You probably got here because you wanted to know what a shiksa or a shmegegi was. Or maybe you wanted to know what shrek really means. Well, probably Google took you to the right place. But while you're here, you'll see that in the list below we put together about 120 words that we call Yiddish slang words. And we even added audio so you'll know how to pronounce them! (There are more than one way to pronounce many of these words, and we try to go with the most typical.) We're hoping you'll stick around and learn some more Yiddish when you see that Yiddish is a fun language filled with flavor and style.
These words aren't exactly Yiddish slang… they are commonly used Yiddish words you just have to know to sound like a real Yiddishe Yid (Jewish Jew) or at least like you're from NYC. The audio is all courtesy of Shmelke.
We write the words using YIVO standardized transliteration, just like in our course. We do that because it is a standard way of transliterating Yiddish and getting the pronunciation right. You can read about that here: Yiddish Reading Basics.
However, a lot of these words have made it into English dictionaries. If that's the case, we put the English spellings in parentheses. Some of the Yiddish slang words haven't made it into the dictionary, but are still seen in print spelled in a more familiar way - so we try to put those in parentheses too.
It's no surprise that a lot of these Yiddish slang words have made it into the English dictionary. They are fun words filled with irony and humor. There are so many good Jewish comedians, on TV and movies, so it's no surprise that the words have trickled down.
These common Yiddish slang words are a great way to get an introduction to learning Yiddish, and some familiarity with Yiddish culture. So please take a look... I only spent at least 14 hours putting them together, formatting, recording, learning how to use WordPress etc. just so you could see these Yiddish words. It's ok if you don't. I don't mind.
אַלטע קאַקער: An "old fart." It's not a nice word. Don't say it in front of your bubby. Jerry's such an altekaker - He'll never play basketball with us, just sits and reads his newspaper!
באַלאַבוסטאַ: An excellent homemaker and wife. (Can also refer to the landlord or boss's wife, but not usually.) She always has more in the kitchen, so es mayn kind, nem tsvey zey zaynen klayneh! Eat my child, take two they're small!
באַטאַמט: Delicious. But in slang it can refer to anything you really enjoy. I don't normally eat blintzes, (see our Yiddish Culture page) but that one was batamt!
באַשערט: Predetermined. Can be used as a noun to refer to a soul mate. He likes bagels, she likes cream cheese. It's clear he's her bashert! It's a good thing I had to go back to the dry cleaners... I ran into my old friend Manny. It was bashert!
ביסל: Little bit. A bisele is a tiny bit. It wouldn't hurt you to learn a bisele Yiddish!
Would You Like to Learn a Bisl more Yiddish?
באָבאַ מײַסע: An old wife's tale, or anything dubious or not to be believed. You think that Elvis is still alive? Such a bobamayse!
באָבי: A grandmother. She's probably a balebuste.
באָפּקיס: Literally, "beans." Nada, zilch. They ate all the pizza and left me with bopkis!
דרײקאָפּ: A confused guy. His head is "turned around." The dreykop thought that you're supposed to eat bagels on Yom Kippur! Drey means to "turn." As in dreydels on Chanukah. (see our Yiddish Culture page)
עקװעלט: The end of the earth. Like huppitzville. In the middle of nowhere. He moved where? To Utah? Ekvelt!
עמעס: Truth. The emes is, I think that pizza is more batamt than bagels. It's weird I know - what can you do?
עפּעס: Something. Can be used as emphasis. Epes a meshuga! Really a crazy guy!
עס: Eat. Es mayn kind! Eat, my child! (Not to eat my kid, I mean, like you're my kid, and you should eat. You know?)
פֿאַרביסענע: Bitter... often referring to people. A sourpuss. Syd? What a farbisine alterkaker! Feh!
פֿאַרבלאָנדזשיט: Confused. Oy, 7th st, 17st, what's the difference? I'm all farblondzhit.
פֿאַרקאַקט: Screwed up. Don't say this one in front of your bubby either. I can't believe he would only give $1 tip after that whole meal! Sometimes he can be farkakt.
