jen vs. jenom?

Discussion in 'Vocabulary & Translation Help' started by eab7716, Jan 13, 2010.

  1. eab7716

    eab7716 Member

    They're both glossed as "only" ... is there a difference of when to use them? Or do they have different connotations? Thanks!
     
  2. wer

    wer Well-Known Member

    That’s only one of many possible meanings.
    No, jen and jenom are universally interchangeable (even in the compounds like jenže/jenomže). There is no difference as for the meaning or connotation. They may differ as for the frequency in particular collocation.
     
  3. eab7716

    eab7716 Member

    Hi wer! Thanks for the reply. I was thinking that jen was used adverbially as only/just, as in "He left just now;" and jenom would be closer to the adjective only/merely, as in "There's only one here." But if I'm reading you right, people aren't actually making that distinction? Do you use it as both an adjective and adverb?

    Please, could you also give me a sentence for both, how you (you personally) would use them?

    Sorry to be so pushy... I just want to make sure I'm getting this right :oops:
     
  4. wer

    wer Well-Known Member

    Jen and jenom are genderless, thus never used as adjectives. Both the words are adverbs, eventually conjuctions.

    It never has the meaning as in “He left just now”, here you have to use právě or zrovna.

    As adverb:

      jen dva = only two, just two (no more than two)
      jen pro tebe = only for you, just for you (for nobody but you)
      jen pro ženy = only for females
      jen k zevnímu použití = for external use only
      jen včera ~ never but yesterday

      Jen se koukám. = I’m just looking.
      Jen jsem žertoval. = I was only joking.
      To byl jen vtip. = That was just a joke.

      Jen počkej! = You just wait! / Just watch!

    As conjunction

      jen = as soon as, hardly, scarcely
      Jen přišel,… = As soon as he came…
      Jen se probudil,… = He had scarcely woken up when…
     
  5. eab7716

    eab7716 Member

    Wow! Thanks, wer!
     
  6. scrimshaw

    scrimshaw Well-Known Member

    I second that. Wow! Useful.

    glossed...is that really a verb, or did you just make that up?

    don't forget 'pouze'.......Koupil jsem si jej pro pouze dva koruny. Nevěděl co prodává. Měl poklad, ale toho si neuvědomoval.

    I hope I used 'pouze' correctly.
     
  7. bibax

    bibax Well-Known Member

    to gloss = glosovat, opatřit poznámkami
    gloss = glossa, poznámka (from Greek glotta/ Attic glossa = tongue)
     
  8. bibax

    bibax Well-Known Member

    No!

    pouhý, pouhá, pouhé = mere (adjective)
    pouze = merely (adverb)

    Koupil jsem si jej za pouhé dvě koruny.

    Stálo to pouze (jen) dvě koruny. Stálo to pouhé dvě koruny.

    pouze dvě koruny = merely (only) two crowns
    pouhé dvě koruny = mere two crowns

    After a preposition use the adjective! (za pouhé ... = for mere ...)
     
  9. scrimshaw

    scrimshaw Well-Known Member

    Děkuji Blbax..To vysvětluje můj zmatek se slovy 'jen' a 'pouhý'

    Opustil jsem belší trh ve velmi dobré náladě, protože jsem věděl, že jsem si koupil pěkný malý poklad za pouhá jedna desetina jeho skutečné ceny. Koupil jsem si jej za jen padesát korun.

    This is how I have heard 'gloss' used.

    Look in the glossary at the back of the book.

    The photographs are glossy(shiny, because of something they add in the printing process)

    gloss over....verb....to ignore, not pay attention to(there are probably better definitions)

    When he argues he always glosses over the real issues.
     
  10. MK

    MK Well-Known Member

    Bibax and L instead of I ... be careful. Bibax could feel offended.
     
  11. scrimshaw

    scrimshaw Well-Known Member

    :shock: Sorry about that, Bibax. :roll:
    No offence intended.

    Desetník je desinu dolaru.

    Ale čtvrťák je čtvrtina dolaru.

    Niklák je jen dvacetina dolaru, ale nižko postavený cent je pouhou jednu stovinu dolaru.
     
  12. Karel_lerak

    Karel_lerak Well-Known Member

    1/2 - polovina
    1/3 - třetina
    1/4 - čtvrtina
    1/5 - pětina
    1/6 - šestina
    1/7 - sedmina
    1/8 - osmina
    1/9 - devítina
    1/10 - desetina
    1/50 - padesátina
    1/100 - setina
    1/1000 - tisícina
    1/1000000 - miliontina
     

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