Vocabulary & Culture
Greetings, Polite Words & the -ele Diminutive
Sholem-aleykhem and friends, please/thank you, and the suffix that makes everything cute.
beginner · 3 min read
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Politeness and warmth are central to Yiddish culture. A few greetings and courtesy words will get you surprisingly far. And once you add the diminutive suffix -ele, you can make almost anything sound affectionate — or small, cute, or beloved.
Greetings
| Yiddish | Transliteration | Meaning | When to use |
|---|---|---|---|
| שלום־עליכם | sholem-aleykhem | Peace upon you | formal greeting |
| עליכם־שלום | aleykhem-sholem | Upon you peace | reply to greeting |
| אַ גוטן טאָג | a gutn tog | a good day | daytime |
| אַ גוטע נאַכט | a gute nakht | a good night | bedtime |
| גוט־מאָרגן | gut-morgn | good morning | morning |
| גוט־שבת | gut-shabes | good Sabbath | Friday night / Saturday |
| גוט יום־טוב | gut yontev | good holiday | holidays |
Politeness basics
| Yiddish | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| דאַנק | dank | thanks |
| אַ דאַנק | a dank | thank you |
| זײַט מוחל | zayt moykhl | excuse me / forgive me |
| אַזױ | azoy | so / like that |
| ביטע | bite | please |
| נישטאָ פֿאַרװאָס | nishto farvos | you're welcome (lit. "not for why") |
| אַנטשולדיקט | antshuldikt | excuse me / sorry |
| זײַט אַזױ גוט | zayt azoy gut | please (lit. "be so good") |
Useful classroom phrases
| Yiddish | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| איך פֿאַרשטיי נישט | ikh farshtey nisht | I don't understand. |
| נאָך אַ מאָל | nokh a mol | once more |
| וואָס הייסט דאָס? | vos heyst dos? | What does that mean? |
| ווי זאָגט מען ... אויף ייִדיש? | vi zogt men ... oyfn yidish? | How do you say ... in Yiddish? |
| לאַנגזאַם, ביטע | langzam, bite | Slowly, please. |
The diminutive suffix -ל / -עלע
Adding -ל or -עלע to a noun makes it small, cute, or affectionate:
| Base noun | Diminutive | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| מענטש (mentsh, person) | מענטשל (mentshl) | little person / dear person |
| קינד (kind, child) | קינדעלע (kindele) | little child |
| בוך (bukh, book) | ביכל (bikhl) | little book |
| האַרץ (harts, heart) | הערצל (hertsl) | little heart / darling |
| טאַטע (tate, father) | טאַטעלע (tatele) | daddy |
| מאַמע (mame, mother) | מאַמעלע (mamele) | mommy |
💡 Cultural note: The diminutive is not just about size. Calling someone tatele or mamele expresses warmth and intimacy. Calling a problem a tsorele makes it sound smaller and more bearable.
Diminutive grammar
Diminutives are almost always neuter:
| Yiddish | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| דאָס קינדעלע | dos kindele | the little child |
| אַ זיס ביכל | a zis bikhl | a sweet little book |
| די קינדער | di kinder | the children |
⚠️ Note: Even though the base noun קינד is neuter, the rule still holds: -l/-ele diminutives take דאָס.
✅ Key takeaways
- Greetings: שלום־עליכם, אַ גוטן טאָג, גוט־שבת.
- Politeness: דאַנק, ביטע, אַנטשולדיקט.
- Diminutive suffix -ל / -עלע makes things small or affectionate.
- Diminutives are neuter and take דאָס.
✏️ Practice
- How do you reply to שלום־עליכם?
- What does ביטע mean?
- Make a diminutive of קאַץ (kats, cat).
- What gender do diminutives have?
- Translate: איך פֿאַרשטיי נישט, ביטע זאָגט נאָך אַ מאָל.
Answers
- עליכם־שלום (aleykhem-sholem).
- Please.
- קעצל (ketsl) — little cat.
- Neuter (דאָס).
- "I don't understand, please say it again."