For autodidact students of Yiddish, the tenth word is "it," and in Yiddish "it" is עס (es). The learner has met it before it was taught: in עס איז צײַט צו גײן (es iz tsayt tsu geyn), "it is time to go," in Lesson 6; in איז עס שײן אין דעם גאָרטן אין זומער?, "is it beautiful in the garden in summer?" in Lesson 7; and in װי גײט עס דיר?, "how are you?" in Lesson 8. This lesson takes it as the headword and shows what it does. The word has two jobs, and English has the same two. The first is to stand for a thing that has been named: דאָס בוך איז שײן, "the book is beautiful," and איך האָב עס ליב, "I love it." The second is to fill the place of a subject when the sentence has no real one: עס רעגנט (es regnt), "it is raining," where nobody and nothing rains.
The Wiktionary entry for עס and the English Wikipedia article on Yiddish grammar, consulted for this lesson, agree on the first job: עס is the third person singular pronoun for a neuter noun. The Wikipedia article adds that the third person pronouns agree in gender with the noun they stand for, so that even inanimate things must be called ער, "he," or זי, "she," if their nouns are masculine or feminine, and that only neuter nouns take עס. So a Yiddish speaker says of the table, דער טיש, that ער is big, of the door, די טיר, that זי is small, and of the book, דאָס בוך, that עס is beautiful. English "it" does all three, and the learner must therefore know the gender of every noun, as the course has taught it since Lesson 1. Wiktionary adds a note: a noun that is grammatically neuter but names a person normally takes ער or זי according to the person's sex, and not עס.
The pronoun has two forms. The nominative and the accusative are the same: עס. The dative, the case of the indirect object and of the word after a preposition, is אים (im), as the Wikipedia pronoun table has it: אין אים, "in it," מיט אים, "with it." This אים is also the accusative of ער, "him," as in Lesson 8: איך זע אים. One word therefore does three duties, and the sentence settles which: the accusative of ער, the dative of ער, the dative of עס.
The second job is the one that English teaches badly to its own learners, who write "rains" and are corrected to "it rains." Yiddish too puts a word in the first place. Wiktionary gives עס רעגנט, "it's raining," and עס שײַנט די זון, "the sun's shining," literally "it shines the sun," where עס stands first so that the real subject, די זון, can follow the verb. The same עס opens the sentences of time and of weather: עס איז שפּעט, "it is late," עס איז הײס, "it is hot." It opens the sentence of existence, עס איז דאָ אַ בוך, "there is a book," and Wiktionary gives "there" as one of the meanings of the placeholder. The verb is in the third person singular, the form of ער and זי, with the ending -ט: רעגנט, שײַנט, גײט.
The dummy עס is wanted in the first place of the sentence. When something else stands first, a phrase of time or place, the course does what Lessons 7 and 8 did and leaves it out: אין װינטער איז קאַלט, הײַנט איז קאַלט. In a question it follows the verb: איז עס װאַרעם? In a clause with װען it stands after the conjunction: װען עס איז קאַלט.
Wiktionary records that עס is shortened in speech and in writing. Before a verb it becomes סע (se) or ס׳ (s'), the ס with a mark after it, joined to the verb: ס׳איז (s'iz) for עס איז, "it is." The learner will meet this form in the songs and the stories, and the song of Section F begins with it.
The word is a cousin of German es and English "it." Wiktionary gives it as from Middle High German ëz, from Old High German iz, from Proto-Germanic it. Here is a trap of the same kind as in Lessons 8 and 9. The letters עס are also the first person singular and the imperative singular of the verb עסן (esn), "to eat," which Wiktionary records as a second entry for the same spelling: איך עס, "I eat," and עס!, "eat!" The sense and the verb tell them apart.
Script note: עס has two letters, written from right to left: the ע (ayin, which in Yiddish is the vowel e) and the ס (samekh, the sound s). The ס (round) must not be taken for the final ם (square, closed), and the contraction ס׳ has a mark after the ס. The ע is not a consonant here: the reader says es, and the word has no a in it.
