-
| imperative
| -
| odem (du)
| -
| odemt (jie)
|-

! colspan="6" | roaren, to cry
|-
| present
| roa
| roascht
| roat
| roaren
| roa
|-
| past
| road
| roazhd
| road
| roaden
| road
|-
| imperative
| -
| roa (du)
| -
| roat (jie)
|}

====Strong verbs====
As in English and Dutch, some verbs have a vowel change in past tense and past participle. As in German, some verbs might have a vowel change in second and third person of the singular in present tense as well. A few verbs that are strong in German are weak in Plautdietsch, but many German weak verbs are strong in Plautdietsch. However, when compared with Dutch and English, those are strong, too.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!
! ekj
! du
! hee, see, daut
! wie, jie, see
! ____ wie, jie
|-
! colspan="6" | finjen, to find
|-
| present
| finj
| finjst
| finjt
| finjen
| finj
|-
| past
| funk
| fungst
| funk
| fungen
| fung
|-
| Imperative
|
| finj (du)
|
| finjt (jie)
|-
! colspan="6" | sieekjen, to seek
|-
| present
| sieekj
| sieekjst
| sieekjt
| sieekjen
| sieekj
|-
| past
| socht
| sochst
| socht
| sochten
| socht
|-
| Imperative
|
| sieekj (du)
|
| sieekjt (jie)
|-
! colspan="6" | sajen, to say
|-
| present
| saj
| sajchst
| sajcht
| sajen
| saj
|-
| past
| säd
| sätst
| säd
| säden
| säd
|-
| Imperative
|
| saj (du)
|
| sajcht (jie)
|-
! colspan="6" | jäwen, to give
|-
| present
| jäw
| jefst
| jeft
| jäwen
| jäw
|-
| past
| jeef
| jeefst
| jeef
| jeewen
| jeew
|-
| Imperative
|
| jeff (du)
|
| jäft (jie)
|-

! colspan="6" | schriewen, to write
|-
| present
| schriew
| schrifst
| schrift
| schriewen
| schriew
|-
| past
| schreef
| schreefst
| schreef
| schreewen
| schreew
|-
| Imperative
|
| schriew (du)
|
| schrieft (jie)
|-
! colspan="6" | moaken, to make
|-
| present
| moak
| moakst
| moakt
| moaken
|-
| past
| müak
| müakst
| müak
| müaken
|-
|Imperative
|
| moak{dü}
|
| moakt{jie}
|}
GENERALITIES: Vowel changes in present tense are somewhat predictable: long '''ie''' and '''u''' change into short '''i'''; long '''ä/o''' change into '''e''' or '''a'''; diphthongs '''äa''' and '''oa''' are simplified to '''a'''.

The first and third person of the past tense are identical (as in weak verbs).

With only a few exceptions (like the verb sajen), all voiced consonants are devoiced in the three persons of the singular past, the nasal '''ng''' and '''nj''' are retained in second person, but devoiced in first and third person.

The past tense has the same vowel through all persons.

If there is a vowel change from '''ä''' to '''e''' or '''a''' in the present tense, that feature is retained in the singular imperative.

The plural form for wie/jie in the inverted word order keep the final consonant voiced.

====Auxiliary, modal and anomalous verbs====
A small groups of verbs are more irregular: the auxiliaries '''sennen''' and '''haben''', the modal verbs, and a few verbs that originally were monosyllabic and with time have evolved a '''-nen''' ending:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!
! ekj
! du
! hee, see, daut
! wie, jie, see
! ____ wie, jie
|-
! colspan="6" | sennen, to be
|-
| present
| sie (senn)
| best
| es
| sent
| sent
|-
| past
| wia
| wieescht
| wia
| wieren
| wia
|-
| Imperative
|
| sie (du)
|
| siet (jie)
|-
! colspan="6" |haben, to have
|-
| present
| hab
| hast
| haft
| haben
| hab
|-
| past
| haud
| hautst
| haud
| hauden
| haud
|-
| Imperative
|
| hab (du)
|
| habt (jie)
|-
! colspan="6" | kjennen, can, to be able
|-
| present
| kaun
| kau(n)st
| kaun
| kjennen
| kjenn
|-
| past
| kunn
| ku(n)st
| kunn
| kunnen
| kunn
|-
| Imperative
|
| -
|
| -
|-

