- adoyn(אַדון) plural adoynem(אַדונים), adoynis(אַדונית) noun, plural in -n, gender f, important (usually non-Jewish) person
- agole(עגלה) plural agoles(עגלות), gender f, horse-drawn wagon; hearse (Jewish)
- balegole plural balegoles, gender m, adjectival form with -sh, wagoneer, coachman
- balegole(בעל-עגלה) plural balegoles_(בעל-עגלות), gender m, wagoneer, coachman adjectival form with -sh
- balegoletshik(בעל-עגלהטשיק) noun, plural in -es, gender m, wagon driver
- amide(עמידה) plural amides(עמידות), amidah prayer (Jewish)
- maymed(מעמד) plural maymodes(מעמדות), situation; serialization
- amorets(עם-האָרץ) plural ameratsem(עם-הארצים), gender m, ignoramus
- ameratses(עם-הארצות) gender n, ignorant behavior; lack of Jewish knowledge adjectival form with -dik
- bentsh verb, participle ge...t, bless, recite after-meal grace adverbial complement op, on
- li'khtbentshn gender n, candle-lighting (Jewish ritual)
- bind verb, participle gebundn, bind; commit oneself (with "zikh")
- bund noun, plural in -n, gender m, alliance, association, Jewish Labor Party adjectival form with -ish
- bundi'st noun, plural in -n, gender m, bundistke noun, plural in -s, gender f, Bundist, member of Jewish Labor Party
- bundi'zm gender m, Bundism
- shlislbund noun, plural in -n, keyring source: Daytshmerism?
- tsuzamenbund noun, plural in -n, connection
- tsubund noun, plural in -n, gender m, attachment; fondness
- davn verb, infinitive davnen, participle ge...t, pray (Jewish prayer) source: Borokhov derives from (דף-נען)
- adverbial complement op, unter
- fardavn verb, infinitive fardavnen, participle fardavnt, immerse in prayer (with "zikh") source: Chaim Grade
- davner noun, plural in -s, person praying
- mitdavner noun, plural in -s, fellow congregant
- daven verb, participle ge...t, pray (Jewish prayer) adverbial complement op, unter, davener noun, plural in -s, variant spelling
- dozore noun, plural in -s, dozorts noun, plural in -es, gender m, overseer, guardian, inspector; onlooker (Russian дозор)
- dozor m?, government-appointed supervision of Jewish communal affairs
- dukhn(דוכן) verb, infinitive dukhnen,(דוכנען) participle ge...t, recite priestly blessing (Jewish religious); stare bewildered
- eyde(עדה) plural eydes(עדות), gender m, (Jewish) community; congregation
- plural form in Hebrew used in the singular in Yiddish
- kol_am_voeyde(כּל-עם-ועדה) entire populace
- eym(אם) gender f, mother
- voeym(ואם) Jewish settlement (with "ir -")
- gabe_(גבאי) plural gaboyem(גבאָים), gender m, charity overseer; synagogue warden (Jewish religious functionary)
- ga'bete(גבאיטע) noun, plural in -s, gender f, wife of a charity overseer; dishonest woman
- gaboes gender n, office of the warden
- pushke-ga'bete(גבאיטע) woman pretending to be religious
- galekh(גלח) plural galokhem(גלחים), has diminutive, noun, plural in -n, gender m, Christian priest (pejorative) adjectival form with -ish
- galkhes(גלחות) gender n, non-Jewish (Latin) alphabet
- ger_(גר) plural geyrem(גרים), gender m, gerte(גרטע) noun, plural in -s, gyores(גירת) gender f, convert to Judaism
- megayer(מגײר) verb, make Jewish (with "zayn"); become Jewish (with "zikh zayn")
- goy(גױ) plural goyem(גױים), gender m, Christian man; nation; unlearned Jewish man
- takes prefix le(ל), to a nation
- goye(גױע) noun, plural in -s, goyke noun, plural in -s, Christian woman
- goyets noun, plural in -n, gender m, rascal, scoundrel has diminutive, source: Sholem Aleykhem
- goyish(גױיִש) adjective
- hotseplots gender n, mythical distant place note: in Austria, near Silesia
- shni'pishok shni'peshik distant place with a funny name note: Jewish section of Vilna
- kalameyke noun, plural in -s, gender f, kind of Jewish dance