פֿאַרקלעמט: All choked up. Literally or emotionally. [Mike Meyers made this one famous with his "Coffee Talk" sketch (schtick) on SNL. I still don't know what a "genektagazoynk" is. His character used to say "I've got shpilkes (needles) in my genektagazoyk." -Shmelke 🙂 ]
פֿאַרקרומטע: Crooked or twisted. [A "farkrumte svara" in the yeshiva (Talmudic academy) is an incorrect logical assumption. -Shmelke]
פֿאַרמישט: Mixed up. I don't know what I'm doing, I'm all farmisht.
פֿאַרשיקערט: Extremely drunk. Don't invite Frank to the party. He always gets too farshikert.
פֿאַרשטונקנע: Rotten. Literally or figuratively. Farshtunkene cats! Always messing up my garden.
פֿײגעלאַ: A little bird. In America it is used to refer to a gay man. [I can't believe Moyshe put this one in. It can also just mean, a cute little girl, or the diminutive of the Yiddish name Fayge. My daughter's same is Fayge. -Shmelke]
!פֿע: An expression of disgust. Woodie Allen... Feh! Mayonnaise on white bread? Feh! (Wait a sec Moshe - I like Woodie Allen! - Shmelke)
פֿרײלאַך: Happy. The Hanukkah song refers to the holiday as "a likhteke, a freylekhe" -- "light/joyful and happy" (It just occurred to me that "frolic" probably comes from the same root.)
פֿרעס: To wolf food down. What a fresser! Is like, what a pig.
פֿראַסק: A slap. Listen to your father or he'll give you a frask! You want he should have to go to jail?
פֿופֿציקע: A $50 bill. What's a fuftsike between friends?
גרױסעמאַכער: A man of influence... or maybe he just thinks he is.
! גײ שלאָג דײַן קאָפּ אין װאַנט : Go bang your head against the wall! You say this when your kids ask you what to do because they're bored. It's really what you say, for real. I'm telling you.
געלט: Gold. Money. Khanuka gelt is given on the holiday.
Do You Want to Learn Yiddish but Don't Have the Gelt?
געשמאַק: Tasty, delicious. Enjoyable, not just food. See Batamt. It was so geshmak to see junior hit that ball out of the park!
געשרײַ: A scream. Bubby let out such a geshray when we tracked mud all over the white carpet.
גליק: Luck. It's like mazel. Only less formal and not really used to congratulate people. (see our Yiddish Culture page)
גליטש: A slip up, or a bug - as in a slight malfunction. [ Yes, this is actualyy a Yiddish word. -Shmelke]
גאַניף: A crooked person, or a thief. That used car dealer is such a ganif!
גרעפּס: Belch. There's not much to say about this one. But you shouldn't do this in public if you're a mentsch.
גרױסע: Big, large. See groysemakher. Don't make such a groyse gesheft out of it. (big "business")
גוטע נשמה: A good soul. Such a gute neshoma, he wouldn't hurt a fly!
האַלעװײ: It should come to be! Halevay, he should get married already, and stop giving his mother tzares!
הײמיש: Homey. Or - one of the guys. Lenny? By us he's heymish.
האַנדל: Bargain. Why didn't you handl? You could have knocked off at least five dollars!
קאַקאַמײנע: Nutso. A bit rude. There's the groyamacher up to his kakameyne schemes!
קעפּי: A little head, as in a kid's head. Put a hat on his kepi, so he doesn't catch cold!
כײַם יאַנקעל: A hick, or just a Joe Shmoe. Eh, Joe. A real khayim-yankel!
כאַליש: Faint. Also to "pine" for something. Oy, it's so hot! I'm khalishing! Oy, I'm khalishing for some Ben and Jerry's!
כאַזער,חזיר: A pig. A jerk. A dirt bag. Not only that, he didn't leave a tip! Khazer.
כאַזערײַ, חזיריי: Pig slop. Not worthwhile, whether it's food objects, or real estate. You collect baseball cards? What do you need from all that khazeray? Stamps are better.
Khutspo (Chutzpah)
כוצפא, חוצפה You don't know what this means? Chutzpah. Chutzpah is "brazenness." Flipant arrogance. But it can also be good.. like "moxy." Sam has got chutzpah, he's going to go far.
קיביץ: Back seat driving... or just joking around. Idle talk, gossiping. Stop kibizing! We're trying to play cards here!
