Conversational Yiddish

Welcome to the Yiddish Learning Guide.

There is another Wikibook about Yiddish, aimed at Yeshivah-students who are interested in learning enough Yiddish to understand a lesson taught in Yiddish. It may be used as a substitute until this Wikibook is more developed.

Note that Yiddish is written in the same alphabet as Hebrew. In this guide, you will also find some of the words transliterated into English letters using the YIVO system.

In Yiddish there is no lower or upper case letter system. For ease of reading, or in order to better coordinate with English spelling conventions, the first letters of some words in the Yiddish transliteration have been capitalized.

A guide to the אַלף־בית - alef beys - aka the alphabet - starts below.

_{One last thing, before we begin:}

_{Sometimes, in the process of a lesson, this book might use some linguistics-related terms. Please don't fret too much about any of them. They are not here to be memorized, much less thought of more than once or twice. They are only here in case you could find them useful for further research. In any language, native speakers rarely ever think about what they are doing linguistically, let alone even know what these things are officially called - they are usually too busy just doing it. In the same way, the goal of this textbook is to figuratively teach you how to tie your own shoes so that you might head off into Yiddishland and simply start living in it - not force you to become one of its resident anthropologists. Now that we've gotten that over with - go and learn!}

In both Yiddish and Hebrew, the letter א (alef) is silent until there is a vowel written under it. The silent form is called שטומער אלף - shtumer alef. In written Yiddish, a silent alef is often used at the beginning of words for ease of reading, or to avoid floating vowels. For example, without shtumer alef, the word oy - אױ - would just be a floating vov-yud: ױ - and that's no good.⠀!אױ װײ

There are two vowels that go under א and make a sound:

Pasekh Alef

אַ	Aa as in father.

Kumets Alef

אָ	Oo as in lot.

If you've ever learned a little bit of Hebrew, you might remember that the vowel that creates the ey sound in the word סֵפֶר - sefer; book - is אֵ - tzere, and the ay sound, as in why, is created with any pasekh followed by a yud - אַי. And of course, a lone י in a Hebrew word usually makes a Y sound, as in young. In Yiddish, these sounds happen a little bit differently.

Yud

אי	Some words: Ih, as in in Other words: Ee, as in see.

Tsvey Yudn

ײ	Ey as in say or Ay as in why

Pasekh Tsvey Yudn

ײַ	Ay as in why or Aa as in car

Ayin

ע	E as in bed.

Vov-Yud

אױ	Ey as in way or Oy as in boy

Melupm-Vov

או	Oo as in moon or Ee as in see

Bet

ב	B as in big.

Gimel

ג	G as in game.

Dalet

ד	D as in deal.

Hey

ה	Hh as in help.

Tsvey Vovn

װ	Vv as in van.

Zayin

ז	Zz as in zero.

Khes

ח	Kh as in German Bach, or Scottish Loch.

Tes

ט	Tt as in time.

Yud (Again!)

י	Yy as in yak.

Khof

כ	Kh as in German Bach,or Scottish Loch.

Lamed

ל	Ll as in light.

Mem

מ	Mm as in much.

Nun

נ	Nn as in next.

Samech

ס	Ss as in stone.

Pey

פּ	Pp as in pill.

Fey

פ	Ff as in face.

Tzadi

צ	Tz as in tzaddik.

Kuf

ק	Kk as in kite.

Reysh

ר	1Rr as in Rashi. Either "gargled," as in French or German, or rolled, like in Spanish and Italian.1

Shin

ש	Sh as in shell.

כּ	Kk as in kite.

שׂ	Ss as in stone.

Tof

תּ	Tt as in tough.

Sof

ת	Ss as in Seth.

Shin-Daled

שז	Zh as in leisure.

Daled-Zayin-Shin

דזש	Jj as in jump.

Langer Khof

כ becomes ך

Shlus Mem

מ becomes ם

Langer Nun

נ becomes ן

Langer Fey

פ becomes ף

Langer Tzadi

צ becomes ץ

Yiddish historically contains a multitude of diverse dialects, all of which differ on how they pronounce certain letters, especially vowels. Some dialects may have grammatical structures, such as gendered cases, that function differently than they do within other Yiddish dialects. Some dialects differ on what they call certain nouns, for example, in Litvish versus Galician Yiddish: kartofl vs bulbe (potato).

The most commonly taught dialect in academic settings such as Yiddish classes in universities is called כּלל־שפּראַך - klal shprakh - aka Standard Yiddish - but this does not mean it is the most commonly spoken dialect. Standard Yiddish was developed in Vilna during the 20th century by YIVO in order to create a consistent system of spelling, grammar, and pronunciation. Should you speak Standard Yiddish with native Yiddish speakers, it's possible they might find your Yiddish a little bit strange. This is because Standard Yiddish has combined more than one dialect's grammatical system with another's pronunciation, and it may occasionally also use older or more archaic forms of certain words.

Yiddish dialects are commonly nicknamed from the places they originated - though these names predate many of the present-day borders of these countries or cities. Some Yiddish dialects, particularly when searching the web, will have more widely available texts, films, and resources available than others. However, this does not mean these are the dialects you have to learn!

Choosing a dialect is a deeply personal decision. Some may decide to research their own genealogy to determine what dialect their ancestors would have spoken. Some may choose a less common dialect, like Ukrainish, in order to aid in its preservation. In academic settings, some may find a great deal of use in learning klal-sprakh. Some may just choose whichever dialect they think sounds best.

The goal when learning any Yiddish dialect is typically consistency - picking a system of pronunciation and sticking to it, but this is not necessarily the end goal when it comes to speaking Yiddish. It is helpful to remember that many native Yiddish speakers will grow up in families who speak two or more distinct dialects, and as a result, end up with a gemish of Yiddish - a mixed dialect. This is a guide to conversational Yiddish. This book's purpose is to give you some basics and fundamentals on how to read, write, communicate, and live in Yiddish - not to insist on how you should or must do so. Yiddish is Yiddish - and Yiddish is more than 2000 years old! There is no single way to speak it - this a great part of what makes mame-loshn such a beautiful language.

Really, what matters most when learning any language is learning how to read. Reading aloud, particularly with a chevrusa (study partner) is a great opportunity to practice your speaking skills and learn new words. Writing things down and learning to read and write cursive Hebrew will let you take notes on what you've learned in order to better remember it. It is highly recommended that you learn to read and write the alef-beys. Not only will the ability to read and write allow you to better practice and apply your language learning skills, it will give you access to a wider variety of Yiddish texts. Most of all, the ability to read Yiddish text written with Hebrew letters can prove particularly useful when one is learning to speak dialects other than klal-sprakh, as the ability to read words with spelling that might not reflect your own personal pronunciation and still render them into your own chosen dialect in your head is a very important skill. Remember - you might call it Shvuos. You might call it Shvee-os! But ultimately, what matters most is that you can read and spell the word שָׁבוּעוֹת¹.

¹Hebrew, Jewish holiday: the festival of the giving of the Torah on Mt. Sinai.

English	ייִדיש	Pronunciation
I	איך	Ikh (as in beak) or, on occasion, yakh (as in bach)
You (familiar)	דו	Di (as in see), or Du (as in zoo)
You (Formal)	איר	Ir (as in beer)
He	ער	Er (as in bear)
She	זי	Zi (as in bee)
It	עס	Es (as in fez)
They	זײ	Zay (as in fly) or zey (as in way)
We (and/or me, when dative case)	מיר	Mir (as in fear)

You must have some questions by now about the Yiddish language. While we can't answer them all at once, we can certainly give you the vocabulary required to ask them! This is also going to be very useful when you move on to the next two sections, where you will learn how to introduce yourself and ask people how they are doing - and also because the pronunciation of some of the vowels in these adverbs and pronouns varies from person to person. In Yiddish, a question is called די פֿראַגע. An answer is דער ענטפֿער. These two nouns are also verbs: פֿרעגן - to ask, and ענטפֿערן, to answer. To ask a question, you say:

.איך װיל עפּעס פֿרעגן lit. I want to ask something.

Now, back to Who, What, Why, Where, When, and How:

?װער איז דאָס Who is this?	ver	װער

?װאָס איז דאָס What is this?	vos	װאָס

?פֿאַרװאָס איז דאָס Why is this?	farvos	פֿאַרװאָס

?װוּ איז עס Where is it?	voo	װוּ

?װען איז עס When is it?

ven

װען

װי איז עס How is it?	vee	װי

?װי אַזױ איז עס דאָ How is it here?

vee azoy

װי אַזױ

And now, a quick note on pronunciation:

If one pronounces the vov (ו) in the word דו as oo, as in zoo, then the komets alef (אָ) in דאָס, װאָס, and פֿאַרװאָס is said as vos, dos, and far-vos - as in boss, and the vov (ו) in װוּ is said as oo - just like דו!

If one pronounces the vov in the word דו as ee, as in see, then the komets alef (אָ) in these words is said like voos, as in whose - so they are pronounced as voos, doos, and far-voos respectively - and just like how דו becomes dee, the vov (ו) in װוּ means that it is also pronounced as vee! Before you ask: yes, this does mean that in this dialect, there is no audible way to tell the difference between someone saying the word where and the word how except for context clues.

How does one greet people in Yiddish? Simple enough -

For a hello, we say:

1!שלם־עליכם
sholem-aleychem! (Heb - lit. peace be upon you)

This greeting is then returned with a

!עליכם־שלם
aleychem-sholem! of one's own.

¹If one pronounces the vov in the word דו as oo, as in zoo, then the שלם in שלם־עליכם is said as sholem as in show. If one pronounces the vov in the word דו as ee, as in see, then שלם is said as shoolem, as in shoe.

When greeting or being greeted by someone in Yiddish with any of the following phrases which start with גוט (gut), one can expect to hear or be expected to respond with גוט יאָר - (a) gut yor - (a) good year.²

²If one pronounces the vov in the word דו as oo, as in zoo, then the word גוט should be pronounced as somewhere between goot (as in boot) or gut (as in foot). If one pronounces the vov in the word דו as ee, as in see, then the word גוט is said like geet, as in feet. I.e: "A guteh vokh, versus "A giteh vokh."

Gut morgn.	Good morning.	גוט מאָרגן
Gut elf.	Good afternoon.	גוט עלף
Gutn ovnt.	Good evening.	גוטן אָװנט
Gut Shabbos!	Good Shabbat!	גוט שבתּ
Gut yontev!	Good holiday!	גוט יום־טוב
Gutn mo-eyd!	lit. Good in-between times! (Chol HaMoed)	גוטן מועד
Gutn khoydes!	Good (new) month! (Rosh Chodesh	גוטן חודש
A gut vokh!	A good week!3	אַ גוט װאָך

³אַ גוט װאָך is the Yiddish counterpart to שבוע טוב (shavua tov), a Hebrew greeting traditionally said upon the conclusion of Shabbat after sundown on Saturday night. Sundays, Mondays, and Tuesdays are perfectly acceptable days on which to wish someone a good week, particularly if one has not seen them since before Saturday evening. Any later than that, however, is up to personal discretion. Fridays and Saturdays are the two days in which it can be virtually guaranteed one will not greet or be greeted with אַ גוט װאָך - as these are the two days on which we tend to wish each other a גוט שבתּ or שבתּ שלום!

As in English, Yiddish has more than one way to say goodbye.

Depending on what time it is, you might say:

.אַ גוטן טאָג	Good day.
.אַ גוט נאַכט	Good night.
.אַ גוט װאָך	Good week. (*See note3 under table of greetings above)

Or, there is always the eternally universal: אַ גוט יאָר - a good year.

If you are ending a conversation, or about to leave, you can say goodbye with:

.זײַ געזונט

Zei gezunt. Be well/be healthy.

You know how to say hello. You know how to say goodbye! But do you know how to mind your manners? If you're going to ask questions or introduce yourself in Yiddish, there are a few things you should know first about how to refer to other people. Remember those pronouns from earlier? Let's review them!

There are two forms of the pronoun you in Yiddish. One is formal, and is for strangers or people who outrank you. Another is informal, and is for your friends, family, or when speaking to children. איר (pronounced eer, as in deer), is formal. דו (pronounced either du, as in zoo, or ee, as in see, depending on dialect) is familiar.

There are also two different ways of conjugating verbs with these two pronouns that are either familiar and formal. Think of these conjugations as being a bit like choosing whether to say "I can't do that!" or "I cannot do that," depending on who you are speaking to - they are essentially just Yiddish contractions.