- karke(קרקע) gender f, plot of ground; (Jewish) burial site
- katlones(קטלנית) gender f, thrice-widowed Jewish woman, prohibited from remarrying
- kehile(קהילה) plural kehiles(קהילות), gender f, Jewish community adjectival form with -dik
- kool(קהל) gender n/m, community adjectival form with -sh, communal
- rosh_hakool(ראָש-הקהל) gender m, community leader
- kool(קהל) verb, participle ge...t, participate in communal events (with "zikh") source: I. J. Singer
- khesed(חסד) generosity; favor (with "ton")
- khosed(חסיד) plural khsidem(חסידים), gender m, Chassid, follower; devotee
- khosedl(חסידל) plural khsidemlekh(חסידימלעך), Chassid (diminutive); a slow Jewish dance
- kheyder(חדר) plural khadorem(חדרים), gender m, Jewish elementary school (religious); room
- kheyderl(חדרל) plural khadoremlekh(חדרימלעך), gender m, little rooms
- dardake_kheyder(דרדקי-חדר) entry-level religious school
- khadre_khadorem(חדרי-חדרים) innermost or hidden room
- nit oyszogn funem kheyder(חדר) not wash dirty linen in public
- khinekh(חינוך) Jewish education; dedication, inauguration gender m,
- mekhanekh(מחנך) verb, teach, initiate, educate Jewishly (with "zayn")
- khokhem(חכם) plural khakhomem(חכמים), gender m, khakhome(חכמה) gender f, sage; fool (ironic)
- talmed(תּלמיד) khokhem(חכם) sage (Jewish)
- khrishtshene gender f, kroshtshine gender f, tip, gratuity (to a non-Jewish worker) source: Stutchkoff
- kibuts(קיבוץ) plural kibutsem(קיבוצים), gender m, kibbutz (Israeli commune); Jewish collective
- kvutse(קבֿוצה) plural kvutses(קבֿוצות), gender f, collective farmstead
- koyle verb, participle ge...t, slaughter, kill; ruin adverbial complement oys, avek, op, iber
- kayler noun, plural in -s, gender m, non-Jewish slaughterer
- kre'menits m?, humorous non-existent Jewish month source: Sholem Aleykhem
- krikh verb, participle gekrokhn, creep, crawl
- krikher noun, plural in -s, gender m, crawler
- shikse-krikher Jewish man who lusts for gentile women (taboo)
- kvater noun, plural in -s, gender m, kva'terin noun, plural in -s, kva'tershe noun, plural in -s, gender f, friend at a Jewish circumcision who brings in the infant
- li'prat_kotn(לפּרט-קטן) in short form; without the thousands (Jewish year)
- lapa'k(לפּ″ק) in short form
- ad(עד) lapa'k(לפּ″ק) to the last bit source: Sholem Aleykhem
- magaritsh gender m, moritsh gender m, tip, gratuity (to a non-Jewish worker)
- nomen plural nemen, gender m, name
- rufnomen plural rufnemen, gender m, official Jewish nam official Jewish namee
- odn(אָדון) plural adoynem(אַדונים), gender m, mister; lord; rich person (usually non-Jewish)
- orl(ערל) plural areylem(ערלים), uncircumcised; non-Jew
- areyles(ערלית) noun, plural in -n, gender f, arey'leste(ערליתטע) noun, plural in -s, gender f, orlte(ערלטע) noun, plural in -s, gender f, non-Jewish woman
- orn(אָרון) plural aroynes(אַרונות), gender m, ark (cabinet for Torah scroll); coffin, casket (Jewish)
- orn_koydesh(אָרון-קודש) gender m, ark (cabinet for Torah scroll)
- pakhter noun, plural in -s, gender m, leaseholder (Jewish); tax farmer
- likhtpakhter noun, plural in -s, gender m, candle-tax collector
- farpakht verb, participle farpakhtn, lend
- pa'rubek plural pa'rubkes, gender m, unmarried non-Jewish youth (Ukrainian)
- pilgri'm noun, plural in -n, gender m, pilgrimke noun, plural in -s, gender f, pilgrim (non-Jewish)
- pogro'm noun, plural in -n, gender m, anti-Jewish riot
- pogromi'r verb, participle pogromi'rt, pogro'meve verb, participle ge...t, riot
- pogro'mshtshik noun, plural in -es, anti-Jewish rioter has diminutive
- preydik verb, participle ge...t, predik verb, participle ge...t, preach (non-Jewish or Reform Jewish)
