Hebrew / Yiddish words with no English translation

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Viewing 31 posts - 1 through 31 (of 31 total)
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  • #600503
    Huh Ika Anuh
    Member

    I’ll start:

    Cheshbon

    As in “Let’s sit down and make a cheshbon”

    #849114
    passfan
    Member

    Huh Ika Anuh: cheshbon in English is accounting.

    #849115
    adams
    Participant

    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.

    #849116
    BSD
    Member

    geshmock!

    gevaldig!

    Kvell.

    barrimin

    #849117
    BaalHabooze
    Participant

    BSD: What does barrimin mean?

    How about these words

    -Nachas

    -Nefesh

    #849118
    Understand
    Member

    m’chatanim

    Fargin

    #849119
    BSD
    Member

    BaalHabooze-Read the title:Yiddish words with no English translation

    JK

    to gloat and hold yourself higher.

    #849120
    principal
    Member

    takeh, mamesh

    #849121
    fan of pd
    Member

    Gishik

    #849122
    BTGuy
    Participant

    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.

    #849123
    AinOhdMilvado
    Participant

    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’.

    #849124
    Shticky Guy
    Participant

    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 ?).

    #849125
    smartcookie
    Member

    Shticky- Grada is like saying, “happens to be”.

    #849126
    oomis
    Participant

    grada – kind of like takkeh, “happens to be” IS a good explanation

    #849127
    moi aussi
    Member

    grada – as a matter of fact

    #849128
    moi aussi
    Member

    How would you translate?

    -NU

    -ADERABE

    #849129
    aaron613
    Participant

    ADERABE = the opposite [is true]

    #849130
    BaalHabooze
    Participant

    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.

    #849131
    moi aussi
    Member

    Pinkt farkert = the opposite [is true]

    ADERABE = your point is valid, so go for it

    NU, how do you translate NU?

    #849132
    oomis
    Participant

    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.

    #849133
    2scents
    Participant

    Simcha

    #849134
    Nechomah
    Participant

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

    #849135
    yentingyenta
    Participant

    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?

    #849137
    Nechomah
    Participant

    casserole

    #849138

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

    #849139
    Nechomah
    Participant

    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.

    #849140
    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.

    #849142
    Toi
    Participant

    aussi- it doesnt mean that at all

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

    #849143
    Toi
    Participant

    O herees a good one: Katchannez. Any guesses?

    #849144
    twisted
    Participant

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

    #849145
    yentingyenta
    Participant

    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… 🙂

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