To ask someone (formally) what their name is, you say:

?װי הײסט איר
vi heyst eer? lit. What are you called?

Or in the familiar:

1?װי הײסטו

¹If you say the word דו like dee, then you should read these words as "vee heystee?" If you say the word דו like doo, you should pronounce them as "vee heystoo?".

When someone asks you - ?װי הײסט איר

Then you can reply:

.[נאָמען] איך הײס
Ikh heys [name]. I am called [name].

If you want to ask someone how they are, you might say:

?װאָס מאַכט איר
voos/vos makht eer? lit. What make you?

But they might not give you much of an answer - Yiddish, on a cultural level, isn't always that kind of language. Should you continue your conversation, you'll most certainly be able to find out how they are - just not necessarily by how they answer this question.

Many people, when asked this question, may just reply:

,ברוך השם
brikh/barookh HaShem (lit: blessed be The Name)

Aka, thank G-d - which is polite, but also communicates absolutely 0 information about their current state of being.

You can also ask:

1?װי גײט עסHow goes it?

¹If you pronounce the vov in דו like oo, you might pronounce the tsvey yudn (ײ) in the word גײט as geyt, as in gate. If you pronounce דו as di, as in see, you might say it as geit, as in night. However, in this context, there is not a hard and fast rule for this vowel. ײ as ey is more "contemporary." ײ as ei is more "old-fashioned." Both are perfectly good choices.

Or, to coming back to our friend, װאָס מאַכטו, you can even give out the classic:

?װאָס מאַכט אַ ייִד lit. What does a Jew make?

Which is technically only for men - there's not a feminine version of this phrase. You might hear it in shul - or in Yiddish class.

In addition to ol' reliable ברוך השם, there are a multitude of replies to "How are you?" Some carry the same sort of succinct politeness, such as נישקשה - nishkoosheh - not bad.

But what if you're not doing so great - or you just can't be bothered?

You could reply:

Fraig nisht.	Don't ask.	.פֿרײג נישט

Or, there's always these two פּאַרעװע (parveh - plain, neutral) responses:

Es ken alemol zayn beser.	It could always be better.	.עס קען אַלעמאָל זײַן בעסער

Es ken alemol zayn erger.	It could always be worse.	.עס קען אַלעמאָל זײַן ערגער

Because it's true - it can always be better. It can always be worse.

?װאָס מאַכסטו - What am I making? Well...

Keyn bris makht ikh nisht!

I'm not making a bris!

!קײן ברית מאַכט איך נישט

If you're feeling your age:

Ikh bin an alter shkrab.

I'm a worn out old shoe.

איך בין אַן אַלטער שקראַב

And if things are getting really, really bad:

Zol mayne soynem gezugt.

It should be said of my enemies.

.זאָל מײַנע שונים געזאָגט

But, arguably, the most Yiddish answer of all time is this one right here:

How am I? How am I?!

Vos zol ikh makhn?	How should I be?	?װאָס זאָל איך מאַכן

Which, depending on tone and level of sarcasm, will convey anything from "I don't have an answer to that," to "Who do you think you are?"

Yiddish, at its core, is brimming with opportunities for sarcasm, wit, and wordplay. It can be poetic, sharp, or silly - it's just that versatile. There are as many answers to "How are you?" as you can come up with - these are just here to give you a good start. Remember - if you're talking to someone you respect, or someone you don't know so well - it's probably best to stick to the pareve answers. But if you're talking with your friends, or amongst a class of other Yiddish learners? Go nuts! It's one of the best ways to learn something new.

Didn't we just do this in the introduction? Absolutely! But wait - there's more!

Over the past few chapters, you might have noticed some patterns in how certain letters can be pronounced, and which groups of pronunciations "match up" with each other. While the purpose of the original section on Yiddish dialects is to give you a clear understanding of why and how dialect matters, and reasons individual Yiddishists and Yiddish speakers speak the way they do, this section exists to tell you who says what, and how they say it.

In short - by now, you might know a little bit about which pronunciations are grouped together within - ie, דו as dee, and װאָס as voos - but you might not know why, or what this group is called.

The reason that we are only now learning the names of these dialects is because it was more important that you first learn how to speak a little bit. After all, it's not very easy for someone to learn how to say a word if they don't know what it means. This way, you will acquire this knowledge more naturally. When children learn how to talk in their native language, they don't fully understand what dialects are - they just know how the people around them say things, what those things mean, and what sounds go together. So, as you learned more words, you were given some basic information on the rules of how certain vowels are pronounced on a word-by-word basis. Now, we are going to show you what those rules are called, and (vaguely) where they're from.

The dialects you have been learning in this book so far can be grouped under what is called Eastern Yiddish. The two systems of pronunciation you have mainly been taught so far come from Northeastern Yiddish, which is often called Litvish, (Lithuanian Yiddish) and Southeastern Yiddish, which is made up two dialects that are often called Poylish/Galitsianer Yiddish (Polish Yiddish) and Ukrainish (Ukrainian Yiddish).

Poylish and Ukrainish share certain pronunciations - for example, both dialects pronounce the vov in דו and װוּ as an ee sound, as in see, but in Poylish, the melupn-vov is a long vowel, and in Ukrainish, it is shortened.

Litvish is the dialect whose system of pronunciation was largely utilitzed in the creation of klal-sprakh - aka Standard Yiddish. Thus, people who speak Litvish and Standard Yiddish will pronounce many vowels the same way. This is the dialect in which דו is pronounced as oo, as in zoo.

However, Litvish is starkly different from all other dialects, including Standard Yiddish, in one specific way: It doesn't have a neuter (neutral-gendered) case. In Litvish, nouns will always be only masculine or feminine.

Standard Yiddish, on the other hand, uses Litvish vowels and Poylish grammatical structure - thus Standard Yiddish does, in fact, have a gender-neutral case.

All Yiddish dialects come with their own historical baggage, stereotypes, homonyms, puns, and idiosyncrasies. This is half the fun in learning about them, after all! Yiddish speaking Jews have been making fun of each other for the ways we choose to say certain words for literal millenia.

For example, when asking where someone lives, a Litvish speaker, who would typically pronounce a vov-yud (ױ) like in the verb װױנען (to live, to dwell somewhere) as ey, as in say, instead must say it as oy, as in boy - because otherwise, thanks to an inconvenient homonym, they would in fact be asking: ?װוּ װײנסטו - voo veynstu? - where do you cry? instead of where do you live?

And, as previously mentioned in the beginning, speakers of Northern and Southern Yiddish have yet to agree on what you call a potato.

However you say it - קאַרטאָפֿל, בולבע - nu, for now, let's call the whole thing off. Your dialect is your choice. There is no one "true" Yiddish dialect. What you speak is what you speak - and hopefully, these days, nobody is going to start a brawl with you should you decide to say kigel instead of kugel.

No matter what dialect you have chosen and why, you deserve the right to be proud of your Yiddish. That is, so long as you don't go around trying to insist to anyone and everyone who will listen that Yiddish speakers should all speak klal - that sort of נאַרישעקײט may very well result in someone telling you to גיי קאַקן אויפֿן ים.

For further details on individual differences between dialects, this chart from Wiktionary is an invaluable resource, as is Wikitionary itself, in addition to the Wikipedia pages for Yiddish dialects and the Yiddish language itself. Wikitongues also contains videos of a variety of Yiddish speakers of many different dialects.

Speaking of how to say things, before we return to your previously scheduled programming, now seems like as good a time as any to provide you with every language learner's #1 phrase:

?װי זוגט מען... אױף ייִדיש
vi zogt/zugt men... af/oyf Yiddish? Lit. "How does one say... in Yiddish?"

A single word is called די װאָרט. Multiple words are די װערטער - and a dictionary is די װערטערבוך!

If you forget something, you say:

...איך האָב פֿאַרגעסן lit. I have forgotten (past tense)

But you can also just say:

!שױן פֿאַרגעסן I forgot!

While we're at it, to remember or to recall is געדענקען.

For example:

.איך געדענק I remember.

And now, back to, you guessed it: even more manners!

After all, now that you know how to ask a few questions - it certainly couldn't hurt to ask politely. If you are familiar with Jewish English, or if you've ever been in a certain kind of shul, a few of these phrases might start to ring a bell - particularly the way in which Yiddish speakers say please:

Excuse me, Herr Schwartz,

Zay azoy gut...	Would you be so good...	...זײַ אַזױ גוט

As to fetch me my glasses from that table over there?

And if Mr. Schwartz has obliged, then you can say:

A dank.

Thank you.

.אַ דאַנק

Or even:

A sheynem dank!	Thank you very much! (lit. a beautiful thanks)	!אַ שײנעם דאַנק

A groysn dank!	Thank you very much! (lit. a great thanks)	!אַ גרױסן דאַנק

To which he will probably reply:

Nishto far-vos.	You're welcome. (lit. something between, "It's nothing," or "No need to thank me!"	.נישטאָ פֿאַרװאָס

Jewish social norms start making a bit more sense upon learning how people tend to respond to certain things in Yiddish (as with other Jewish languages, too).

If you're in shul, or among a more religious crowd, you might hear this one a lot:

Shkoyekh! or Yasher koyekh!

Good job! (English interjection) or, in some Yiddish dialects: Thank you! (Hebrew, lit: More strength to you.)

!שכּ׳ח or !יישר כּוח

To which you can politely reply:

A yasher.	You're welcome.	.אַ יישר

^{Thus, אַ יישר is a (religious) Hebrew synonym of נישטאָ פֿאַרװאָס - in Yiddish, that is.}

יישר כּוח is technically masculine, but depending on who you're talking to, particularly when said alongside plain English, it may be tossed around rather indiscriminately.

There is, however, a feminine form: this is pronounced yee-shar ko-khekh. If you have entered a shul in which there is a mechitza (a wall separating the women and men) and the Rabbi's wife is referred to as די רבצין, The Rebbetzin, complete with definite article - perhaps you might offer her or other women there a yee-shar ko-khekh instead to avoid any confusion.

Speaking of manners - what happens when you urgently need to get a stranger's attention in public?

Mister! Mister! Your yarmulke, it's fallen off your head!

!רב ייִד! רב ייִד! די יאַרמלקע, ס׳איז געפֿאַלן אַראָפּ פֿון דער קאָפּ

In Yiddish, you can address men as רב - reb - aka, Mister. So, some people might call your friend from shul רב עירא - Reb Ira - but of course, your Rabbi will still be just that: רבי.

But what if, like in the first example, you don't know the man's name, and he's about to - ¹!חלילה וחס - step right on his black velvet skullcap?

^{1!חלילה וחס - kholileh ve-KAS - and it's reversable, too - !חס וחלילה - Hebrew: G-d forbid! Versatile, occasionally sarcastic, and rarely said without at least a little dramatic effect.}

Nu, allow me introduce you to yet another peak of Yiddish social innovation, aka this phrase right here:

Mister Jew!

Reb Yeed!

!רב ייִד

Yes, you heard me right: Mister Jew.

Any man whose name you don't know, barring some exceptions, is now Mister Jew.

There is, tragically, not a feminine form of רב ייִד. There isn't technically a female counterpart to רב either, unless maybe you're referring to the Rabbi's wife, or the Rabbi herself.

Thus in Yiddish, in absence of a name, or when not on a first-name basis, you will have to stick to the good old English Miss.

There is a feminine form of the word ייִד, but thanks to centuries of Yiddish humour poking fun at women, in addition to poking fun at literally any and everything else, (Think of the tone in which Tevye sometimes talks about his wife and daughters in Sholem Aleichem's books) nowadays that particular word is not exactly the nicest thing to call a woman. Thus, unless she who you are speaking to is a Rabbi, your Rabbi's wife, or a doctor, we shall simply call her Miss.

Do you need to interrupt someone? Or perhaps you have the hiccups, or you just sneezed.

In all of these cases, you can say:

Zei meer moykhl. or Zei moykhl.	Excuse me, pardon me, sorry. Heb, lit: Forgive me.	.זײַ מיר מוחל or .זײַ מוחל

Getting onto a crowded bus? .זײַ מוחל

Stuck at the front of the shul after services because yet again everyone and their mother is shmoozing in the aisles? .זײַ מוחל

Trying, for the umpteenth time mid-conversation, to alert your friend to your presence? !זײַ מיר מוחל

There is also ענטשולדיק מיר, - entshuldik mir - which is from the same root as the similar phrase in German. It means the same thing as זײַ מוחל - excuse me.

