Common Yiddish Words…
| | Definition | Sample Use |
| · bob(kes) | beans, nothing | He gave me babkes. |
| · bobe | a "tall" story | That story was no bobbe myse. |
| · 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. |
| · 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. |
| · goyish(e) | mind of a goyim | He's got a real goyishke kup. |
| · handl | bargain (verb) | If you handel long enough, you'll get a good price. |
| · 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! |
| · 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! |
| · 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 |
| · kvetsh | complainer | Don't be such a kvetch. |
| · landtslayt | from your home town | They are luntslite. |
| · luftmentsh | dreamer | He's a real luftmensch when it comes to working hard! |
| · makheteyneste | in laws | My makatenista are coming.(male= mkhutn) |
| · mazl-tov | congratulations | Mazel tov on the new baby. |
| · mekhaye | particularly delicious | That dinner was a mechaya |
| · mentsh | a nice gentleman | He was such a mensch. |
| · meshugine | crazy person | He acts like a real meshungina. |
| · meyvin | connoisseur | She's quite the mavin when it comes to wine. |
| · miskayt | ugly | The daughter is a real meeskite. |
| · 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. |
| · 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. |
| · nebekh | little nerd | He is such a nebish. |
| · nakhes | joy | I get such nachas from putting these words down. |
| · nosh | to eat a little something | I was noshing all morning. |
| · 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. |
| · pupik | belly button | You could see her pupick. |
| · 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. |
| · 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. |
| · shlemazl | unlucky person | The poor schlemazel had his car stolen. |
| · 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. |
| · tumul | noise, confusion | there's a lot of tuml coming from the kid's rooms |
| · tsures | troubles | That car gives me nothing but tzorress! |
| · tsibele | onion | It will taste better if you spice it up with some tzibeleh. |
| · utzing | needling, bothering | Stop utzing me. |
| · zay gezundt | bless you | (when you sneeze) |
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