Small Words That Add Feeling: dach / jo / mol

Small Words That Add Feeling: Dach, Jo, Mol

Level 4

Dach, jo and emol (mol) add a tone: Dat weess du dach! Du waars jo krank. Kuck emol!

How It Works

1. Dach: insistence or surprise
Dach reminds the listener of something obvious, pushes gently or shows mild surprise:

  • Dat weess du dach! (But you know that!)
  • Komm dach eran! (Do come in!)

2. Jo: something we both know
Unstressed jo means as you know or after all. Here it is not the answer yes:

  • Du waars jo krank. (You were sick, after all.)
  • Do bass de jo! (There you are!)

3. Emol or mol: a softer request
Emol makes a request friendlier. The shorter form mol is also common:

  • Kuck emol! or Kuck mol! (Have a look!)
  • Gëff mer emol d'Salz, wannechgelift. (Pass me the salt, please.)

4. Where they go
Particles come after unstressed pronouns such as mer, mech or se (pronouns early in the clause): Gëff mer emol d'Salz, not Gëff emol mer d'Salz. They can also combine: Looss mech dach emol zu Wuert kommen!

5. Stressed dach and jo
Stressed and at the start, the same words are answers (jo/nee): Jo means yes, and Dach means yes after a negative question or statement: Du kënns net mat? Dach, ech kommen!

Examples (6)

  1. Dat weess du dach!

    But you know that!

    Dach adds insistence: the listener should already know.

  2. Komm dach eran!

    Do come in!

    In a request, dach makes it warmer and more encouraging.

  3. Du waars jo krank.

    You were sick, after all.

    Unstressed jo points to something both people know.

  4. Do bass de jo!

    There you are!

  5. Kuck emol!

    Have a look!

    Emol softens the imperative. Kuck mol! is also common.

  6. Looss mech dach emol zu Wuert kommen!

    Just let me get a word in!

    Dach and emol together make the request sound urgent but not rude.

Common Mistakes

  • Putting the particle before an unstressed pronoun.

    Gëff emol mer d'Salz!
    Gëff mer emol d'Salz!

    Unstressed pronouns such as mer come right after the verb, and the particle follows them.

  • Answering jo when you mean to contradict a negative question.

    Du kënns net mat? Jo, ech kommen!
    Du kënns net mat? Dach, ech kommen!

    After a negative question, the answer that means yes, I am coming is dach. Jo would seem to agree with the negative.

How It Connects

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Small Words That Add Feeling: dach / jo / molLevel 4Small Words That Add Feeling: Dach, Jo, Mol

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Before Small Words That Add Feeling: Dach, Jo, Mol, learn Also, Still and Already: Och, Nach, Schonn.

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Words in This Pattern

dachjoemol