! colspan="6" |stonen, to stand
|-
| present
| sto
| steist
| steit
| stonen
| sto
|-
| past
| stunt
| stuntst
| stunt
| stunden
| stund
|-
| Imperative
|
| sto (du)
|
| stot (jie)
|}

====Participles====
The present participle, formed of the infinitive plus a '''-t''' ending, is not often used. It appears in idiomatic expressions like '''aunhoolent bliewen''' (to persist), and in a few adjective forms, which have to be inflected for number, gender and case, the -t is voiced into -d: koaken, koakendet Wota (to boil, boiling water).

The past participle of weak verbs is formed with '''je-''' plus the stem of the verb plus '''-t'''. A voiced consonant is devoiced to go along with '''t''', the inserted '''e''' between double consonant is retained, the '''r''' after a long vowel is dropped. For the weak verbs given above the past participles are: '''jespält, jelacht, jejäft, jeodemt, jeroat'''.

The past participle for strong and anomalous verbs is hard to predict, they could be formed in five or six different ways:
# some are like the weak verbs: '''jejäft, jesajcht''' (given, said);
# others are formed of '''je-''' plus infinitive: '''jestonen''' (stood);
# some, including modal verbs, of '''je-''' plus first person past tense: '''jehaut'''; '''jesocht''', '''jekunt''' (had, sought, been able);
# others of '''je-''' plus plural past: '''jefungen''' (found);
# Those with an '''ee''' or '''oo''' in past tense are simplified to '''ä/o''': '''jeschräwen, jedonen''' (written, done)
# the past participle of '''sennen''' is '''jewast''' (been)

Adjectives are frequently made from the past participle by attaching an adjective inflection ending and voicing the final '''t'''; if the preceding consonant is voiced, with '''-en''' participles the '''e''' is dropped:

'''{{lang|de|molen, jemolt, een jemoldet Bilt}}''' (to draw, drawn, a drawn picture)

'''koaken, jekoakt, eene jekoakte Ieedschock''' (to boil, boiled, a boiled potato)

'''stälen, jestolen, een jestolna Hunt''' (to steal, stolen, a stolen dog)

====Compound tenses====
Except for the present and simple past, all other tenses are constructed with the aid of the auxiliary verbs sennen, haben, woaren:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!
! ekj
! du
! hee, see, daut
! wie, jie, see
! ____ wie, jie
|-
| Perfect
| hab jespält
| hast jespält
| haft jespält
| haben jespält
| hab '''wie''' jespält
|-
| Plusquamperfect
| haud jespält
| haudst jespält
| haud jespält
| hauden jespält
| haud '''wie''' jespält
|-
| Future
| woa spälen
| woascht spälen
| woat spälen
| woaren spälen
| woa '''wie''' spälen
|-
| Conditional
| wudd spälen
| wurscht spälen
| wudd spälen
| wudden spälen
| wudd '''wie''' spälen
|-
| Future II
| woa jespält haben
| woascht jespält haben
| woat jespält haben
| woaren jespält haben
| woa '''wie''' jespält haben
|}

Some intransitive verbs take '''sennen''' instead of '''haben''' as auxiliary verbs if they: 1) indicate a motion from one place to another, or 2) indicate a change of condition, or 3) the verbs '''sennen''' (to be) and '''bliewen''' (to keep being, to remain). Example: '''ekj sie jekomen, ekj sie oolt jeworden, ekj sie jewast''' (I have come, I have become old, I was).

===Expressions relating to future plans===
In some communities of Plautdietsch speakers, the religious prohibition of James 4:13-14<ref>{{Bibleverse||James|4:13-14|NASB}}</ref> is interpreted to proscribe the simple use of the first person in talking about future plans or efforts. In such communities it is considered proper to use a softening introductory phrase such as "Ekj proove," (I try, or will try, or alternately I will want to) to avoid giving offense.

