Yiddish Words
Found in English
Definition Sample Use
bob(kes) beans, nothing He gave me babkes.
kakameyme crazy He's got cacamaimey ideas.
khalishes ugly That tablecloth is chalcious.
khazer a pig He eats like a chaza.
khazeray junk The dollar store is full of chazarai.
khutspe unmitigated gall Oy, you have got a lot of khutspe!
farkatk(e) lousy, ridiculous That's a facacta idea.
farklempt bummed out, bad mood She looks very ferklempt.
farbisine bitter Don't be so forbissima.
farblondzhet all mixed up I got all furblungit.
gey shlofn go to sleep Gay schloffing!
gelt money I got a lot of gelt for Hanukah.
goyim non-Jewish people The place was full of goyim.
goyish(e) mind of a goyim He's got a real goyishke kup.
ganif thief Don't be such a gunnif.
kvetsh complainer Don't be such a kvetch.
landtslayt from your home town They are luntslite.
makheteyneste in laws My makatenista are coming.(male= mkhutn)
mazl-tov congratulations Mazel tov on the new baby.
miskayt ugly The daughter is a real meeskite.
mentsh a nice gentleman He was such a mensch.
meshugine crazy person He acts like a real meshungina.
mishigas craziness What kind of mishigas is that?
mishpokhe family Bring the whole mishpacha.
mitsve a good deed That was a real mitzvah you did.
mamzer born out of wedlock He's a mumza.
nebekh little nerd He is such a nebish.
nosh to eat a little something I was noshing all morning.
pupik belly button You could see her pupick.
shlep to drag I had to schlep it across town.
shmendrek jerk He's a real schmendrick.
shviger mother in law The schvigger is coming.
shvitsn sweating Oy, am I schvitzing. (note: the ending"ing"
is an English ending, in Yiddish: I shvits, you shvitst,
he/sheshvitst, we/they shvitsn, you in plural shvitsn, you in polite
versionshvitst
sheygets non-Jewish male She married a shagitz.
sheyner ponim pretty face Oh, shayna punim.
shikse non-Jewish female He's going out with a shikse.
shmates rags Your cloths look like shmatas.
shmuz dirt It's covered with schmootz.
shpilkes nervous energy I had shpilkes before the interview.
shtik routine So, that's his shtick.
treyf non-kosher That food is trafe.
tokhes tush I'll pinch your tuchis.
utzing needling, bothering Stop utzing me.
mekhaye particularly delicious That dinner was a mechaya
bobe a "tall" story That story was no bobbe myse.
khokhme bright idea That's a real good chochmeh.
kholem dream That's a cholem of a house!
khutspe nerve She has a lot of chutzpah to talk like that!
glik happiness Glick in the office makes for glick in the home.
golem clumsy and sluggish The guy I work with is a real golem.
handl bargain (verb) If you handel long enough, you'll get a good price.
kibitz to meddle She likes to kibbutz with everyone at the office
kunts an accomplishment It was a real koontz to finally reach
you on the phone.
kreftik hearty That is some kreftig soup!
kvel to glow with pride Oy, I could kvell watching those kids
in the play
luftmentsh dreamer He's a real luftmensch when it comes to working hard!
meyvin connoisseur She's quite the mavin when it comes to wine.
megile a long story I had to sit and and listen to the whole megillah
metsiye bargain (noun) That store has a great metziah onshoes.
mezumen cash I have to borrow some mezuma from the bank.
mishmash hodge-podge There's a whole mishmash of words here.
nakhes joy I get such nachas from putting these words down.
nosh snack We'll have a little nosh and then we'll talk
nosher nibbler I'm a nosher all morning long.
nudnik pest Stop being a nudnick and leave me alone!
ongepatsht a little too much That outfit is a little ongapatchka
pisk big mouth Let's hope he doesn't open up that pisk.
plats burst You'll laugh until you plotz.
zay gezundt bless you (when you sneeze)
shlekht bad That restaurant is generally schlecht
shlemil dope, fool He's a real schlemiel - always screwing up!
shmendrik fool The kid is a real schmendrick
shnorer beggar That guy is a real schnorrer.
shiker drunkard That shicker has had too much to drink.
shver father in law My shver is a nice enough guy
tumul noise, confusion there's a lot of tuml coming from the
kid's rooms
tsures troubles That car gives me nothing but tzorress!
genuk enough I've had genoog out of you today!
makhn ash un porekh destroy He'll make ashen porach out of that report!
tsigangnye/bobkelekh small portions Don't worry - you'll get
tziganna bibkalach
tsibele onion It will taste better if you spice it up with some tzibeleh.
shlemazl unlucky person The poor schlemazel had his car stolen.