Yiddish words for feelings and moods
Longing, sulking, being smitten, being lost in a daydream: moods that English needs a whole sentence for.
farkokhtפֿאַרקאָכט
smitten, deeply engrossed
דער בחור איז אַזוי פֿאַרקאָכט אין איר, אַז ער האָט פֿאַרגעסן וווּ ער וווינט.
“The boy is so smitten with her that he forgot where he lives.”
glustn zikhגלוסטן זיך
to crave, to have a yen for
ס'איז האַלב צוועלף בײַ נאַכט, און ס'גלוסט זיך מיר דווקא אַ זויערע אוגערקע.
“It's half past eleven at night, and of all things I'm craving a sour pickle.”
nakhes(naches)נחת
pride and joy, especially from one's children
די באָבע זיצט אין דער ערשטער ריי בײַם קאָנצערט און שעפּט נחת פֿונעם אייניקל.
“Grandma is sitting in the front row at the concert, glowing with pride over her grandson.”
farkhmaretפֿאַרכמאַרעט
overcast, clouded over (of sky or of a person)
ס'איז שוין אַ וואָך פֿאַרכמאַרעט אין דרויסן און ער גייט אויך אַרום אַ פֿאַרכמאַרעטער.
“It's been overcast outside for a week now and he's walking around clouded over too.”
farknaktפֿאַרקנאַקט
smitten, head-over-heels, crazy about someone
זי איז אַזוי פֿאַרקנאַקט אין אים, אַז זי פֿאַרגעסט צו עסן.
“She's so smitten with him that she forgets to eat.”
heymish(haimish)היימיש
homey, unpretentious, homemade-comfortable
אַז איך קום אָן צו איר, שטעלט זי גלײַך אַ טעפּל יויך אויפן טיש — אַזוי היימיש איז עס בײַ איר.
“The minute I show up at her place she puts a pot of soup on the table — that's how heymish it is over there.”
broyges(broiges)ברויגז
on the outs with someone; in a state of mutual not-speaking
זיי זײַנען שוין דרײַ חדשים ברוגז, און קיינער געדענקט שוין נישט פֿאַרוואָס.
“They've been broyges for three months already, and nobody remembers why anymore.”
khaleshnחלשן
to faint; (colloquially) to be dying for something, to have a fit
װען זי האָט דערזען דעם חשבון בײַם דאָקטער, האָט זי כּמעט געחלשט.
“When she saw the bill at the doctor's, she nearly fainted.”
benkshaftבענקשאַפֿט
longing, the ache of missing something far away
אַ גאַנצע וואָך האָב איך אַ בענקשאַפֿט נאָך מײַן מאַמעס קיך.
“All week I've had a benkshaft for my mother's kitchen.”
farkholemtפֿאַרחולמט
lost in a daydream; mentally somewhere else
זי זיצט בײַם פֿענצטער גאַנץ פֿאַרחולמט, און די קאַווע ווערט קאַלט.
“She's sitting by the window completely farkholemt, and the coffee's going cold.”
hartzik(hartsik)האַרציק
heartfelt, warm, cordial
אַ האַרציקע דאַנק פֿאַר דיין הילף.
“A heartfelt thanks for your help.”
Yaacov, native Jerusalemite
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