In this book, you have already learned the Yiddish forms of the pronouns I, You, We, Me, They, He, She, and It. There are, however, obviously more pronouns than these - this first group of pronouns are in what is called the nominative case. To communicate, we also need pronouns such as us and our, to give two examples, which belong to a group which is called the dative case. Some of these pronouns are shared between both these groups.

Now, enough already with the linguistics - let's get learning!

English	ייִדיש	Pronunciation
Me	מיר	Mir (as in deer)
You	דיר	Dir (as in deer)
Him	אים	Eem (as in seem)
Her	איר	Eer (as in deer)
Us	אונדז	Undz (oo as in moon) or Indz (Ih as in in)
You/yourselves	אײַך	Aykh (as in bike, but with a hard kh sound) or Akh (as in Bach)
They	זײ	Zey (as in way or zay (as in fly)

Then, we have possessive pronouns, for when we need to say when something belongs to someone, such as:

1st Person

English	ייִדיש	Pronunciation
My	מײַן	Mayn (as in mine) or maan (as in naan)
Our	אונדזער	Undzer (oo as in moon) or Indzer (Ih as in in)
Whose?	װעמענס	Vemens (as in lemons)

2nd Person

English	ייִדיש	Pronunciation
Your (singular)	דײַן	Dayn (as in mine) or dahn (as in naan)
Your/s (pl.)	אײַער	Ayer (as in flyer.)

3rd Person

English	ייִדיש	Pronunciation
Him/his	זײַן	Zayn (as in mine) or zaan (as in naan)
Her/hers	איר	Eer (as in deer)
Their	זייער	Zeyer (as in mayor) or Zayer (as in flyer)

You will be learning how to use all of the pronouns you have learned so far very shortly after the next section - which is on words for people and relationships. After that we will be moving on to some useful verbs, and you can use these pronouns to form a sentence!

Yet another note on pronunciation:

Since we've gone over different dialects, gotten used to pairing up certain sounds within each, and there are a lot of dialectal variations within the pronunciation these pronouns, here's a quick, more cohesive explanation of which vowels belong to who.

Southeastern (Poylish/Galitzaner Yiddish)

Vowel	Pronunciation	Examples
ײַ	aa as in nah	זײַן (said: zahn, to rhyme with khan)
ײ	Aye as in bye	נײער (said, nayer, to rhyme with flyer - trans: New.)
וּ or ו	ee as in bee	?װוּ ביסטו (Said, vee bistee - trans: Where are you?)
ױ	oy as in boy	לױפֿן (said, loyfn - verb, trans: To run)
אָ	Depends on the word	When in דאָס, װאָס, or פֿאַרװאָס, this makes an oo sound, so that they are voos, doos, and far-voos.

Northeastern (Litvish Yiddish)

Vowel	Pronunciation	Examples
ײַ	aye as in bye	מײַן (said: mine)
ײ	oy as in boy	װײנען (said, voynen. Verb, trans: to dwell/live somewhere)
וּ or ו	oo as in boo	?װוּ ביסטו (Said, voo bistoo - trans: Where are you?)
ױ	ey as in way	לױפֿן (said, leyfn - verb, trans: To run)
אָ	o as in on	In דאָס, װאָס, or פֿאַרװאָס, this makes an oh sound, to rhyme with boss, so that they become vos, dos, and far-vos.

I regret to inform you that because Yiddish is a gendered language, there is never just one word to use in order to say the.

However - don't panic!

Yes, there are consistent patterns in which the to use for nouns and/or people, and yes, you will eventually remember them all. No, they do not relate necessarily to the real-life gender associated with the noun. For example, a יאַרמולקע, a skullcap worn by Jewish men, is feminine in Yiddish - because it's spelled with an ע - an ayin - on the end. Meanwhile, a מײדל - a little girl - is not feminine, but neutral, because of the ל - the lamed - at the end of the word, which is used in Yiddish to indicate that something is small, cutesy, or both.

The

דער	Masculine (זכר - zokher)
דאָס	Neutral (נײטראַל - neytral or nayetral)
די	Feminine (נקבֿה - nekeyve) or neuter plural (נײטראַלע)

If you can accept the fact that it will sound like you are using baby talk, you could cheat at having to guess the gender of some nouns by rendering them all small - thereby not only earning the disrespect of potentially everyone around you, but also the right to use the neuter plural די. This bears mentioning only because it's something of an in-joke among Yiddish learners. Just - don't. Don't do this.

But hey, I bet you'll certainly remember now that when a word ends in ל, or עלע, you can probably use די!

aunt di mume (mime), di tante

boy der/dos yingl

brother der bruder/der brider (pl. di brider)

brother-in-law der shvoger

child dos kind

children di kinder

cousin (f) di kuzine

cousin (m) der kuzin

cousin (n) dos shvesterkind

daughter di tokhter

daughter-in-law di shnur (shnir)

father der tate / der futer (s)

father-in-law der shver

girl dos/di meydl

great-grandfather der elterzeyde

great-grandmother di elterbobe / elterbabe

great-grandson der ureynikI

grandchild dos eynikI

granddaughter di eynikI

grandson der eynikI

grandfather der zeyde/zayde(s)

grandmother di bobe/babe(s)

grandparents zeyde-babe

mother di mame/ di miter

mother-in-law di shviger

nephew der plimenik

niece di plimenitse

parents tate-mame

parents di eltern

relative (f) di kroyve

relative (m) der korev

sibling der geshvister

sister di shvester

sister-in-law di shvegerin

son der zun/der zin

son-in-law der eydem

son-in-law’s or daughter-in-law’s father der mekhutn / der mekhitn

son-in-law’s or daughter-in-law’s mother di makheteniste

son-in-law’s or daughter-in-law’s parents di makhetunim

stepbrother der shtif-brider/shtifbrider

stepfather der shtif-foter

stepmother di shtif-miter/shtif miter

stepsister di shtif-shvester

twin der tsviling

uncle der feter

to be	זײַן	zayn (zine, IPA [zäɪn])
I am	איך בין	ikh bin
you are	דו ביסט	di bist
he/she/it is	ער/זי/עס איז	er/zi/es iz
we are	מיר זענען	mir zenen
you (pl) are	איר זײַט	ir zayt
they are	זײ זענען	zay zenen

Were:

איך בין געװען/געװעזן Ikh bin geveyn/geveyzn

דו ביסט געװען/געװעזן Du/Di bist geveyn/geveyzn

און אַזױ װײַטער.... in azoy vayter/and so on...

to have	האָבן	hobn
I have	איך האָב	ikh hob
you have	דו האָסט	di host
he/she has	ער/זי/עס האָט	er/zi/es hot
we have	מיר האָבן	mir hobn
you (pl) have	איר האָט	ir hot
they have	זיי האָבן	zey hobn

to go	גיין	gayn
I go	איך גיי	ikh gay
you go	דו גייסט	d gayst
he/she/it goes	ער/זי/עס גייט	er/zi/es gayt
we go	מיר גייען	mir geyen
you (pl) go	איר גייט	ir gayt
they go	זיי גייען	zay gayen

איך לערן זיך אידיש I am learning Yiddish

דו לערנסט זיך אידיש You are learning Yiddish

ער/זי לערנט זיך אידיש He/she is learning Yiddish.

The verbal additive זיך is needed when one is "learning". In the past tense (I have learnt, you have learnt etc...) the verbal additive comes directly after the verb:

זי האָט זיך געלערנט the verb being hoben.

To teach is simply לערנען.

דער רב לערנט מיט מיר תּורה Der Rov lernt mit mir Toyre - The Rov is teaching me Toyre.

Another way to say that someone is teaching you is:

דער רב לערנט מיך תּורה Der Rov gelernt mikh Toyre - Der Rov is teaching me Toyre.

So either ער לערנט מיט מיר ...ער לערנט מיך... Er lernt mikh... or er lernt mit mir...

One - Eyns

Two - Tsvey

Three - Dray

Four - Fier

Five - Finef

Six - Zeks

Seven - Zibn

Eight - Akht

Nine - Nayn

Ten - Tsen

Eleven - Elef

Twelve - Tsvelef

Thirteen - Draytsn

Fourteen - Fertsn

Fifteen - Fiftsn

Sixteen - Zekhtsn

Seventeen - Zibetsn

Eighteen - Akhtsn

Nineteen - Nayntsn

Twenty - Tsvontsik

Twenty-one - Eyn in Tsvontsik

Twenty-two - Tsvay in Tsvontsik

Thirty - Draysik

Thirty-one - Eyns un Drasik

Forty - Fertsik

Fifty - Fiftsik

Sixty - Zakhtsik

Seventy - Zibetsik

Eighty - Akhtsik

Ninety - Nayntsik

One Hundred - Hindert

Two Hundred - Tsvey Hindert

Three Hundred - Dray Hindert

Four Hundred - Fir Hindert

Five Hundred - Finef Hindert and same pattern

Thousand - Toyznt

Ten Thousand - Ten Toyznt

Hundred Thousand - Hindert Toyznt

Million - Milyon

second de sekund

minute di minut

hour di shtunde (n) di shu (shuen)

day der tug (teyg)

night di nakht (nekht)

year dos yor

century dos yorhindert

Telling the time:

s'iz 12(tvelef) a zayger - it's 12 o'clock.

s'iz halb akht in ovent - it's 7.30pm

s'iz fertsn nokh 10 in der fri - it's 10:15 am.

s'iz finef tsi naan in der fri - its five to nine in the morning.

er kimt in shil 9 azayger in der fri. He comes to school at 9 am.

Zi vet tsirik kimen fertl nokh mitug - she will come back at quarter past twelve (noon).

Vegetables

Transliterated	English	ייִדיש
Di kinare	Artichoke	די קינאַרע
Di grine arbes	Green peas	די גרינע אַרבעס
Shpinat	Spinach	שפּינאַט
Di petrushke	Turnip	די פּעטרושקע
Der retekh	Beet	דער רעטעך
Di brokoli	Broccoli	די בראָקאָלי
Di ugerke	Cucumber	די אוגערקע
Di blumenkroyt	Cauliflower	די בלומענקרויט
Dos kroyt	Cabbage	דאָס קרױט
Di latukh	Lettuce	די לאַטוכ
Dos pomidor	Tomato	דאָס פּאָמידאָר
Di selerye	Celery	די סעלעריע
Di bulbe	Potato	די בולבע
Der meyer(n)	Carrot	דער מײער(ן)
Di tsibele	Onion	די ציבעלע
Der avokado	Avocado	דער אַוואָקאַדאָ
Di shparzhe	Asparagus	די שפּאַרדזשע
Di shvom	Mushroom	די שװאָם
Kirbes	Pumpkin	קירבעס

cucumber di ugerke די אוגערקע

cucumber kastravet קאַסטראַוועט

potato di bulbe / di karto די בולבע

artichoke di kinare די קינאַרע

green peasspinach shpinat שפּינאַט

broccoliturnip petrushke די פאטרושקע

avocadoradish der retekh

cucumber di ugerke די אוגערקע

cauliflowercabbage dos kroyt דאָס קרױט

lettucetomato dos pomidor דאָס פּאָמידאָר

celery di selerye די סעלעריע

cucumber kastravet קאַסטראַוועט

radish רעטעך

potato di bulbe / di karto די בולבע

carrot der mayeren דער מייער

onion di tsibele די ציבעלע

asparagus di sparzhe די שפּאַרזשע

mushroom di shvom(en) די שװאָ (ען)

pumpkin kirbes קירבעס

artichoke di kinare די קינאַרע

green peasspinach shpinat שפּינאַט

broccoliturnip petrushke די פאטרושקע

avocadoradish der retekh

cucumber di ugerke די אוגערקע

cauliflowercabbage dos kroyt דאָס קרױט

lettucetomato dos pomidor דאָס פּאָמידאָר

celery di selerye די סעלעריע

cucumber kastravet קאַסטראַוועט

radish רעטעך

potato di bulbe / di karto די בולבע

carrot der mayeren דער מייער

onion di tsibele די ציבעלע

asparagus di sparzhe די שפּאַרזשע

mushroom di shvom(en) די שװאָ (ען)

pumpkin kirbes קירבעס

artichoke di kinare די קינאַרע

green peasspinach shpinat שפּינאַט

broccoliturnip petrushke די פאטרושקע

avocadoradish der retekh

cucumber di ugerke די אוגערקע

cauliflowercabbage dos kroyt דאָס קרױט

lettucetomato dos pomidor דאָס פּאָמידאָר

celery di selerye די סעלעריע

cucumber kastravet קאַסטראַוועט

radish רעטעך

potato di bulbe / di karto די בולבע

carrot der mayeren דער מייער

onion di tsibele די ציבעלע

asparagus di sparzhe די שפּאַרזשע

mushroom di shvom(en) די שװאָ (ען)

