Essential Yiddish Phrases


Sometimes you don't have time to learn long lists of words and phrases. All you want to know are the bare essentials for communicating to get what you need, or where you need to go.

Here are the bare minimum of Yiddish words and phrases you need to know to survive.

Learn the Top 10 Phrases if you only have time for the barest minimum. If you need or want more, then take a look at the Top 20 Phrases, Top 30 Phrases and the Extra Phrases.

If you need help with pronunciation, please see the Pronunciation Guide below. Here are ten easy phrases to get you started ... The Top 10 ... Sholem aleykhem. Aleykhem sholem. (response) Hello. Zay gesunt. Goodbye. Redstu english? Do you speak English? Ikh farshtey nisht. I don't understand. A bisl. A little. Yo. Neyn. Yes. No. Vi tayer iz dos? How much is it? Tsu tayer. In ordenung. Too expensive. OK. Ikh bet dikh. Zay azoy gut. Bite. Please. A (sheynem) dank. Thank you (very much).

Here are ten more phrases that will help you make new friends and ask for directions ... The Top 20 ...
	Vi heystu? What is your name? Ikh heys ... My name is ... Vos makhstu? Vi geyt es? How are you? Zeyer gut. Un dir? Good. And you? Vu iz ...? Where is ...? Vu iz der bodtsimer? Mener/Froyen Where is the toilet? Men/Women Zay moykhl. Sorry. Excuse me. Keyne problem. No problem. Ikh vil ... I want ... Ikh vil nisht ... I don't want ...

Here are another ten phrases to help you make a little more conversation and to get around ... The Top 30 ...

Fun vanen kumstu? Where are you from? Ikh kum fun Oystralye.* I am from Australia. Der kheshbn, ikh bet dikh. The bill, please. Ikh bin farloyrn. I am lost. Halt! Vart! Stop! Wait! Do, dort. Here, there. Taksi. Hotel. Aeraport. Stantsie. Taxi. Hotel. Airport. Station. Ikh hob lib ... Mir gefelt ... I like ... Ikh hob nisht lib ... Mir gefelt nisht ... I don't like ... eyn, tsvey, dray, fir, finf. one, two, three, four, five. zeks, zibn, akht, nayn, tsen. six, seven, eight, nine, ten. *Or choose your country: Amerike - America Kanade - Canada England - England Airland - Ireland Niu Ziland - New Zealand

Here are some extra words and phrases you might find useful, especially if you have dietary needs or allergies ... Useful Extras ...

Zay gesunt! Cheers! gut / shlekht good / bad groys / kleyn big / small lebn / vayt near / far veyniker / mer less / more nokh a / genug another / enough Ikh bin a vegetarier. I am vegetarian. Ik es nisht keyn fleysh. I don't eat meat. ... hindl. ... chicken. ... fish. ... fish. Ikh hob an alergie tsu nislekh. I am allergic to nuts. ... stashkes. ... rebe-nislekh. ... peanuts. ... fish. ... fish. ... yam-shpayz. ... seafood. ... eyer. ... eggs.