קינדער: Kids. That's how you get nakhes.
קלײנע:Small. A kleyne kind. A little kid. Or "Nem tsvey, zey zaynen kleyne!" Take two, they're small.
קלאָץ: A clumsy idiot. You spilled soup all over my leisure suit! You klutz! [Yes, this is also Yiddish. - Shmuel]
קנאַקער: The same as a groyse makher.
קױאַך, כח: Energy, or really, desire. I don't have the koyakh to move the furniture again for you today.
קװעל: To glow with pride.
קװעטש: To whine. A kvetsher is a whiner.
Makhatanim, Makhateynim (lots of ways to pronounce that)
מאַכאַטאַנים: In-laws. 'Nuff said.
מאַכער: See "groyse makher." But now he's the real thing. Unless you sound sarcastic.
מאַמע לשון: Mother tongue, native language. Yiddish!
מבין: In Hebrew it means: "One who understands." It's an expert, on any topic. Or he thinks he is.
מיכײַאע: A pleasure. From the Hebrew "to give life." Taking a shower after a long day at the golf course is such a mekhaye!
מגילה: The scroll the purim story is written on, or the story itself. It's long... so the "gantze megilla" or the "whole megilla" means the whole kit and kaboodle. I saw a commercial once that said "It's the whole megilla." I think it was Wheaties. With Michael Jordan in the commercial. Maybe I'm farmisht.
מענטש: Literally, "human being." Used as a high compliment, like a real gentleman.
מעציאַ: Literally a "find." A bargain. Like all Yiddish words, you can use it sarcastically.
Mishegas (Mishegass, meshegass)
מישיגאַס: Crazy behavior. Enough with all the meshegass! You kids get to sleep now!
משפּכה: Family. The whole mishpocha is coming over this Shabbos! Oy.
Mishuga (Meshuga, Meshuggah, Meshuggeh)
מישוגאַ: Crazy. He thinks Seinfeld is better than Mel Brooks. Meshugah!
Don't be Meshuga! Learn some more Yiddish!
מיטנדרינען: Right in the middle. Often in an out of context way. We were talking about Seinfeld, and then, in metendrinen, he comes in talking about Iron Man and the hulk! What a dreykop.
מוטשע: to get on someone's nerves.
נאַכאַס: Enjoyment from pride of your children. See kvell.
נאַרישקײַט: Silliness. A nar is lit. a young man in Hebrew, but in Yiddish it means a fool. Stop that narishkayt and go to bed right now!
נעביש: Nobody special. Kind of a loser. Dorky and shlumpy.
נאָגודניק: A bad guy, who's up to "no good." This is Yinglish.
נודניק: Literally a boring person, but used to mean an annoying person. Stop being such a nudnik!
נאַש: Food you eat even when you're not hungry. There's a restaurant in Israel called "BagelNosh."
נו: So. So? So?! Nu. Nu? Nu?!
נודזש: A pest - annoying person. Can be a verb too. Like: Stop nudzhing me!
אָנגעפּאַטשקעט: Overly the top, in dress, adornment, whatever.
אױסגעפּוצט: Overdressed for the occasion, over-embellished, overdone, overdecorated.
אױסװאַרף: A real moron. Why can't that oysvorf waiter ever get the order right?
פּאַטש: A slap. Usually to a kid, and not that hard. If you don't stop dreying around and get to bed - Patsh!
פּאָטשקי: Experiment, dabble, mess around, play around with. "I don't really paint. I just patshki." "I was just patshki-ing around in the kitchen with whatever I had in the fridge, but it turned out pretty good."
פּונים: Face. A "sheyna punim" is a pretty or beautiful face. Your Bubby thinks you have a sheyna punim. Look at that punim!
פּופּיק: Belly button. "It's bad enough you got your nose pieced, but now your pupik? Feh!"
ראַכמאָניס: Mercy. Have rakhmonis on him. He's going through a hard time. She's 21 and still not married. Oy! Rakhmonis!
ריכטיקע: Right or correct. The only way for her to get married is to find the rikhtike guy. Someone who'll put up with her mishegas.
שכל: Brains. We started the biz 20 years ago. I'm the one with the seykhel. He's a no goodnik who just came along for the ride.