pumpkin kirbes קירבעס

artichoke di kinare די קינאַרע

green peasspinach shpinat שפּינאַט

broccoliturnip petrushke די פאטרושקע

avocadoradish der retekh

cucumber di ugerke די אוגערקע

cauliflowercabbage dos kroyt דאָס קרױט

lettucetomato dos pomidor דאָס פּאָמידאָר

celery di selerye די סעלעריע

cucumber kastravet קאַסטראַוועט

radish רעטעך

potato di bulbe / di karto די בולבע

carrot der mayeren דער מייער

onion di tsibele די ציבעלע

asparagus di sparzhe די שפּאַרזשע

mushroom di shvom(en) די שװאָ (ען)

pumpkin kirbes קירבעס

artichoke di kinare די קינאַרע

green peasspinach shpinat שפּינאַט

broccoliturnip petrushke די פאטרושקע

avocadoradish der retekh

cucumber di ugerke די אוגערקע

cauliflowercabbage dos kroyt דאָס קרױט

lettucetomato dos pomidor דאָס פּאָמידאָר

celery di selerye די סעלעריע

cucumber kastravet קאַסטראַוועט

radish רעטעך

potato di bulbe / di karto די בולבע

carrot der mayeren דער מייער

onion di tsibele די ציבעלע

asparagus di sparzhe די שפּאַרזשע

mushroom di shvom(en) די שװאָ (ען)

pumpkin kirbes קירבעס

artichoke di kinare די קינאַרע

green peasspinach shpinat שפּינאַט

broccoliturnip petrushke די פאטרושקע

avocadoradish der retekh

cucumber di ugerke די אוגערקע

cauliflowercabbage dos kroyt דאָס קרױט

lettucetomato dos pomidor דאָס פּאָמידאָר

celery di selerye די סעלעריע

cucumber kastravet קאַסטראַוועט

radish רעטעך

potato di bulbe / di karto די בולבע

carrot der mayeren דער מייער

onion di tsibele די ציבעלע

asparagus di sparzhe די שפּאַרזשע

mushroom di shvom(en) די שװאָ (ען)

pumpkin kirbes קירבעס

artichoke di kinare די קינאַרע

green peasspinach shpinat שפּינאַט

broccoliturnip petrushke די פאטרושקע

avocadoradish der retekh

cucumber di ugerke די אוגערקע

cauliflowercabbage dos kroyt דאָס קרױט

lettucetomato dos pomidor דאָס פּאָמידאָר

celery di selerye די סעלעריע

cucumber kastravet קאַסטראַוועט

radish רעטעך

potato di bulbe / di karto די בולבע

carrot der mayeren דער מייער

onion di tsibele די ציבעלע

asparagus di sparzhe די שפּאַרזשע

mushroom di shvom(en) די שװאָ (ען)

pumpkin kirbes קירבעס

artichoke di kinare די קינאַרע

green peasspinach shpinat שפּינאַט

broccoliturnip petrushke די פאטרושקע

avocadoradish der retekh

cucumber di ugerke די אוגערקע

cauliflowercabbage dos kroyt דאָס קרױט

lettucetomato dos pomidor דאָס פּאָמידאָר

celery di selerye די סעלעריע

cucumber kastravet קאַסטראַוועט

radish רעטעך

potato di bulbe / di karto די בולבע

carrot der mayeren דער מייער

onion di tsibele די ציבעלע

asparagus di sparzhe די שפּאַרזשע

mushroom di shvom(en) די שװאָ (ען)

pumpkin kirbes קירבעס

artichoke di kinare די קינאַרע

green peasspinach shpinat שפּינאַט

broccoliturnip petrushke די פאטרושקע

avocadoradish der retekh

cucumber di ugerke די אוגערקע

cauliflowercabbage dos kroyt דאָס קרױט

lettucetomato dos pomidor דאָס פּאָמידאָר

celery di selerye די סעלעריע

cucumber kastravet קאַסטראַוועט

radish רעטעך

potato di bulbe / di karto די בולבע

carrot der mayeren דער מייער

onion di tsibele די ציבעלע

asparagus di sparzhe די שפּאַרזשע

mushroom di shvom(en) די שװאָ (ען)

pumpkin kirbes קירבעס

artichoke di kinare די קינאַרע

green peasspinach shpinat שפּינאַט

broccoliturnip petrushke די פאטרושקע

avocadoradish der retekh

cucumber di ugerke די אוגערקע

cauliflowercabbage dos kroyt דאָס קרױט

lettucetomato dos pomidor דאָס פּאָמידאָר

celery di selerye די סעלעריע

cucumber kastravet קאַסטראַוועט

radish רעטעך

potato di bulbe / di karto די בולבע

carrot der mayeren דער מייער

onion di tsibele די ציבעלע

asparagus di sparzhe די שפּאַרזשע

mushroom di shvom(en) די שװאָ (ען)

pumpkin kirbes קירבעס

artichoke di kinare די קינאַרע

green peasspinach shpinat שפּינאַט

broccoliturnip petrushke די פאטרושקע

avocadoradish der retekh

cucumber di ugerke די אוגערקע

cauliflowercabbage dos kroyt דאָס קרױט

lettucetomato dos pomidor דאָס פּאָמידאָר

celery di selerye די סעלעריע

cucumber kastravet קאַסטראַוועט

radish רעטעך

potato di bulbe / di karto די בולבע

carrot der mayeren דער מייער

onion di tsibele די ציבעלע

asparagus di sparzhe די שפּאַרזשע

mushroom di shvom(en) די שװאָ (ען)

pumpkin kirbes קירבעס

artichoke di kinare די קינאַרע

green peasspinach shpinat שפּינאַט

broccoliturnip petrushke די פאטרושקע

avocadoradish der retekh

cucumber di ugerke די אוגערקע

cauliflowercabbage dos kroyt דאָס קרױט

lettucetomato dos pomidor דאָס פּאָמידאָר

celery di selerye די סעלעריע

cucumber kastravet קאַסטראַוועט

radish רעטעך

potato di bulbe / di karto די בולבע

carrot der mayeren דער מייער

onion di tsibele די ציבעלע

asparagus di sparzhe די שפּאַרזשע

mushroom di shvom(en) די שװאָ (ען)

pumpkin kirbes קירבעס

artichoke di kinare די קינאַרע

green peasspinach shpinat שפּינאַט

broccoliturnip petrushke די פאטרושקע

avocadoradish der retekh

cucumber di ugerke די אוגערקע

cauliflowercabbage dos kroyt דאָס קרױט

lettucetomato dos pomidor דאָס פּאָמידאָר

celery di selerye די סעלעריע

cucumber kastravet קאַסטראַוועט

radish רעטעך

potato di bulbe / di karto די בולבע

carrot der mayeren דער מייער

onion di tsibele די ציבעלע

asparagus di sparzhe די שפּאַרזשע

mushroom di shvom(en) די שװאָ (ען)

pumpkin kirbes קירבעס

artichoke di kinare די קינאַרע

green peasspinach shpinat שפּינאַט

broccoliturnip petrushke די פאטרושקע

avocadoradish der retekh

cucumber di ugerke די אוגערקע

cauliflowercabbage dos kroyt דאָס קרױט

lettucetomato dos pomidor דאָס פּאָמידאָר

celery di selerye די סעלעריע

cucumber kastravet קאַסטראַוועט

radish רעטעך

potato di bulbe / di karto די בולבע

carrot der mayeren דער מייער

onion di tsibele די ציבעלע

asparagus di sparzhe די שפּאַרזשע

mushroom di shvom(en) די שװאָ (ען)

pumpkin kirbes קירבעס

artichoke di kinare די קינאַרע

green peasspinach shpinat שפּינאַט

broccoliturnip petrushke די פאטרושקע

avocadoradish der retekh

cucumber di ugerke די אוגערקע

cauliflowercabbage dos kroyt דאָס קרױט

lettucetomato dos pomidor דאָס פּאָמידאָר

celery di selerye די סעלעריע

cucumber kastravet קאַסטראַוועט

radish רעטעך

potato di bulbe / di karto די בולבע

carrot der mayeren דער מייער

onion di tsibele די ציבעלע

asparagus di sparzhe די שפּאַרזשע

mushroom di shvom(en) די שװאָ (ען)

pumpkin kirbes קירבעס

artichoke di kinare די קינאַרע

green peasspinach shpinat שפּינאַט

broccoliturnip petrushke די פאטרושקע

avocadoradish der retekh

cucumber di ugerke די אוגערקע

cauliflowercabbage dos kroyt דאָס קרױט

lettucetomato dos pomidor דאָס פּאָמידאָר

celery di selerye די סעלעריע

cucumber kastravet קאַסטראַוועט

radish רעטעך

potato di bulbe / di karto די בולבע

carrot der mayeren דער מייער

onion di tsibele די ציבעלע

asparagus di sparzhe די שפּאַרזשע

mushroom di shvom(en) די שװאָ (ען)

pumpkin kirbes קירבעס

artichoke di kinare די קינאַרע

green peasspinach shpinat שפּינאַט

broccoliturnip petrushke די פאטרושקע

avocadoradish der retekh

cucumber di ugerke די אוגערקע

cauliflowercabbage dos kroyt דאָס קרױט

lettucetomato dos pomidor דאָס פּאָמידאָר

celery di selerye די סעלעריע

cucumber kastravet קאַסטראַוועט

radish רעטעך

potato di bulbe / di karto די בולבע

carrot der mayeren דער מייער

onion di tsibele די ציבעלע

asparagus di sparzhe די שפּאַרזשע

mushroom di shvom(en) די שװאָ (ען)

pumpkin kirbes קירבעס

artichoke di kinare די קינאַרע

green peasspinach shpinat שפּינאַט

broccoliturnip petrushke די פאטרושקע

avocadoradish der retekh

cucumber di ugerke די אוגערקע

cauliflowercabbage dos kroyt דאָס קרױט

lettucetomato dos pomidor דאָס פּאָמידאָר

celery di selerye די סעלעריע

cucumber kastravet קאַסטראַוועט

radish רעטעך

potato di bulbe / di karto די בולבע

carrot der mayeren דער מייער

onion di tsibele די ציבעלע

asparagus di sparzhe די שפּאַרזשע

mushroom di shvom(en) די שװאָ (ען)

pumpkin kirbes קירבעס

artichoke di kinare די קינאַרע

green peasspinach shpinat שפּינאַט

broccoliturnip petrushke די פאטרושקע

avocadoradish der retekh

cucumber di ugerke די אוגערקע

cauliflowercabbage dos kroyt דאָס קרױט

lettucetomato dos pomidor דאָס פּאָמידאָר

celery di selerye די סעלעריע

cucumber kastravet קאַסטראַוועט

radish רעטעך

potato di bulbe / di karto די בולבע

carrot der mayeren דער מייער

onion di tsibele די ציבעלע

asparagus di sparzhe די שפּאַרזשע

mushroom di shvom(en) די שװאָ (ען)

pumpkin kirbes קירבעס

artichoke di kinare די קינאַרע

green peasspinach shpinat שפּינאַט

broccoliturnip petrushke די פאטרושקע

avocadoradish der retekh

cucumber di ugerke די אוגערקע

cauliflowercabbage dos kroyt דאָס קרױט

lettucetomato dos pomidor דאָס פּאָמידאָר

celery di selerye די סעלעריע

cucumber kastravet קאַסטראַוועט

radish רעטעך

potato di bulbe / di karto די בולבע

carrot der mayeren דער מייער

onion di tsibele די ציבעלע

asparagus di sparzhe די שפּאַרזשע

mushroom di shvom(en) די שװאָ (ען)

pumpkin kirbes קירבעס

artichoke di kinare די קינאַרע

green peasspinach shpinat שפּינאַט

broccoliturnip petrushke די פאטרושקע

avocadoradish der retekh

cucumber di ugerke די אוגערקע

cauliflowercabbage dos kroyt דאָס קרױט

lettucetomato dos pomidor דאָס פּאָמידאָר

celery di selerye די סעלעריע

cucumber kastravet קאַסטראַוועט

radish רעטעך

potato di bulbe / di karto די בולבע

carrot der mayeren דער מייער

onion di tsibele די ציבעלע

asparagus di sparzhe די שפּאַרזשע

mushroom di shvom(en) די שװאָ (ען)