Key Takeaways: - עס (es): "it," the pronoun for a neuter noun, and the dummy subject of weather, time and existence - Gender decides the pronoun: דער טיש → ער, די טיר → זי, דאָס בוך → עס - Nominative and accusative עס; dative אים (אין אים, "in it") - Dummy עס: עס רעגנט, עס שײַנט די זון, עס איז שפּעט, עס איז דאָ אַ בוך - The verb is third person singular: -ט, or איז - עס opens the sentence; a phrase first, and the course leaves it out (הײַנט איז קאַלט); in a question it follows the verb (איז עס װאַרעם?) - After װען the clause has its own עס: װען עס איז קאַלט - The contraction is ס׳ or סע: ס׳איז, ס׳ברענט - A person who is neuter in grammar takes ער or זי, not עס - Do not confuse עס, "it," with עס, "I eat," "eat!"
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10.1a עס it איז is הײס hot
10.1b es (ess) it.EXPL iz (iz) be.3SG heys (hayss) hot
10.2a עס it רעגנט rains
10.2b es (ess) it.EXPL regnt (REG-nt) rain.3SG
10.3a עס it איז is שפּעט late
10.3b es (ess) it.EXPL iz (iz) be.3SG shpet (shpet) late
10.4a איך I האָב have עס it
10.4b ikh (ikh) I hob (hob) have.1SG es (ess) it.N.ACC
10.5a עס it איז is דאָ here אַ a בוך book
10.5b es (ess) it.EXPL iz (iz) be.3SG do (doh) here a (ah) a bukh (bookh) book.N
10.6a הײַנט today איז is קאַלט cold אָבער but עס it רעגנט rains נישט not
10.6b haynt (highnt) today iz (iz) be.3SG kalt (kahlt) cold ober (OH-ber) but es (ess) it.EXPL regnt (REG-nt) rain.3SG nisht (nisht) not
10.7a עס it שײַנט shines די the זון sun אין in דעם the גאָרטן garden
10.7b es (ess) it.EXPL shaynt (shighnt) shine.3SG di (dee) the-F.NOM zun (zoon) sun.F in (in) in dem (dem) the-M.DAT gortn (GOR-tn) garden.M
10.8a איך I האָב have דאָס the בוך book איך I װיל want עס it לײענען to-read
10.8b ikh (ikh) I hob (hob) have.1SG dos (doss) the-N.ACC bukh (bookh) book.N ikh (ikh) I vil (vil) want.1SG es (ess) it.N.ACC leyenen (LAY-e-nen) read.INF
10.9a װי how גײט goes עס it דיר you אין in דער the שטאָט city
10.9b vi (vee) how geyt (gayt) go.3SG es (ess) it.EXPL dir (deer) you.DAT.SG in (in) in der (dair) the-F.DAT shtot (shtot) city.F
10.10a איז is עס it װאַרעם warm אין in דער the קיך kitchen
10.10b iz (iz) be.3SG es (ess) it.EXPL varem (VAH-rem) warm in (in) in der (dair) the-F.DAT kikh (kikh) kitchen.F
10.11a דער the טיש table איז is גרױס big אָבער but ער it איז is נישט not שײן beautiful
10.11b der (dair) the-M.NOM tish (tish) table.M iz (iz) be.3SG groys (groyss) big ober (OH-ber) but er (er) it.M.NOM iz (iz) be.3SG nisht (nisht) not sheyn (shayn) beautiful
10.12a די the טיר door איז is קלײן small אָבער but זי it איז is שײן beautiful
10.12b di (dee) the-F.NOM tir (teer) door.F iz (iz) be.3SG kleyn (klayn) small ober (OH-ber) but zi (zee) it.F.NOM iz (iz) be.3SG sheyn (shayn) beautiful
10.13a דאָס the הױז house איז is גרױס big און and עס it האָט has אַ a גרױסן big גאָרטן garden
10.13b dos (doss) the-N.NOM hoyz (hoyz) house.N iz (iz) be.3SG groys (groyss) big un (oon) and es (ess) it.N.NOM hot (hot) have.3SG a (ah) a groysn (GROY-sn) big-M.ACC gortn (GOR-tn) garden.M