שײנע: Beautiful. In usage can mean "good". A sheyne yid, a good Jew. [My neice's name is Sheyne. - Shmuel]
שידאָך: An arranged marriage, or date. So how was your shidduch? Did he at least buy you a coke? You have a shadchan (matchmaker) make your shidduch. Shadchan would have been a good word to put on, eh?
שיקער: A drunk. Don't trip over that shikkur lying in the gutter over there.
שיקסאָ: A non-Jewish woman, but very derogatory. A more "parve" expression (bland, less loaded) would be "goya."
שלעמיעל: Clumsy. Oy! What shlimeil! He can't seem to ever get his shirt buttons lined up correctly.
שלעפּ: To carry or drag. You can shlep yourself too.
שלימזל: The guy who has bad luck. From the Hebrew "Shelo-Mazal" = no luck. The shlimiel is the guy who spills the chicken soup. The shlimazel is the guy he spills it on.
שלאָף: Sleep. After the cholent I take such a Shlof. Ooh ahh! We're talking Rip Van Vinkl style.
שלאָמפּ: Messy Guy. He may be able to get his buttons lines up but his shirt is moist coitently not tucked in.
שמאַטאַ: Old Cloth. When you own a shmata car your going to need to have shmatas on hand to clean up the perpetual oil spills. Oh this old shmatta? It was on sale at Nordstrum's for only $300! Can refer to casual wear, or the kind of clothes you'd only where at home. Bit it is also used to mean any clothing in general. My in-laws work in textiles, and they refer to their business as "the shmata business."
שמיר: Means to smear. You can shmir putter on your challah. But you can also shmir the boss, similar to brown-nosing
שמעגעגי: My mom used to say this… similar to a shmey drey. This is Yinglish.
שמוציק: Dirty. If you don't wear and apron you'll get all shmutsik. Nuff said.
שמועס: To talk/chitter chatter/schmooze. I like to schmooze with my hommies but a schmooze is also something you can get from a person of authority if you messed up. Oh no… now the boss is gonna give me a whole schmooze.
שנוק: A sucker - naïve but somehow likeable. Sarah's new boyfriend is kind of a shnuk - but he's ok.
שנאָרער: Beggar. The schnoror can be the guy on the street corner but he can also be the buddy who never buys drinks for the guys. He's the taker.
שפּאַציר: Walk. Lets go shpatsir-ing in Central Park and try to ignore the shnorors.
שפּיעל: Shpiel means a play. It also means to play. It also means the whole spiel, similar to the whole megillah and the whole kit and caboodle.
שפּילקעס: Impatience. Literally "needles." Like ants in your pants. As Mike Myer's Linda Richman character would say, when she gets all worked up, "I have shpilkes in my genecktigazoink." (not a real word)
שרעק: Not a Green monster. Shrek means super-scared or freaked out. It can also be an exclamation. Oh Shrek!! Kinda like Oh Cr@%!
שטעטל: A small village, usually all or mainly Jewish, in Eastern Europe; such as Anatefka, the setting of "Fiddler on the Roof." Most, if not all, of these villages are long gone, the inhabitants either wiped out by pogroms, killed by the Nazis or emigrated to the U.S. or Israel.
שװיץ: Means to sweat. Shitsin vi a khazer. "Sweat like a pig." It can also mean to show off. My kid is such a shvitser. Whenever we have guests for Shabbos he always makes sure that he is the center of attention.
סימכאָ: A happy occasion. There aint no party like a Yiddish Simkha.
טאַנטאַ: Aunt. Tanta Jamima. (Up until 2020)
טאַטע: Father but can also mean God. Oy Tate helf dayn kinder! (Oh Father, help your children!)
צימיס: Sweet carrot dish. A dish of boiled and mushed carrots. Can also mean make a big deal. Honey make a "tsimis" - our little yankel made that in school and he's so proud.
װילדע כאַיאַ: Wild Animal. When I was a kid my Rebbe often said I acted like a vilde khaya. Hmmm.... Wonder why?
יענטאַ: The lady who loves to talk and gossip. She literally won't shut up about who's dating who and who is buying what. Oy!
Nu?! You want to get a tiny bit more serious about learning some Yiddish, or what?