pumpkin kirbes קירבעס

artichoke di kinare די קינאַרע

green peasspinach shpinat שפּינאַט

broccoliturnip petrushke די פאטרושקע

avocadoradish der retekh

cucumber di ugerke די אוגערקע

cauliflowercabbage dos kroyt דאָס קרױט

lettucetomato dos pomidor דאָס פּאָמידאָר

celery di selerye די סעלעריע

cucumber kastravet קאַסטראַוועט

radish רעטעך

potato di bulbe / di karto די בולבע

carrot der mayeren דער מייער

onion di tsibele די ציבעלע

asparagus di sparzhe די שפּאַרזשע

mushroom di shvom(en) די שװאָ (ען)

pumpkin kirbes קירבעס

artichoke di kinare די קינאַרע

green peasspinach shpinat שפּינאַט

broccoliturnip petrushke די פאטרושקע

avocadoradish der retekh

cucumber di ugerke די אוגערקע

cauliflowercabbage dos kroyt דאָס קרױט

lettucetomato dos pomidor דאָס פּאָמידאָר

celery di selerye די סעלעריע

cucumber kastravet קאַסטראַוועט

radish רעטעך

potato di bulbe / di karto די בולבע

carrot der mayeren דער מייער

onion di tsibele די ציבעלע

asparagus di sparzhe די שפּאַרזשע

mushroom di shvom(en) די שװאָ (ען)

pumpkin kirbes קירבעס

artichoke di kinare די קינאַרע

green peasspinach shpinat שפּינאַט

broccoliturnip petrushke די פאטרושקע

avocadoradish der retekh

cucumber di ugerke די אוגערקע

cauliflowercabbage dos kroyt דאָס קרױט

lettucetomato dos pomidor דאָס פּאָמידאָר

celery di selerye די סעלעריע

cucumber kastravet קאַסטראַוועט

radish רעטעך

potato di bulbe / di karto די בולבע

carrot der mayeren דער מייער

onion di tsibele די ציבעלע

asparagus di sparzhe די שפּאַרזשע

mushroom di shvom(en) די שװאָ (ען)

pumpkin kirbes קירבעס

artichoke di kinare די קינאַרע

green peasspinach shpinat שפּינאַט

broccoliturnip petrushke די פאטרושקע

avocadoradish der retekh

cucumber di ugerke די אוגערקע

cauliflowercabbage dos kroyt דאָס קרױט

lettucetomato dos pomidor דאָס פּאָמידאָר

celery di selerye די סעלעריע

cucumber kastravet קאַסטראַוועט

radish רעטעך

potato di bulbe / di karto די בולבע

carrot der mayeren דער מייער

onion di tsibele די ציבעלע

asparagus di sparzhe די שפּאַרזשע

mushroom di shvom(en) די שװאָ (ען)

pumpkin kirbes קירבעס

artichoke di kinare די קינאַרע

green peasspinach shpinat שפּינאַט

broccoliturnip petrushke די פאטרושקע

avocadoradish der retekh

cucumber di ugerke די אוגערקע

cauliflowercabbage dos kroyt דאָס קרױט

lettucetomato dos pomidor דאָס פּאָמידאָר

celery di selerye די סעלעריע

cucumber kastravet קאַסטראַוועט

radish רעטעך

potato di bulbe / di karto די בולבע

carrot der mayeren דער מייער

onion di tsibele די ציבעלע

asparagus di sparzhe די שפּאַרזשע

mushroom di shvom(en) די שװאָ (ען)

pumpkin kirbes קירבעס

artichoke di kinare די קינאַרע

green peasspinach shpinat שפּינאַט

broccoliturnip petrushke די פאטרושקע

avocadoradish der retekh

cucumber di ugerke די אוגערקע

cauliflowercabbage dos kroyt דאָס קרױט

lettucetomato dos pomidor דאָס פּאָמידאָר

celery di selerye די סעלעריע

cucumber kastravet קאַסטראַוועט

radish רעטעך

potato di bulbe / di karto די בולבע

carrot der mayeren דער מייער

onion di tsibele די ציבעלע

asparagus di sparzhe די שפּאַרזשע

mushroom di shvom(en) די שװאָ (ען)

pumpkin kirbes קירבעס

artichoke di kinare די קינאַרע

green peasspinach shpinat שפּינאַט

broccoliturnip petrushke די פאטרושקע

avocadoradish der retekh

cucumber di ugerke די אוגערקע

cauliflowercabbage dos kroyt דאָס קרױט

lettucetomato dos pomidor דאָס פּאָמידאָר

celery di selerye די סעלעריע

cucumber kastravet קאַסטראַוועט

radish רעטעך

potato di bulbe / di karto די בולבע

carrot der mayeren דער מייער

onion di tsibele די ציבעלע

asparagus di sparzhe די שפּאַרזשע

mushroom di shvom(en) די שװאָ (ען)

pumpkin kirbes קירבעס

artichoke di kinare די קינאַרע

green peasspinach shpinat שפּינאַט

broccoliturnip petrushke די פאטרושקע

avocadoradish der retekh

cucumber di ugerke די אוגערקע

cauliflowercabbage dos kroyt דאָס קרױט

lettucetomato dos pomidor דאָס פּאָמידאָר

celery di selerye די סעלעריע

cucumber kastravet קאַסטראַוועט

radish רעטעך

potato di bulbe / di karto די בולבע

carrot der mayeren דער מייער

onion di tsibele די ציבעלע

asparagus di sparzhe די שפּאַרזשע

mushroom di shvom(en) די שװאָ (ען)

pumpkin kirbes קירבעס

di kinare	artichoke	די קינאַרע
שפּינאַט	spinach	shpinat
petrushke	turnip	די פאטרושקע

artichoke di kinare די קינאַרע

green peas

spinach shpinat שפּינאַט

broccoli

turnip petrushke די פאטרושקע

avocado

radish der retekh

cucumber di ugerke די אוגערקע

cauliflower

cabbage dos kroyt דאָס קרױט

lettuce

tomato dos pomidor דאָס פּאָמידאָר

celery di selerye די סעלעריע

cucumber kastravet קאַסטראַוועט

radish רעטעך

potato di bulbe / di karto די בולבע

carrot der mayeren דער מייער

onion di tsibele די ציבעלע

asparagus di sparzhe די שפּאַרזשע

mushroom di shvom(en) די שװאָ (ען)

pumpkin kirbes קירבעס

Weather veter װעטער

Air Pressure luft drikung לופֿט דריקונג

Atmosphere di atmosfer די אַטמאָספֿער

Avalanche di lavine די לאַװינע

Barometer der barometer דער באַראָמעטער

Blizzard di zaverukhe די זאַװעכע

Blow bluzn בלאָזן

Breeze vintl װינטל

Clear klor קלאָר

Cloud der volkn דער װאָלקן

Cloudy volkndik װאָלקנדיק

Cold (adj) kalt קאַלט

Cold (n) di kelt די קעלט

Cyclone der tsiklon דער ציקלאָן

Damp fahkht פֿײַכט rhymes with Nacht

Dew der toy דער טױ

Drizzle (n) dos regndl דדאָס רײגנדל

Drizzle (v) shprayen שפּרײן

Drought di triknkayt די טרונקײַט

Dry trikn טריקן

Evaporation

Flood di mabl די מבול

Fog der nepl דער נעפּל

Foggy nepldik נעפּלדיק

Frost dos gefrir דאָס געפֿרער

Frosty frustik פֿראָסטיק

Glacier gletsher גלעטשער

Hail (n) der hugl דער האָגל

Hail (v) huglen האָגלען

Heat di hits די היץ

Hot hays הײס rhymes with lies

How's the weather? vi iz es in droysn? װי איז עס אין דרױסן?

Humid dempik דעמפּיק

Hurricane der huragan דער הוראַגאַן

Lighten (v) blitsn בליצן

Lightning der blits דער בליץ

Mist der timan דער טומאַן

Moon di levune די לעװאָנע

Mud di blute די בלאָטע

Muddy blutik בלאָטיק

New Moon der moyled דער מױלעד

Overcast fartsoygn פֿאַרצױגן

Pour (rain) khlyapen כלײַפּען

Rain (n) der reygn דער רעגן

Rain (v) reygenen רעגענען

Rainbow der reygn-boygn דער רעגן בױגן

Rainfall skhim der regn סכום דער רעגן

Rainy reygndik רעגנדיק

Sleet der graypl-regn דער גרײַפּל רעגן

Snow (n) der shnay דער שנײ

Snow (v) shnayen שנײען

Snowflake shnayele שנײעלע

Snowstorm der shnayshtirem דער שנײשטורעם

Snowy shnayik שנײיִק

Star der shtern דער שטערן

Starry oysgeshternt אױסגעשערנט

Sun di zin די זון

Sunny zunik זוניק

Sunshine di zin די זון

Thunder der duner דער דונער

Tornado der tornado דער טאָרנאַדאָ

Warm varem װאַרעם

Warning vorenung װאָרענונג

Wet nas נאַס

Weather der veter דער װעטער

What is the weather like today? Vos far a veter hobn mir haynt?

װאָס פֿאַר אַ װעטער האָבן מיר הײַנט?

What is the weather like outside? Vos far a veter es iz in droysn?

װאָס פֿאַר אַ װעטער האָבן מיר הײַנט?

Wind der vint דער װינט

Windy vintik דער װינטיק

In Yiddish there is not a lower or upper case letter system. In the Yiddish transliteration some words have taken on the upper case form for the ease of reading only or to coordinate with the English system. www.myoyvey.com

Joe Katz in vaxahatshi, tekses. Joe Katz in Waxahachie, Texas

Sholem-aleykhem Hello! !שלום־עליכם

Aleykhem-sholem Response to sholem-aleykhm !עליכם־שלום

Ikh heys Ruven. .איך הײס ראובן

My name is Reuben. (Literally "I am called", from the infinitive heysn)

Mayn nomen iz Beyers in ikh bin oykh fin rusland.

מײן נאָמען איז בײערס און איך בין אױך פֿון רוסלאַנד

My name is Beyers and I am also from Russia.

מײַן נאָמען איז בײערס און איך בין אױך פֿון רוסלאנד

Vus makhtsu, Katz? How are you doing, Katz?

?װאָס מאַכסטו, קאַץ

Vus hert zikh? How are you? (lit. what is heard?, passive) ?װאָס הערט זיך

Vi heyst ir? What is your name? ?װי הײסט איר

Ikh heys yoysef katz. My name is Josef Katz. איך הײס יוסף קאַץ.

Vus makht a yid? How is it going? (Lit. What does a Jew do?)

Vi voynt ir? Where do you live? װאו װאױנט איר?

Ikh voyn in London, England. I live in London, England.

איך װױן אין לאָנדאָן, ענגלאַנד.

Ikh bin geboyrn gevorn in Brailov. I was born in Brailov.

איך בין געבױרן געװאָרן אין ברײלאָף.

Keyn amerike bin ikh gekumen in 1913. I came to America in 1913.

.קײן אַמעריקע בין איך געקומען אין 1913

Ikh bin geforn mit der shif mit a sakh andere yidn, beyde mener in froyen.

I travelled by ship with many other Jews both men and women.

איך בין געפֿאָרן מיט דער שיף מיט אַ סאַך אַנדערע ייִדן, בײדע מענער און פֿרױען.

Di yidishe agentsyes mit dem bavustn rebenyu henry cohen hot undz zayer

geholfn mit der unkim.

The Jewish agencies along with the well-known Rabbi Henry Cohen helped us

with our arrival.

די ייִדישע אַגענציעס מיט דעם באַװוּסטן רעבעניו הענרי קאָהען האָט אונדז זײער געהאָלפֿן מיט דער אָנקום.

Mayn vayb in mayne kinder zenen geblibn in rusland biz 1922.

My wife and my children remained in Russia until 1922.

מײַן װײַב און מײַן קינדער זענען געבליבן אין רוסלאַנד ביז 1922.

Di dray eltste fin di kinder zenen geblibn in rusland zayer gants leybn.

The three oldest children remain in Russia their entire life.

די דרײַ עלצטע פֿון די קינדער זענען געבליבן אין רוסלאַנד זײער גאַנץ לעבן.

Di dray yingste fun di kinder zenen gekumen in amerike mit zeyer mame in 1922, oykh in shif.

The three youngest children arrived with their mother also by ship in 1922.

דער דרײַ ייִנסטער פֿון די קינדער זענען געקומען אין אַמעריקע מיט זײער מאַמע אין 1922, אױך אין שיף.

