Idioms
Idioms are one of the most beautiful and colorful aspects of any language, and Yiddish is well-known for its richness in that regard.
Drawing from the vocabulary in this lesson, we can begin to sample a small taste of Yiddish idioms:
- “האָבן גרױסע אױגן” – “To have big eyes” – To want more than you need.
- “Look at how much you’ve put on your plate—du host groyse oygn!”
- “פֿון דײַן מױל אין גאָטס אױערן” – “From your mouth to God’s ears” – A wish that what the other person has just said will truly come about.
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“Your daughter is so smart, she’ll definitely get into a great school.”
“Oy, fun dayn moyl in gots oyern!”
- “אַן אױג מיט אַ ברעם” – “An eye with an eyebrow” – Describes two close friends who are never apart.
- “Moby and Nomi are an oyg mit a brem — always together!”
