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It's been praised as inspirational, fascinating, fun and educational. Explore our list of great and popular Yiddish words and phrases. Learn more about the language of Yiddish, where it is spoken, and where it comes from.
The 22 Best Yiddish Words to Know. A brief glossary of important and commonly used Yiddish words and phrases. By My Jewish Learning
- Lauren Le Vine
- Alterkaker. An old fart.
- Bupkis. Nothing (figurative) Extra credit: In Yiddish, bupkis comes from the word for goat turd. The usual Yiddish word for nothing is gornisht.
- Chutzpah. Supreme self-confidence. Extra credit: Keep in mind that chutzpah is a breath-taking audacity (something that is not valued in Yiddish culture, but is highly praised in the United States).
- Klutz. In English, klutz has come to mean accident-prone. Extra credit: However, in Yiddish the “clumsy” sense of klutz comes from its primary meaning of wooden beam, which was extended to refer to really awkward questions (klutz kashes), the kind of questions that stop a conversation like a wooden beam in the middle of the road.
Useful Yiddish phrases. A collection of useful phrases in Yiddish, a Jewish language that developed from Medieval German with influences from Hebrew, Aramaic, and various Slavic languages. There are recordings of some of these phrases. Key to abbreviations: sg = said to one person, pl = said to more than one person, frm = formal, inf = informal.
This page contains a table including the following: Yiddish phrases, expressions and words in Yiddish, conversation and idioms, Yiddish greetings, and survival phrases. It also helps if you simply want to know what to say when chatting in Yiddish!
Dec 26, 2022 · Whether you decide to pick up the course or not, we’re bringing you 18 essential Yiddish words and phrases everyone should know. By Unpacked Staff We all know a few Yiddish phrases — Oy vey, nosh, klutz — but now there’s a new way to truly expand your knowledge of the language: Duolingo.
May 9, 2020 · The Yiddish Handbook: 40 Words You Should Know. Michael May 09, 2020. The Yiddish language is a wonderful source of rich expressions, especially terms of endearment (and of course, complaints and insults)….Jewish scriptwriters introduced many Yiddish words into popular culture, which often changed the original meanings drastically.