Tsvay fin der eltste kinder zenen ibergekimen di shreklekh tsvayte velt-milkhume.

Two of the oldest children had survived the horrible Second World War.

תּסװײ פֿון דער עלצטער קינדער זענען איבערגעקומען די שרעקלעכע צװעיטע װעלט־מילכאָמע.

Mr. Beyers freygt, vus tisti far a parnuse?

Mr. Beyers asks what do you do for a living?

Yetst ikh bin a kremer. Nowadays I am a storekeeper.

Ikh hob a klayner shpayzkrom af jackson gas in di komertzyel gegnt.

I have a small grocery store on Jackson Street in the commercial district.

Zayer ungenem It is nice to meet you.

Es frayt mikh eich tsi kenen It is nice to meet you.

Shekoyekh Thank you very much.

More to come from Joe Katz of Waxahachie.

More greetingsItalic text

Vus hert zikh epes?? What is new?

s'iz nishto kayn nayes. There is no new news.

Vus nokh? What else.

Zay gezint Be healthy and goodbye

Abi gezint as long as you are healthy

A gezint of dayn kop. Good health to you. lit (good health on your head)

Zayt azoy git Please (lit. be so good {as to})

Ikh bet aykh Please

Nishto far vos. You're welcome

Vifl kost dos? How much does this cost?

Vi iz der vashtsimer? Where is the bathroom?

Hak mir nisht in kop! Don't bang my head!

Fun dayn moyl in gots oyern From your mouth to G-d's ear.

It's shame that the bride is too beautiful. A khasoren vi di kalleh is tsu sheyn. (An ironic phrase implying that the object spoken of has but one fault: that it is perfect.)

A fool remains a fool. A nar blaybt a nar. A khazer blaybt a khazer.

An unattractive girl hates the mirror. A mi'ese moyd hot faynt dem shpigl.

A silent fool is half a genius. A shvaygediker nar iz a halber khokhem.

As beautiful as the moon. Shayn vi di lavune.

Better to die upright than to live on ones knees. Beser tsi shtarben shtayendik vi tsi leyben of di kni.

Have information at your fingertips. Kenen oyf di finger.

You should live and be well! A leybn oyf dir! (coloq.) / Zeit gesundt uhn shtark

dear (as in either dear or expensive) tayer טייַער

alive khay

ancient alttsaytish אַלטצייַטיש

angry broygez, bayz (bad) ברויגעז, בייַז

annoying zlidne זלידנע

anxious bazorgt באַזאָרגט

arrogant gadlen, gayvedik גאַדלען, גייַוועדיק

ashamed farshemen zikh פאַרשעמען זיך

awful shlecht

bad shlekht

beautiful shayn

bewildered farblondzshet, farloyrn

big, large groys

black shvarts

blue bloy or blo

briefly bekitser

bright likhtik/lekhtik

broad brayt

busy farshmayet / farnimen

cautious gevornt

clean puts (v.) / raynik (a.)

clear daytlekh / klor

clever klig

cloudy volkndik

clumsy imgelimpert

colourful filfarbik

condemned fardamt

confused tsemisht, farmisht, gemisht

crazy, flipped-out meshige

cruel akhzer

crowded eng

curious naygerik

cute chenevdik

dangers sakunes סאַקונעס

dangerous mesukn / sakunesdik

dark fintster

darkness khoyshekh

dead toyt

deaf toyb

defeat derekhfal

depressed dershlugn

different andersh

difficult shver

disgusting khaloshesdik

dull nidne

early fri

elegant elegant

evil shlekht or bayz

excited ofgehaytert

expensive tayer

famous barimt

fancy getsatske

fast gikh / shnel

fat fet, dik

filthy shmitsik

foolish shmo, narish

frail shvakh

frightened dershroken far

gigantic, huge rizik

grieving farklemt

helpless umbaholfn

horrible shreklekh

hungry hungerik

hurt vay tin

ill krank

immense, massive gvaldik

impossible ummiglekh

inexpensive bilik

jealous kine

late shpet

lazy foyl

little, small klayn

lonely elnt

long lang

long ago lang tsurik

loud hoyekh

miniature miniyatur

modern modern

nasty paskudne

nervous nerveyish

noisy timldik

obnoxious dervider

odd meshune, modne

old alt

outstanding oysgetseykhent

plain daytlekh

powerful koyekhdik

quiet shtil

rich raykh

selfish egoistish

short niderik

shy shemevdik

silent shvaygndik

sleepy shlofndik

slowly pamelekh

smoggy glantsik

soft shtil

tall hoyekh

tender tsart

tense ongeshpant

terrible shreklekh

tiny pitsink, kleyntshik

tired mid

troubled imri'ik

ugly vredne / mi'es

unusual imgeveytlekh

upset tseridert

vast rizik

voiceless shtim

wandering vanderin

wild vild

worried bazorgt

wrong falsh

young ying

black	שוואַרץ	shvarts
blue	בלוי	bloy
brown	ברוין	broyn
gold	גאָלד	gold
gray	גרוי	groy
green	גרין	grin
pink	ראָז	roz
red	רויט	royt
silver	זילבער	zilber
white	ווײַס	vays
yellow	געל	gel

Unverified and need original script:

• Hue - shatirung
• Orange - oranzh
• Purple - lila
• Shade - shotn
• Tan - bezh
• Violet - violet

ant	מוראשקע	murashke
bear	בער	ber
cat	קאַץ	kats
chicken	הון	hun
cow	קו	ku
dog	הונט	hunt
donkey	אייזל	eyzl
fish	פֿיש	fish
fox	פֿוקס	fuks
gorilla	גאָרילע	gorile
hippo	היפּאָפּאָטאַם	hipopotam
horse	פֿערד	ferd
lion	לייב	leyb
lizard	יאַשטשערקע	yashtsherke
mouse	מויז	moyz
pig	חזיר	khazer
rabbit	קינאיגל	kinigl
rat	ראַץ	rats
sheep	שעפּס	sheps
snake	שלאַנג	shlang
squirrel	וועווערקע	veverke
tiger	טיגער	tiger
turkey	אינדיק	indik
ape	מאַלפּע	malpe
rhinoceros	נאָזהאָרן	nozhorn
wisent	װיזלטיר	vizltir

Abdomen der boykh

Ankle der knekhl

Appendix der blinder kishes

Arm der orem

Artery di arterye

Backbone der ruknbeyn

Beard di bord

Bladder der penkher

Blood dos blit

Body der gif / der kerper (s)

Bodies di gifim

Bone der beyn

Bosom der buzem

Brain der moyekh

Brains di moyekhes

Buttocks der tukhes

Calf di litke

Cartilage der veykhbeyn

Cells di kamern

Cheek di bak(n)

Chest brustkastn

Cure di refi'e

Curl dos grayzl

Diaphragm di diafragme

Ear der oyer

Earlocks di peyes

Elbow der elnboygn

Eye dos oyg

Eye brows di bremen

Eyelash di vie

Eyelid dos ledl

Face dos ponim / dos gezikht-di gezikhter

Finger finger der / di finger

Fingernail der nogl, di negl

Fingerprint der fingerdruk

Fingertip der shpits finger

Fist di foyst

Flesh dos layb

Feet di fis

Foot der fis

Forehead der shtern

Gall bladder di gal

Gland der driz

Gum di yasle

Hair di hor

Hand hant di

Hands di hent

Head der kop

Headache der kopveytik

Heel di pyate

Hip di lend

Hormones der hormon(en)

Hunchback der hoyker

Intestine di kishke

Jaw der kin

Kidney di nir

Knee der kni

Leg der fis

Ligament dos gebind

Limb der eyver

Lip di lip

Liver di leber

Lung di lung

Lymph node di lymfe

Moustache di vontses

Mouth dos moyl

Muscle der muskl

Navel der pipik

Neck der kark

Nerve der nerve(n)

Nose di noz

Organ der organ(en)

Nostril di nuzlukh

Palm di dlonye

Pancreas der untermogn driz

Pituatary gland di shlaymdriz

Prostate gland

Rib di rip

Scalp der skalp

Shoulder der aksl

Skin di hoyt

Skull der sharbn

Spine der riknbeyn

Spleen di milts

Spinal chord de khut'hasye'dre

Spleen di milts

Stomach der mogn(s) der boukh

Temple di shleyf

Testicles di beytsim

Thigh dikh, polke

Thorax der brustkasten(s)

Throat der gorgl, der haldz

Thumb der groberfinger

Thyroid di shildriz

Tissue dos geveb(n)

Tongue di tsing

Tongues di tsinger

Tooth der tson

Teeth di tseyn(er)

Umbilical cord der noplshnur

Uterus di heybmuter

Vein di oder

Waist di talye

Womb di trakht

Needs to be alphabetised

alphabet der alef bays

arts der kunstwerk

blackboard der tovl

blocks di blokn

book dos bikh

calculator di rekhn mashin

chalk di krayd

comparison (n) farglaykhung

define (n) definitsye

dictionary dos verter bikh

difficult kompleks or shver

easy gring or nisht shver

eraser oysmeker

explanation (n) dikhterung

fountain pen di feder(n)

homework di Haymarket

identification (n) identifitsirung

interpretation (n) interpretatsye

knowledge gebit

paper dos papir

paraphrase paraphrasing

pencil di blayfeder

recess di hafsoke(s)

religious explanation (n) peyrush

science di vizenshaft

sheet of paper dos blat

stage di stadye

story di mayse(s)

teacher (female) di lererin, di lererke

teacher (male) der lerer

note In addition to the change of the definite article from der to di for teacher, notice the difference in the ending of the words for the feminine counterpart of the occupation. For the female teacher we use the ending in and ke likewise on other occupations. myoyvey.com

textbook der tekst or dos lernbukh

to add tsigeybn

to analyze analizir

to comprehend farshteyn zikh

to divide teylen

to evaluate opshatsn

to measure mostn

to multiply farmeren zikh

to show bavizn

to subtract aroprekhenen

to synthesize sintezirn

university der universitet

weekly reader dos vokhn blat or dos vokn leyener

work (physical labor) arbet

work (written rather than physical labor) verk

actor der aktyor

actress di aktrise

accountant der rekhenmayster, der khezhbnfirer

architect der arkhitekt

artisan der balmelokhe

artist der kinstler

athlete der atlet

author der mekhaber

aviator der flier, der pilot

baker der beker

banker der bankir

barber der sherer

bartender der baal-kretshme

beautician der kosmetiker

blacksmith der shmid

bricklayer der moyerer

broker der mekler

builder der boyer (bauer)

burglar der araynbrekher

butcher der katsev

candidate der kandidat

cantor der khazn

carpenter der stolyer

cashier der kasir

chairman der forzitser

chauffeur der shofer

chef der hoyptkokher

chemist der khemiker

circumciser der moyel

clerk der farkoyfer

coach der aynlerer

coachman der balegole

cobbler der shuster

craftsman der balmelokhe

cook der kokher

criminal der farbrekher

crook der ganev

curator der kurator

dairyman der milkhiker, der milkhhendler

dancer der tentser

dentist der tsondokter

doctor der dokter

driver der firer, der baal-agole

dyer der farber

editor der redaktor

electrician der elektrishn (borrowed), der elektriker

engineer der inzhenir

entertainer

farmer der poyer

fireman der fayer-lesher

fire fighter der fayer-lesher

fisherman der fisher

glazier der glezer

governor

guard der shoymer

hairdresser di horshneider

historian der geshikhter

housewife di baalabuste

judge der rikhter

lawyer der advokat

letter carrier der brivn-treger

magician der kishef-makher

maid di veibz-helferte

marine der mariner

mason der mulyer

matchmaker der shatkhn

mathematician der rekhens-khokhm

mayor der meyor (borrowed), der shtots-graf

mechanic der maynster

merchant der hendler

moneylender der veksler

musician der klezmer

nurse di krankn-shvester

painter der moler

pharmacist der apotek

pilot der flier, der pilot

plumber der plomer (borrowed)

poet der dikhter, der poet

police officer di politsei (sing. and pl.), der politsyant

politician der politishn

porter der treger

postman briv treger

printer der druker

professor der profesor

publisher redakter

rabbi der ruv

rebbe der rebe

receptionist di maidel beim tur

sailor der matros

salesman der farkoyfer

scientist

secretary di sekreter

shoemaker der shister

singer der zinger

soldier der soldat

storekeeper der kremer

surgeon

tailor der shnayder

teacher der lerer

technician der teknik

thief der ganev

veterinarian der veterinar

wagon driver der shmayser

waiter der kelner

waitress di kelnerin

window cleaner

writer der shraiber

Air Conditioner der luftkiler

Apartment di dire

Ashtray dos ashtetsl

Attic der boydem

Backdoor di hinten tir

Balcony der balkn

Basement der keler

Bathroom der vashtsimer/der bodtsimer

Bath der vane

Bed di bet

Bedding dos betgevant

Bedroom der shloftsimer

Blanket di koldre

Bolt der rigl

Bookcase di bikhershank, di bokhershafe

Brick der tsigl

Building dos gebayde/ der binyen (di binyunim

Bungalow dos baydl

Carpet der kobrets

Ceiling di stelye

Cellar der keler

Cement der tsement

Chair di shtul

Chimney der koymen

Closet der almer

Computer der kompyuter

Concrete der beton

Couch di kanape

Curtain der firhang

Cushion der kishn

Desk der shraybtish

Dining Room der estsimer

Door di tir

Doorbell der tirglekl

Doorstep di shvel

Door knob di klyamke

Drape der gardin

Dresser der kamod

Driveway der araynfort

Fan der fokher

Faucet der krant

Fireplace der kamin

Floor di padloge

Foundation der fundament

Furnace der oyvn

Furniture mebl

Garden der gortn

Glass dos gloz

Hall der zal

Hinge der sharnir

Key der shlisl

Lamp der lomp

Light dos lekht - no plural

Living Room der voyntsimer

Lock der shlos

Mirror der shpigl

Nail der tshvok

Outside door di droysn tir

Paint di farb

Picture dos bild

Pillar der zayl

Pillow der kishn (s)