- preydikung noun, plural in -n, gender f, predikung noun, plural in -n, gender f, preaching
- preydiker noun, plural in -s, gender m, preydikerke noun, plural in -s, gender f, preacher
- preympl verb, participle ge...t, prepl verb, participle ge...t, pray (non-Jewish) (pejorative)
- rat verb, participle gerotn, advise adverbial complement op
- yudnrat gender m, Jewish council
- sanhedren(סנהדרין) gender m, Sanhedrin (ancient Jewish high court)
- seykhl(שׂכל) gender m, wisdom, common sense, prudence adjectival form with -dik
- maskel(משׂכּיל) plural maskilem(משׂכּילים), gender m, enlightened person
- maskilish(משׂכּיליש) adjective, of the Jewish Enlightenment
- sheyd_(שד) plural sheydem(שדים), gender m, demon (Jewish) adjectival form with -ish
- - plural sheydemlekh(שדימלעך), little demons
- sheydikhe(שדיכע) noun, plural in -s, sheyde(שידה) plural sheydes(שידות), female demon (Jewish)
- shikse noun, plural in -s, gender f, non-Jewish young woman (derogatory) adjectival form with -n, diminutive with root shiks
- shi'ksenik noun, plural in -es, gender m, womanizer who likes non-Jewish women
- gasnshikse noun, plural in -s, gender f, prostitute source: Sholem Aleykhem
- sheygets has diminutive, sheygets_(שגץ) plural shkotsem(שקצים), gender m, non-Jewish young male (derogatory); brat; pastry made of honey-glazed dough stuffed with poppy seeds (food)
- sheygetsl(שגצל) plural shkotsemlekh(שקצימלעך), brat
- shkots plural shkotsem(שקצים), gender m, Jewish young male (derogatory)
- shkotseray' noun, plural in -n, gender n, misbehavior
- oyssheygetsn(אױסשגצן) noun, plural in -s, gender m, scolding
- shikets_meshoymem(שיקוץ-משומם) idol, idolatry (scoffing)
- shkole noun, plural in -s, gender f, school (typically non-Jewish)
- shkolnik noun, plural in -es, gender m, student
- shone(שנה) plural shonem(שהנים), gender f, year
- rosheshone(ראָש-השנה) gender m, Jewish New Year
- shulkhn_o'rekh(שולחן-ערוך) Code of Jewish Law, Shulchan Oruch
- a din fun finftn shulkhn_orekh(שולחן-ערוך) nonsense
- takhanun(תּחנון) plural takhanunem(תּחנונים), gender m, a daily penitential prayer (Jewish)
- adjectival form with -dik, takhanunemdik(תּחנונימדיק) adjective, penitential; sorrowful
- tokhter plural tekhter, gender f, daughter diminutive with root tekhter
- yidishe tokhter Jewish woman
- toyre(תּורה) plural toyres(תּורות), gender f, tradition
- sisrey(סתרי) toyre(תּורה) hidden depths of the Jewish law
- gedoyley(גדולי) toyre(תּורה) Jewish sages
- trune noun, plural in -s, gender f, trumne noun, plural in -s, casket, burial crypt (non-Jewish) has diminutive, adjectival form with -dik
- tseylem(צלם) noun, plural in -er, plural tslomem(צלמים), gender m, image; cross, crucifix; clubs ♣ (playing cards) has diminutive
- tsey'lemni'tse(צלמניצע) noun, plural in -s, gender f, pious non-Jewish woman
- tsore(צרה) plural tsores(צרות), gender f, trouble, misfortune, distress
- tsoyrer(צורר) hayehudem(היהודים) enemy of the Jewish people
- tsvinter noun, plural in -s, gender m, non-Jewish cemetery
- tuk verb, participle ge...t, dunk adverbial complement unter
- tu'kerin noun, plural in -s, gender f, tu'kerke noun, plural in -s, gender f, ritual bathhouse attendant (Jewish)
- velt noun, plural in -n, has diminutive, gender f, world (especially the Jewish world) adjectival form with -ish
- veltlekh gradable adjective, worldly; secular
- alveltlekh adjective, old-worldly
- veltlekhkayt noun, plural in -n, gender f, worldliness veltishkayt noun, plural in -n, gender f,
- farveltlekhung noun, plural in -n, gender f, enlightenment
- hayntveltik adjective, modern
- sportvelt noun, plural in -n, has diminutive, gender f, world of sports
