Yiddish Words That Snuck Into Hebrew

A friend once asked me why so many of my favorite Israeli slang words sound a little off from standard Hebrew. The answer: a lot of them aren't Hebrew at all. They're Yiddish, sneaking in through generations of Ashkenazi Jewish immigrants who brought their language with them. Modern Hebrew is packed with Yiddish fossils, and some of them are so embedded that Israelis don't even realize they're foreign. Here are the ones you should know.

What Yiddish is

Yiddish is a German-Hebrew hybrid language that was spoken by Jews in Eastern Europe for over 500 years. It has German grammar, a huge Hebrew vocabulary, and a sprinkle of Slavic words. When Jews immigrated to Israel, especially after the Holocaust, they brought Yiddish with them, and certain words slipped into everyday Hebrew and stuck.

Words that everyone uses without thinking

• Bekitzur... no wait, that's actually Hebrew. Let me pick real Yiddish ones.
• Balagan, chaos or mess. From Russian via Yiddish.
• Chutzpah, nerve or audacity. Technically Hebrew originally, but it reached Israel through Yiddish speakers and kept the Yiddish connotation of "shamelessness with charm".
• Nudnik, a boring or annoying person. Pure Yiddish.
• Kvetch, to complain. Very Yiddish, now used in Israeli Hebrew too.
• Shlep, to drag or carry reluctantly. You'll hear Israelis say "I had to shlep my suitcase across town".
• Schmuck, a fool. Originally Yiddish (and a bit cruder in origin), now mild slang.
• Schmata, a rag or a cheap piece of clothing.

Food words from Yiddish

A lot of classic Jewish foods have Yiddish names that Israelis use alongside (or instead of) the Hebrew versions:

• Latke, potato pancake. The Hebrew word is levivah, but latke is still very common.
• Kugel, a baked sweet or savory pudding. Pure Yiddish.
• Bagel, yes, originally Yiddish. The Israeli version (called beigel) is related but different.
• Knish, a savory pastry filled with potato or meat.
• Challah, technically Hebrew, but pronounced with a Yiddish rhythm in most of the world.

Family words

Yiddish also influences how Israeli families talk to each other:

• Zaydee, grandpa. Used alongside the Hebrew saba, especially in Ashkenazi families.
• Bubbe, grandma. Used alongside savta.
• Tateleh, "little daddy", a term of endearment for a small boy.
• Mameleh, "little mommy", for a small girl.

These show up in family contexts and in Israeli comedy that plays on Ashkenazi stereotypes.

Expressions that jumped from Yiddish to Hebrew

• Oy vey, an exclamation of distress or frustration. Even non-Jewish Israelis use it.
• Nu?, "well?" or "come on, spit it out". Used to push someone to answer or hurry up.
• Farshtaist?, "understand?" Used casually to check if someone is following.
• Mazel tov, good luck / congratulations. This is Hebrew by origin, but the usage pattern is very Yiddish.

Why Israelis don't always recognize these as foreign

A lot of these words have been in Israeli Hebrew for so long that they've become totally naturalized. When I say balagan, I'm not thinking "Russian loan word through Yiddish". I'm just saying "mess". The history is invisible, which is what happens when a language becomes truly local.

Scholars who study Modern Hebrew estimate that hundreds of words in daily speech originally came from Yiddish. Most Israelis don't realize it.

A cultural note

Yiddish has made a small comeback in Israel in recent years. There are theaters in Tel Aviv that perform in Yiddish, and some younger Israelis are learning the language as a connection to their grandparents' world. If you hear someone say "ich libe dich" (I love you in Yiddish), they might be quoting a song their grandmother used to sing.

For more on Hebrew vocabulary and cultural history, our blog has related posts, and our topics pages include everyday vocabulary that shows these overlaps.

Next time you catch yourself saying balagan, nod to the Yiddish speakers who quietly made Hebrew richer.