Plaster der tink

Plumbing dos vasergerer

Plywood der dikht

Porch der ganik

Programme der program

Quilt/Duvet di koldre

Rafter der balkn

Roof der dakh

Room der tsimer

Rug der tepekh/der treter

Screw der shroyf

Shelf di politse

Shower di shprits - to have a shower - makhn zikh a shprits

Sink der opgos (kitchen sink)

Sofa di sofe

Stairs di trep

Swimming pool der shvimbasyn

Table der tish

Toilet der kloset

Wall di vant

Window der fenster

Window pane di shoyb

Wire der drot

Wood dos holts

(Needs alphabetized, and spaced, also English words need highlighted)

armchair fotel

attic boydem

bath room vashtsimer

bath vane

bed bet

bedroom shloftsimer

blanket koldre

book case bikhershank

carpet tepekh

ceiling sufit, stelye

cellar keler

chair shtul

cloth shtof

coin matbeye

computer kompyuter

corridor zal

couch sofe

cupboard shafe

curtain forhang

door tir

faucet kran

floor podloge/der floor

in the house in hoyz אין הױז/אין שטוב

kitchen kikh

living room gutsier

mattress matrats

mirror shpil (n)

pillow case tsikhel

pillow kishen

refrigerator fridzhider

roof dakh

room tsimer

sheet boygen

shower shpritsbod

soap zeyf

stairs trepel

table tish

television televizye

toilet kloset

towel hantekher

wall vant

wardrobe garderob

washing machine vashmashin

window fenster

Some vowels are preceded by a silent א (a shtimer alef) when they appear at the beginning of a word.

• אָ, אַ – pronounced the same as in Ashkenazi Hebrew (Polish: אָ is often oo as in too)
• ו – Litvish: oo as in too (Polish: usually pronounce ea as in read)
• ױ – This represents two distinct vowels. 1 Litvish: ey as in say (Polish: oy); 2 Litvish: oy as in boy (Polish: aw as in crawl);
• י – i as in him (Polish: also ee as in green)
• ײ – Litvish: ay as in say (Polish: y as in by) (Galician: ey as in say)
• ײַ – Litvish: y as in by (Polish: a as in car)
• ע – e as in bed (Polish: also ey as in prey)

In front of - far Near - nuent In - In Inside - inevaynig Behind - hinter Among - tsvishn Between - tvishn Far - vayt Over - iber Under - inter On - oyf (of) At - bay Towards - vihin Everywhere - imetim Anywhere - ergets vi

Sheet of paper dos blat

Paper dos papir

Weekly reader dos vokhn blat or dos vokhn leyener

Fountain pen di feyder(n)

Pencil di blayfeyder

Blackboard der tovl

Calculator di rekhn mashin

Textbook der tekst or dos lernbikh

Book dos bikh di bikher

Dictionary dos verter bikh

University der universitet

Homework di Haymarket

Chalk di krayd

Teacher (male) der lerer

Teacher (female) di lererin, di lererke

Easy gring or nisht shver

Difficult kompleks or shver

Eraser oysmeker

Storiy di mayse(s)

Alphabet der alefbays

Blocks di blokn

Arts der kinstwerk

Stage di stadye

Work (written rather than physical labor) verk

Work (physical labor) arbet

Recess di hafsoke(s)

To measure mostn

To add tsigeybn

To subtract aruprekhenen

To multiply farmeren zikh

To divide teylen

Knowledge gebit

To comprehend farshteyn zikh

To analyze analizir

To synthesize sintezirn

To evaluate opshatsn

Explanation (n) dikhterung

Religious explanation (n) peyrush

Comparison (n) farglaykhung

Interpretation (n) interpretatsye

Paraphrase paraphrasing

Define (n) definitsye

To show bavizn

Indetification (n) identifitsirung

vegetables artichoke green peas spinach broccoli turnip avocado radish cucumber cauliflower cabbage lettuce tomato celery cucumber radish potato carrot onion asparagus mushroom Pumpkin

Verbs with prefixes like for example:אַרױסגײן, נאָכגײן, אױפֿמאַכן oyf(of)makhn-to open, nokhgayn-to follow and aroys (arusgayn) to go out. When conjugating these verbs one put the last part of the word first for example makhn oyf, gayn nokh, aroys gayn and so on. Lemoshl:

Ikh gay aroys, di gayst aroys, er gayt aroys...

ikh gay nokh, di gayst nokh, er gayt nokh...

Also an adverb can be place in between the verb and prefix:

Ikh gay shnel aroys, di gayst shnel aroys, un afile er gayt zayer shnel aroys in dos glaykhn...

To abandon, to give up (Oplozn) ikh loz op di lozst op er lozt op mir lozn op ir lozt op zey lozn op

To accomplish (Oysfirn) ikh ikh fir oys(os) di first oys (os) er firt oys (os) mir firn oys (os) ir firt oys (os) zey firn oys (os)

To answer (ענטפערן Entfern) ikh entfer of dayn frage ענטפער אױף דײן פראגע di entferst er entfert mir entfern ir entfert zey entfern

To approach (Tsigayn) ikh gay tsi di gayst tsi er gayt tsi mir gayen tsi ir gayt tsi zey gayen tsi

To argue, to disagree with, to contradict (Opfregn) ikh freg op di fregst op er fregt op mir fregn op ir fregt op zey fregn op

To arrive (unkimen) ikh kim un di kimst un er kimt un mir kimen un ir kimt un zey kimen un

To ask (Fregn) ikh freg di fregst er fregt mir fregn ir fregt zey fregn

To attack (Bafaln) ikh bafal di bafalst er bafalt mir bafaln ir bafalt zey bafaln

To bake (Bakn) ikh bak di bakst er bakt mir bakn ir bakt zey bakn

To be alive (לעבן Leybn) ikh leyb di leybst er leybt mir leybn ir leybt zey leybn

To believe (גלױבען Gloybn) ikh gloyb di gloybst er gloybt mir gloybn ir gloybt zey gloybn

To belong (Gehern) ikh geher di geherst er gehert mir gehern ir gehert zey gehern

To bend (Beygn) ikh beyg di beygst er beygt mir beygn ir beygt zey beygn

To betray (Farratn) ikh farrat di farrast er farrat mir farratn ir farrat zey farratn

To better (Farbesern) ikh farbeser di farbeserst er farbesert mir farbesern ir farbesert zey farbesern

To bite (Baysn) ikh bays di bayst er bayst mir baysn ir bayst zey baysn

To bleed (Blitikn) ikh blitik di blitikst er blitikt mir blitikn ir blitikt zey blitikn

To boil (Zidn) ikh zid di zidst er zidt mir zidn ir zidt zey zidn

To borrow (Antlayen) ikh antlay di antlayst er antlayt mir antlayen ir antlayt zey antlayen

To borrow (Borgn) ikh borg di borgst er borgt mir borgn ir borgt zey borgn

To break (Brekhn) ikh brekh di brekhst er brekht mir brekhn ir brekht zey brekhn

To breathe (Otemen) ikh otem di otemst er otemt mir otemen ir otemt zey otemen

To build (Boyen) ich boy di boyst er boyt mir boyen ir boyt sei boyen

To burn (Brenen) ikh bren di brenst er brent mir brenen ir brent zey brenen

To burst (Platsn) ikh plats di platst er platst mir platsn ir platst zey platsn

To buy (Koyfn) ikh koyf di koyfst er koyft mir koyfn ir koyft zey koyfn

To calculate (Rekhn) ikh rekh di rekhst er rekht mir rekhn ir rekht zey rekhn

To carry (Trogn) ikh trog di trogst er trogt mir trogn ir trogt zey trogn

To catch (Khapn) ikh khap di khapst er khapt mir khapn ir khapt zey khapn

To choose (Klaybn) ikh klayb di klaybst er klaybt mir klaybn ir klaybt zey klaybn

To clean (Reynikn) ikh reynik di reynikst er reynikt mir reynikn ir reynikt zey reynikn

To climb (Oyfkrikhn) ikh krikh oyf (of) di krikhst of er krikht of mir krikhn of ir krikht of zey krikhn of

To close (Farmakhn) ikh farmakh di farmakhst er farmakht mir farmakhn ir farmakht zey farmakhn

To complain (Farklogn) ich baklog di baklogst er baklogt mir baklogn ir baklogt sei baklogn

To confine (Bagrenetsn) ich bagrenets di bagrenetst er bagrenetst mir bagrenetsn ir bagrenetst sei bagrenetsn

To consider (Batrakhtn) ikh batrakht di batrakhst er batrakht mir batrakhtn ir batrakht zey batrakhtn

To count (Tseyln) ikh tseyl di tseylst er tseylt mir tseyln ir tseylt zey tseyln

To create (Bashafn) ikh bashaf di bashafst er bashaft mir bashafn ir bashaft zey bashafn

To creep (Krikhn) ikh krikh di krikhst er krikht mir krikhn ir krikht zey krikhn

To cry (Veynen) ikh veyn di veynst er veynt mir veynen ir veynt zey veynen

To cut or chop (Hakn) ikh hak du hakst er hakt mir hakn ir hakt zey hakn

To dance (Tantsn) ikh tants du tantst er tantst mir tantsn ir tantst zey tantsn

To decide (Bashlisn) ikh bashlis du bashlist er bashlist mir bashlisn ir bashlist zey bashlisn

To decorate (Baputsn) ikh baputs du baputst er baputst mir baputsn ir baputst zey baputsn

To depart (Avekgeyn) ikh gay avek du/di gayst avek er gayt avek mir gayen avek ir gayt avek zey gayen avek

To develop (Antvikln) ikh antvikl du antviklst er antviklt mir antvikln ir antviklt zey antvikln

To dig (Grobn) ikh grob du grobst er grobt mir grobn ir grobt zey grobn

To dive or dip (Tunken) ikh tunk du tunkst er tunkt mir tunken ir tunkt zey tunken

To drag (Shlepn) ikh shlep du shlepst er shlept mir shlepn ir shlept zey shlepn

To draw (Moln) ikh mol du molst er molt mir moln ir molt zey moln

To dream (Troymn) ikh troym du troymst er troymt mir troymn ir troymt zey troymn

To drink (Trinken) ikh trink du trinkst er trinkt mir trinken ir trinkt zey trinken

To drive (Traybn) ikh trayb du traybst er traybt mir traybn ir traybt zey traybn

To dry (Fartrikn) ikh fartrik du fartrikst er fartrikt mir fartrikn ir fartrikt zey fartrikn

To eat (Esn) ikh es du est er est mir esn ir est zey esn

To fight, struggle (Krign) ikh krig du krigst er krigt mir krign ir krigt zey krign

To fish (Fishn) ikh fish du fishst er fisht mir fishn ir fisht zey fishn

To fly (Flien) ikh flie du fliest er fliet mir flien ir fliet zey flien

To forget (Fagesn) ikh farges du fargest er fargest mir fargesn ir fargest zey fargesn

To freeze (Farfrirn) ikh farfrir du farfrirst er farfrirt mir farfrirn ir farfrirt zey farfrirn