- untervelt noun, plural in -n, has diminutive, gender f, underworld, criminal society
- unterveltnik noun, plural in -es, gender m, underworld character
- vundervelt noun, plural in -n, has diminutive, gender f, world of wonders
- yeneveltik adjective, of the world to come
- yenveltik adjective, otherworldly
- oysveltlekh adjective, unworldly
- alveltlekh adjective, world-wide
- zint di velt iz a velt it's always been this way
- stam(סתּם) in der velt arayn without evident purpose
- klingen/shemen mit emetsn a velt be famous
- oyf vos di velt shteyt exceedingly; with all one's might
- gut/klug/sheyn vi di velt very good/clever/pretty
- visn a velt know a lot
- kern veltn be energetic
- a velt mit many/much
- ikh veys nit oyf velkher velt ikh bin I'm confused
- yaades(יהדות) gender n, Jewishness; Judaism
- yandes(ינדות) gender n, conscience; lack of conscience
- yid noun, plural in -n,/J has diminutive, gender m, Jew; person (Jewish); anonymous male stranger
- yidntum gender n, community of Jews
- yidene noun, plural in -s, gender f, Jewish woman (sometimes pejorative); homemaker
- yidnkele noun, plural in -s, gender f, small Jewish woman source: I. J. Singer
- dorfsyid noun, plural in -n, gender m, small-town Jew
- yidish gender n, Yiddish language; Jewish gradable adjective
- yidishke noun, plural in -s, gender f, Jewish woman
- yidishkayt noun, plural in -n, gender f, Jewishness, Judaism
- yidishi'zm noun, plural in -s, gender m, Yiddish awareness movement
- yidishlekh adjective, Jewish, Yiddish
- faryidish verb, participle faryidisht, Judaize
- yidishi'st noun, plural in -n, gender m, adjectival form with -ish, yidishistke noun, plural in -s, gender f, Yiddishist, partisan of Yiddish
- yudaistik noun, plural in -n, gender f, Judaic studies yudaistish adjective, Judaic
- yidl verb, participle ge...t, occur among Jews
- yidash gender m, unpleasant Jewish person source: Sholem Aleykhem
- yidlak noun, plural in -es, gender m, strange person; wretched Jew (pejorative)
- reb yid Mister
- guter yid miracle worker
- yore-deye(יורה-דעה) part of the Shulchan Oruch, code of Jewish Law
- yovn(יװן) plural yevonem(יװנים), gender m, Greek; non-Jew; Russian; Russian soldier
- yevonish(יװניש) adjective, Greek; non-Jewish
- fonye takes dative ending, The Czar or any Russian (Фоня, nickname for Афанасий (Athanasios)) derogatory, fonish adjective
- fonke noun, plural in -s, gender f, non-Jewish Russian woman
- lite Lietuva, Lithuania, region where Northern Yiddish spoken
- litviner plural same as singular, non-Jewish Lithuanian litvinke noun, plural in -s, litvinish adjective
- litvak noun, plural in -n, noun, plural in -es, gender m, litvitshke noun, plural in -s, gender f, litvatshke noun, plural in -s, gender f, Jewish Lithuanian
- poyln Poland poylish adjective, gender n, adjective
- polyaner plural same as singular, Jewish Pole
- polyak noun, plural in -n, gender m, polyatshke noun, plural in -s, gender f, non-Jewish Pole
- volekh volekhay' Wallachia (southern Romania) adjectival form with -ish, volkhish adjective
- vo'lekh gender m, a lively Jewish dance has diminutive
- yevsektsye Jewish organ of the Soviet Communist party source: Yevreyskaya sektsya
- yisroel(ישׂראל) Israel adjectival form with -dik, adjectival form with -ish, Israeli yisroel|dikayt noun, plural in -n
- kvuras_yisroel(קבֿורת-ישׂראל) gender f, keyver_yisroel(קבֿר-ישׂראל) gender m, Jewish burial
- oykher_yisroel(עוכר-ישׂראל) a Jew who disgraces or brings calamity upon the Jewish people
Related software
You might prefer to use the gloss displayer,
which lets you enter an entire text (in Yiddish letters) and see definitions of
all the words at one go.