===Prepositions===
Plautdietsch preposition inventory is rich. Some of the most common:
* aun, on, in: de Klock henjt aun de Waunt (the clock is hanging on the wall)
* äwa, over, about
* besied, beside, next to
* bie, by, at
* bowa, over
* buta, except, besides
* derch, through
* en, in
* fa, for
* hinja, behind
* hinjaraun, following something else
* jäajen, against
* mank, among
* met, with
* no, to, after
* onen, without
* opp, on
* to, to
* tweschen, between (twixt)
* unja, under
* ver, in front of
* von, of (relative to)

===Syntax===
Mennonite Low German shows similarity with High German in the word order. The basic word order is [[subject–verb–object]] as in English. Indirect objects precede direct objects as in English '''John gives Mary a present''', but that is where similarities end. A dependent verb, ''i.e.'' an infinitive or past participle, comes at the end of the sentence where in English it would be placed immediately after the main verb, as shown in the following examples:

'''Mennonite Low German word order''': Jehaun haft dän Desch jemoakt (John has the table made).
'''English word order''': John has made the table.

Mennonite Low German, like High German, has been referred to as [[V2 word order|verb-second (V2) word order]]. In embedded clauses, words relating to time or space can be placed at the beginning of the sentence, but then the subject has to move after the main verb to keep that verb in second position. This pattern is demonstrated here:

'''Mennonite Low German word order''': '''Nu sie ekj schaftich'''. '''More Examples''': '''''Dan''''' jeef de Kjennich seine Deena eenen Befäl. (Then the king gave his servants an order)

Also, effects tend to be placed last in the sentence. '''Example''': En daut Kuffel wia soo väl Wota, daut et äwarand (In the cup, there was so much water, '''''that it''''' '''''overflowed''''').

Mennonite Low German has syntactic patterns not found in High German, or at least not as often, such as the repetition of a subject, by a pronoun.
'''Example:''' Mien Hoot dee haft dree Akjen. '''''My hat it''''' has three corners.

'''Questions, orders and exclamations''' have a verb first word order: Hast du daut oole Hus aun de fefte Gauss jeseenen? (Have you seen the old house on fifth street?). All questions are arranged like this. There is no auxiliary verb to form questions. If there is a question word, that word precedes the verb: Wua es dien Voda jebuaren (Where is your father born?). As in English, when using verbs in the imperative mood, it is not necessary to specify the person addressed, but it can be added for emphasis: Brinj (du) mie emol dän Homa (Please, (you,) bring the hammer to me). The word emol is frequently asked to soften the order as a word for '''please'''. Example of an exclamation: Es daut vondoag oba kolt! (Is it cold today!).

;Dependent clauses
As in High German, in dependent clauses, the verb goes at the end:

Ekj well morjen miene Mutta besieekjen, wan ekj Tiet hab. (I want to visit my mother tomorrow if I have time). Observe the construction of: if I have time.

However, when a dependent clause has an infinitive or past participle, this rule is no longer strictly applied; there is a strong tendency to move the finite (main) verb before the infinitive or participle, the direct object (or even a long circumstantial complement):

Example: German word order requires a sentence structure like: Hee fruach mie, auf ekj miene Mutta jistren daut Jelt jejäft '''haud'''. (Translation: He asked me if I had given the money yesterday to my mother.) Even though this sounds right and perfectly understandable, most speakers would rearrange these same words as follows: Hee fruach mie, auf ekj miene Mutta jistren '''haud''' daut Jelt jejäft. Another example: Hee sajcht, daut sien Brooda jrod no de Staut jefoaren '''es'''/ Hee sajcht, daut sien Brooda jrod '''es''' no de Staut jefoaren (He says that his brother has just gone to the city). Observe: the verb precedes a prepositional phrase, but an adverb is still placed before it.