To grow (Vaksn) ikh vaks du vakst er vakst mir vaksn ir vakst zey vaksn

To guard (Hitn) ikh hit du hist er hit mir hitn ir hit zey hitn

To hear (Hern) ikh her du herst er hert mir hern ir hert zey hern

To help (Helfn) ikh helf du helfst er helft mir helfn ir helft zey helfn

To hide (Bahaltn) ikh bahalt du bahalst er bahalt mir bahaltn ir bahalt zey bahaltn

To imitate (Nokhgayn) ikh gay nokh du/di gayst nokh er gayt nokh mir gayen nokh ir gayt nokh zey gayen nokh

To jump (Shpringen) ikh shpring du shpringst er shpringt mir shpringen ir shpringt zey shpringen

To laugh (Lakhn) ikh lakh du lakhst er lakht mir lakhn ir lakht zey lakhn

To let in (Araynlosn) ikh loz arayn du lozt arayn er lozt arayn mir lozn arayn ir lozt arayn zey lozn arayn

To lie (Lign) ikh lig du ligst er ligt mir lign ir ligt zey lign

To look in or to peek (Araynkikn) ikh kik arayn du kikst arayn er kikt arayn mir kikn arayn ir kikt arayn zey kikn arayn

To make (Makhn) ikh makh du makhst er makht mir makhn ir makht zey makhn

To mix in (Araynmishn) ikh mish arayn du mishst arayn er misht arayb mir mishn arayn ir misht arayn zey mishn arayn

To move (Rirn) ikh rir du rirst er rirt mir rirn ir rirt zey rirn

To open (Efenen) ikh efen du efenst er efent mir efenen ir efent zey efenen

To play (Shpiln) ikh shpil du shpilst er shpilt mir shpiln ir shpilt zey shpiln

To print (Opdrukn) ikh drik op du drikst op er drikt op mir drikn op ir trikt op zey drikn op

To put in (Araynshteln) ich shtel arayn di shtelst arayn er shtelt arayn mir shteln arayn ir shtelt arayn sei shteln arayn

To pour (Gisn) ikh gis du gist er gist mir gisn ir gist zey gisn

To read (Leyen) ikh ley du leyst er leyt mir leyen ir leyt zey leyen

To reach a conclusion (Opgeyn) ikh gey op du geyst op er geyt op mir geyn op ir geyt op zey geyn op

To recognize, to introduce (Bakenen) ich baken du bakenst er bakent mir bakenen ir bakent sei bakenen

To remain (Blaybn) ikh blayb du blaybst er blaybt mir blaybn ir blaybt zey blaybn

To reside (Voynen) ich voyn du voynst er voynt mir voynen ir voynt sei voynen

To revolve or rotate oneself (Arimdreyen) ich drey arim du dreyst arim er dreyt arim mir dreyn arim ir dreyt arim sei dreyn arim

To ring (Klingen) ikh kling du klingst er klingt mir klingen ir klingt zey klingen

To rock (Farvign) ikh farvig du farvigst er farvigt mir farvign ir farvigt zey farvign

To run (Loyfn) ikh loyf du loyfst er loyft mir loyfn ir loyft zey loyfn

To run away or to flee (Antloyfn) ikh antloyf du antloyfst er antloyft mir antloyfn ir antloyft zey antloyfn

To see (Zeyn) ikh zey du zeyst er zeyyt mir zeen ir zeyt zey zeyen men zeyt

To send (Shikn) ikh shik du shikst er shikt mir shikn ir shikt zey shikn

To sew (Neyn) ikh ney du neyst er neyt mir neyn ir neyt zey neyn

To shake (Shoklen) ikh shokl du shoklst er shoklt mir shoklen ir shoklt zey shoklen

To sleep (Shlofn) ikh shlof du shlofst er shloft mir shlofn ir shloft zey shlofn

To smell (Shmekn) ikh shmek du shmekst er shmekt mir shmekn ir shmekt zey shmekn

To smile (Shmeykhln) ikh shmeykhl du shmeykhlst er shmeykhlt mir shmeykhln ir shmeykhlt zey shmeykhln

To stand (Oyfshteyn/iz ofgeshtanen - אױפֿשטײן/ איז אױפֿגעשטאַנען ) איך שטײ אױף Ikh shtey of דו שטײסט אױף Du/Di shtayst of ער שטײט אױף Er shteyt of מיר שטײען אױף Mir shteyen of איר שטײט אױף Ir shteyt of זײ שטײען אױף Zey shteyen of

To steal (Ganvenen) ich ganven du ganvenst er ganvent mir ganvenen ir ganvent sei ganvenen

To stop (Oyfheren - אױפֿהערן) איך הער אױף

דו הערסט אױף

ער/זי/עס הערט אױף

איר הערט אױף

מיר/זײ הערן אױף

To surrender, to restore, to dedicate (Opgeybn/opgegeybn - אָפּגעבן/ אָפּגעגעבן)

איך גיב אָפּ ikh gib op

דו גיסט אָפּ du/di gist op

ער/זי/עס גיט אָפּ er/zi/es git op

מיר/זײ גיבן אָפּ mir/zey gibn op

איך האָב אָפּגעגעבן

To swallow (Shlingen) ikh shling du shlingst er shlingt mir shlingen ir shlingt zey shlingen

To talk (Redn) ikh red du redst er redt mir redn ir redt zey redn

To taste (Farzukhn) ikh farzukh du farzukhst er farzukht mir farzukhn ir farzukht zey farzukhn

To think (Trakhtn) ikh trakht du trakhst er trakht mir trakhtn ir trakht zey trakhtn

To try (Pruvn) ikh pruv du pruvst er pruvt mir pruvn ir pruvt zey pruvn

To understand (Farshteyn) ikh farshtey du farshteyst er farshteyt mir farshteyn ir farshteyt zey farshteyn

To want (Veln) ikh vel du velst er velt mir veln ir velt zey veln

To wash (Vashn zikh - װאַשן זיך) ikh vash zikh du vashst zikh er vasht zikh mir vashn zikh ir vasht zikh zey vashn zikh

To whip (Shmaysn) ikh shmays du shmayst er shmayst mir shmaysn ir shmayst zey shmaysn

To whistle (Fayfn) ikh fayf du fayfst er fayft mir fayfn ir fayft zey fayfn

To wish (Vintshn) ikh vintsh du vintshst er vintsht mir vintshn ir vintsht zey vintshn

To write (Shraybn/ hoben geshribn) ikh shrayb du shraybst er shraybt mir shraybn ir shraybt zey shraybn

Most verbs are conjugated in the same form in present tense, though there are some exceptions. The subject usually comes before the verb (like in English), but sometimes the order is reversed (like Hebrew) to change the tone (most notably, in questions). Here is an example of a regular verb:

• הערן – hear
• איך הער – I hear
• דו הערסט – you hear
• ער הערט – he hears
• זי הערט – she hears
• עס הערט – it hears
• מיר הערן – we hear
• איר הערט – you (plural or formal) hear
• זיי הערן – they hear

Verbs that come from Hebrew are usually conjugated together with the word זײַן to be, similar to in Yeshivish (they are Modeh; he is Meyasheiv the Stirah; they are Mechaleik between them). Here is an example:

• מסכּים זײַן – agree
• איך בּין מסכּים – I agree
• דו בּיסט מסכּים – you agree
• ער/זי/עס איז מסכּים – he/she/it agrees
• מיר/זיי זײַנען מסכּים – we/they agree
• איר זענט מסכּים – you agree

איך בין מסכּים געװען Ikh bin maskim geveyn

Past tense is conjugated by adding the helping verb האָבּן have, and (usually) adding the letters גע to the verb. This is similar to some past tense words in English ("I have done that.") For words which come from Hebrew, זײַן becomes געווען. Here are some examples:

• האָבּן געהערט – heard
• איך האָבּ געהערט – I heard
• דו האָסט געהערט – you heard
• ער/זי/עס האָט געהערט – he/she/it heard
• מיר/זיי האָבּן געהערט – we/they heard
• איר האָט געהערט – you heard
• האָבּן מסכּים געווען – agreed
• איך האָבּ מסכּים געווען – I agreed
• דו האָסט מסכּים געווען – you agreed
• ער/זי/עס האָט מסכּים געווען – he/she/it agreed
• מיר/זיי האָבּן מסכּים געווען – we/they agreed
• איר האָט מסכּים געווען – you agreed

Similar to past tense (and future tense in English), future tense is expressed by adding the helping verb װעלן will. Here are the (now familiar) examples:

• וועלן הערן – will hear
• איך װעל הערן – I will hear
• דו װעסט הערן – you will hear
• ער/זי/עס װעט הערן – he/she/it will hear
• מיר/זיי װעלן הערן – we/they will hear
• איר װעט הערן – you will hear
• וועלן מסכּים זײַן – will agree
• איך װעל מסכּים זײַן – I will agree
• דו װעסט מסכּים זײַן – you will agree
• ער/זי/עס װעט מסכּים זײַן – he/she/it will agree
• מיר/זיי װעלן מסכּים זײַן – we/they will agree
• איר װעט מסכּים זײַן – you will agree

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There are several ways to indicate "this" in Yiddish, each increasing in strength, א שטײגער:

אָט דעם מאַן קען איך

אָט אָ דעם מאַן קען איך

דעם אָ מאַן קען איך

דעם דאָזיקן מאַן קען איך

אָט דעם דאָזיקן מאַן קען איך

אָט אָ דעם דאָזיקן מאַן קען איך

This takes the plural verb and does not inflect.

א סאך זענען נאך דא

More people are still here.

א סאך זענען שױן אװעק

Many people have already left.

איך װעל I will

דו װעסט You will

ער/זי װעט He/She will

איר װעט You will(formal, plural)

מ'װעט One will

איך װיל א בוך I want a book - Ikh vil a bukh

דוא װילסט א בוך You want a book - Di (rhymes with see) vilst a bukh

ער װיל אַ בוך er (rhymes with air) vil a bukh.

איר װעט אַ בוך

מיר װילן אַ בוך

האלטן אין In the middle of; in the midst of. Corresponds to the English -ing.

איך האַלט אין שרײבען א בריװ

Ikh halt in shraabn a briv.

I'm in the middle of middle writing a letter.

מיר האַלטן יעצט אין עסן

We're eating now.

האַלטן אין אײן To keep on, constantly.

פארװאס האלצטו אין אײן שפּרינגען?

Farvus haltsi in ayn shpringen

Why do you keep jumping?

זײא האַלטן אין אײן לאכן

Zay (rhymes with thy) haltn in ayn (rhymes with fine) lakhn

They keep laughing?

Yiddish Dictionary Online

https://www.cs.uky.edu/~raphael/yiddish/dictionary.cgi

The Holocaust and the widespread linguistic assimilation of Jews throughout the world have together reduced the population of Yiddish-speakers from an estimated 13 million before the Second World War to perhaps 1 million today. About half of the remaining Yiddish-speakers today are aged European Jews, often Holocaust-survivors, while the other half are chareidim, mostly Hasidim, mostly young. Unsurprisingly, most Hasidim speak a southern dialect of Yiddish which was the majority dialect pre-World War II, and is somewhat distant from the Lithuanian dialect that forms the basis for the standard YIVO pronunciation. Although the Hasidim reject some of the reforms made by the YIVO in orthography, morphology, and lexicon, their Yiddish is recognizably the same language.

Though no dictionaries or grammars of Hasidic Yiddish have yet been published, a "Hasidic Standard" has nevertheless developed among the younger generations born in America, and a similar process has occurred in Hasidic communities in other parts of the world. Standardization has been assisted by such factors as geography - Hasidic groups that once lived in separate countries now inhabit the same neighborhoods in Brooklyn - by the schools, and by the Yiddish press. Hasidic Standard has much more room for variation in spelling and pronunciation than YIVO Standard, and it is more difficult for beginning students to learn. Still, the Yiddish language has radically shifted its center of gravity and it is high time to enable students to learn the Yiddish that is most widely spoken today. To that end, the Hasidic Grammar Project has been created to produce an online textbook and grammar.

One of the most often remarked features of Hasidic Yiddish in America is the borrowing of English words on a large scale. In fact, this is not any special development on the part of the Hasidim. Yiddish-speaking Jews in America have been mixing in English since the first wave of immigration in the early 1880s. Ab. Cahan and the FORVERTS used loan words on a similar scale for many decades. Why Jews in America have been so open to loan words in comparison to Jews in Europe or Israel is not clear.