Searchable strings
You can search for information by Yiddish word (in YIVO transcription or in
Yiddish letters), English translation, Hebrew
spelling of a loshn-koydesh word, and for some grammatical and usage markers.
Yiddish words in Yiddish letters
You may use ligatures or not, and if you leave out nekudes, the program will
try to fill them in. Use only the stem of the word (not the
plural, case-marked, or conjugated form) of nouns, adjectives, and verbs.
Examples:
type פּלימעניק,
not פּלימעניקעס;
type שײן,
not שײנע,
and העלף,
not העלפֿן or
אונטערגעהאָלפֿן.
Yiddish words in YIVO transcription
Write Yiddish words in YIVO transcription. Use the stem of the word (not the
plural, case-marked, or conjugated form) of nouns, adjectives, and verbs.
Examples: say plimenik, not plimenikes, sheyn, not sheyne, helf, not helfn or
untergeholfn.
YIVO transcription form uses the following consonants:
b g d h v z kh t y l m n s f p ts k r sh tsh zh dj
and the following vowels:
a e i o u oy ay ey
The following sentence is correctly transliterated.
ikh bin gekumen azoy vayt tsu shraybn a bisl mame-loshn!
Do not use German phonetic spelling. For instance, don't write
schpiel to mean shpil.
Loshn-koydesh derived words
Use capital letters for the first letters of Hebrew proper
names (like Refoyl and Binyomen).
Don't use capital letters for any other Yiddish words.
If you need a loshn-koydesh derived word, first spell it phonetically.
Unaccented vowels often should be spelled with an e, as in
borekh, bimkem, and
maskem.
If you don't know or can't guess the pronunciation, you may use the following
letters to spell out loshn-koydesh.
aleph | א | # |
veys | בֿ | B |
vov | ו | w |
khes | ח | H |
yud | י | y |
kof | כּ | K |
khof | כ | x |
ayin | ע | e |
tsadi | צ | c |
shin | ש | S |
sin | שׂ | Q |
sof | ת | T |
tof | תּ | W |
Don't distinguish final khof, mem, nun, fe, tsadi.
Examples: type msKym for מסכּים, Slwm
for שלום.
In my data file, I surround all loshn-koydesh with {braces}, so you can use
them, too. For instance, ym} searches for all
loshn-koydesh words ending in yud-mem (ים).
Searching by other information
I record a few categories along with definitions. So type clothing or sound
and you will get lists of clothing words and sound words. I also note a few
grammatical items (try indeclinable) and usage (try
inadmissable or German).
On occasion I indicate where I saw a word, especially if I don't see the same
word in standard dictionaries; try Forwards,
Hoffman,
Bergelson,
note: V.
Nonstandard spellings
I have used standard YIVO Romanization and orthography in this dictionary. If
you are trying to find a word that uses other schemes (see the
Wikipedia article
for some insight), consider making these adjustments.
-
Don't use the prefix be-;
use ba-.
-
Don't use the prefix er-;
use der-.
-
Don't use the inseparable verb prefix tsu-;
use tse-.
-
Don't place an h after a vowel to lengthen
it; write ey instead of
eh, for instance.
-
If the text doesn't distinguish
a tsvey-yudn (ײ) from
pasekh-tsvey-yudn (ײַ), try both
ay and ey.
-
Similarly, if the text doesn't distinguish pe (פּ) from fe (פֿ), try both
p and f.
-
If the text has a word starting with alef-yud (such as אינגל), also search for it with yi, as in yingl.
-
If the text has a word ending in -ig,
try -ik.
-
The epenthetic ayin before a nun en
(ענ) is
sometimes absent in modern spelling, leaving just the nun.
-
If the text has a double consonant, such as tt, search with a single consonant, such as t.
-
If the text has an alef with a segol (אֶ), try
e.
-
Transliterate the khes (ח) as kh. Some books use the khes where standard
orthography uses the khof (כ).
-
If your text has a final khof with a dagesh (ךּ), just ignore the dagesh and use kh.