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1. Huh Ika Anuh
   Member

   I'll start:

   Cheshbon

   As in "Let's sit down and make a cheshbon"

   Posted 6 months ago #

2. passfan
   Member

   Huh Ika Anuh: cheshbon in English is accounting.

   Posted 6 months ago #

3. adams
   Member

   Shtikel.
   I would guess it comes from German Stuck meaning stick or piece. so shtikel means little or small amount, so that's not a good case.
   Don't know if there are any really. People usually use fargin as The example.

   Posted 6 months ago #

4. BSD
   proud member, platinum member, remember, dismember, abi ah member!

   geshmock!
   gevaldig!
   Kvell.
   barrimin

   Posted 6 months ago #

5. BaalHabooze
   On the rocks

   BSD: What does barrimin mean?

   How about these words

   -Nachas

   -Nefesh

   Posted 6 months ago #

6. Understand
   Member

   m'chatanim
   Fargin

   Posted 6 months ago #

7. BSD
   proud member, platinum member, remember, dismember, abi ah member!

   BaalHabooze-Read the title:Yiddish words with no English translation
   JK
   to gloat and hold yourself higher.

   Posted 6 months ago #

8. principal
   Member

   takeh, mamesh

   Posted 6 months ago #

9. fan of pd
   Member

   Gishik

   Posted 6 months ago #

10. BTGuy
    Member

    The snap sound right behind the front teeth made from the tip of the tongue. It does add to and spice up a conversation. I know Swahili has the more pronounced, heavy tongue click.

    Posted 6 months ago #

11. AinOhdMilvado
    Member

    fan of pd...
    I would define Gishik (or geshicht) as handy or dexterous.

    principal...
    'takeh' IS a tough one, but I would define 'mamesh' (or mamash) as 'really' or 'truly'.

    understand...
    "m'chatanim" has no ONE word english translation, you'd have to say the 'parents of my children-in-law'.
    "fargin" is to 'not begrudge'.

    Posted 6 months ago #

12. Shticky Guy
    Shtick on a Stick :)

    Geshmock=enjoyable
    gevaldig=wonderful
    kivel=get pleasure
    nachas=get pride
    nefesh=soul
    takkeh=really
    mamesh=really

    On the 'favorite yiddish words' thread I asked for the english translation or equivalent of the word 'grada'. So far nobody has been able to. Who can surprise me here? (Dont just shout BOO ☺).

    Posted 6 months ago #

13. smartcookie
    Member

    Shticky- Grada is like saying, "happens to be".

    Posted 6 months ago #

14. oomis1105
    Member

    grada - kind of like takkeh, "happens to be" IS a good explanation

    Posted 6 months ago #

15. moi aussi
    Member

    grada - as a matter of fact

    Posted 6 months ago #

16. moi aussi
    Member

    How would you translate?
    -NU
    -ADERABE

    Posted 6 months ago #

17. aaron613
    Member

    ADERABE = the opposite [is true]

    Posted 6 months ago #

18. BaalHabooze
    On the rocks

    moi aussi: NU= come on...
    and ADERABLE= just the opposite,

    Shticky Guy: NACHAS=get pride
    very weak translation but close. It's a lot more than pride...
    NEFESH=soul
    nefesh is different than neshamah. There is no REAL translation.

    Posted 6 months ago #

19. moi aussi
    Member

    Pinkt farkert = the opposite [is true]
    ADERABE = your point is valid, so go for it
    NU, how do you translate NU?

    Posted 6 months ago #

20. oomis1105
    Member

    Nu - So?

    The Hebrew word "ess" does not really have an exact translation. it indicates additional "something" but does not have a literal word meaning in English. When we say "Breishis Bara Elokim ess hashamayim v'ess haaretz" it could just as easily be "Breishis Bara Elokim hashamayim v'haaretz." The "ess" is grammatically superfluous, though the Meforshim teach us that there is always something to be learned from what believe are extraneous words in the Torah, because every word has a meaning and a purpose.

    Posted 6 months ago #

21. 2scents
    Mint and Raspberry

    Simcha

    Posted 6 months ago #

22. Nechomah
    Member

    Shticky Guy - Geshmock can also mean delicious (smell/taste)

    Posted 6 months ago #

23. yentingyenta
    Member

    how do you say kugel in english? supposedly its "pudding" but potato pudding makes me think of liquidy mashed potatoes.

    milchig noodle kugel is a dif dish than potato kugel and thats dif than zucchini kugel so in each one it means s/t else.

    so how do you translate it?

    Posted 3 months ago #

24. Nechomah
    Member

    casserole

    Posted 3 months ago #

25. The Real Chasidishe Gatesheade
    Member

    How about a shaale and a kashye? what are the exact transalation for those 2 words?

    Posted 3 months ago #

26. Nechomah
    Member

    shaale = a question
    kashye = a difficulty

    Sometimes you could think that they are used interchangeably, but I think a shaale is more basic than a kashye, as if a person has looked into something he had a shaale on and it was difficult for him to understand, so now he has a kashye on it.

    Posted 3 months ago #

27. metrodriver
    Member

    Yentingyenta; Maybe, "Potpourri" (Which is not a purely English term, either) would be a good translation for "Kugel".
    In any case "Pudding" is not an accurate translation for "Kugel" of any kind.

    Posted 3 months ago #

28. Toi
    Shruikin

    aussi- it doesnt mean that at all

    Grada- best teich- as an aside. I said that then too.

    Posted 3 months ago #

29. Toi
    Shruikin

    O herees a good one: Katchannez. Any guesses?

    Posted 3 months ago #

30. twisted
    pretzel

    Like yiddish, English has many dialects. There are idioms unique to most that will fit most "untranslatables"

    Posted 3 months ago #

31. yentingyenta
    Member

    metro and nechomah, thanx. i actually looked on recipe sites and found a recipe for potato pudding. the ingredients were potatoes, onions, salt, pepper, matzo meal, eggs and oil. sounded vaguely familiar... :)

    Posted 3 months ago #

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