10.14a װען when עס it איז is קאַלט cold איז is שטיל quiet אין in דעם the גאָרטן garden
10.14b ven (ven) when es (ess) it.EXPL iz (iz) be.3SG kalt (kahlt) cold iz (iz) be.3SG shtil (shtil) quiet in (in) in dem (dem) the-M.DAT gortn (GOR-tn) garden.M
10.15a דער the בריוו letter איז is לאַנג long אָבער but איך I לײען read אים it אין in דער the קיך kitchen
10.15b der (dair) the-M.NOM briv (brif) letter.M iz (iz) be.3SG lang (lahng) long ober (OH-ber) but ikh (ikh) I leyen (LAY-en) read.1SG im (im) it.M.ACC in (in) in der (dair) the-F.DAT kikh (kikh) kitchen.F
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10.1 עס איז הײס. (es iz heys) "It is hot." 10.2 עס רעגנט. (es regnt) "It is raining." 10.3 עס איז שפּעט. (es iz shpet) "It is late." 10.4 איך האָב עס. (ikh hob es) "I have it." 10.5 עס איז דאָ אַ בוך. (es iz do a bukh) "There is a book." 10.6 הײַנט איז קאַלט, אָבער עס רעגנט נישט. (haynt iz kalt, ober es regnt nisht) "Today it is cold, but it is not raining." 10.7 עס שײַנט די זון אין דעם גאָרטן. (es shaynt di zun in dem gortn) "The sun is shining in the garden." 10.8 איך האָב דאָס בוך, איך װיל עס לײענען. (ikh hob dos bukh, ikh vil es leyenen) "I have the book, I want to read it." 10.9 װי גײט עס דיר אין דער שטאָט? (vi geyt es dir in der shtot) "How are you getting on in the city?" 10.10 איז עס װאַרעם אין דער קיך? (iz es varem in der kikh) "Is it warm in the kitchen?" 10.11 דער טיש איז גרױס, אָבער ער איז נישט שײן. (der tish iz groys, ober er iz nisht sheyn) "The table is big, but it is not beautiful." 10.12 די טיר איז קלײן, אָבער זי איז שײן. (di tir iz kleyn, ober zi iz sheyn) "The door is small, but it is beautiful." 10.13 דאָס הױז איז גרױס, און עס האָט אַ גרױסן גאָרטן. (dos hoyz iz groys, un es hot a groysn gortn) "The house is big, and it has a big garden." 10.14 װען עס איז קאַלט, איז שטיל אין דעם גאָרטן. (ven es iz kalt, iz shtil in dem gortn) "When it is cold, it is quiet in the garden." 10.15 דער בריוו איז לאַנג, אָבער איך לײען אים אין דער קיך. (der briv iz lang, ober ikh leyen im in der kikh) "The letter is long, but I read it in the kitchen."
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10.1 עס איז הײס. 10.2 עס רעגנט. 10.3 עס איז שפּעט. 10.4 איך האָב עס. 10.5 עס איז דאָ אַ בוך. 10.6 הײַנט איז קאַלט, אָבער עס רעגנט נישט. 10.7 עס שײַנט די זון אין דעם גאָרטן. 10.8 איך האָב דאָס בוך, איך װיל עס לײענען. 10.9 װי גײט עס דיר אין דער שטאָט? 10.10 איז עס װאַרעם אין דער קיך? 10.11 דער טיש איז גרױס, אָבער ער איז נישט שײן. 10.12 די טיר איז קלײן, אָבער זי איז שײן. 10.13 דאָס הױז איז גרױס, און עס האָט אַ גרױסן גאָרטן. 10.14 װען עס איז קאַלט, איז שטיל אין דעם גאָרטן. 10.15 דער בריוו איז לאַנג, אָבער איך לײען אים אין דער קיך.
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These are the grammar rules for עס (es), "it."
Three pronouns for "it." Yiddish has no single word for a thing, and the pronoun follows the gender of the noun. A masculine noun is replaced by ער: דער טיש איז גרױס, אָבער ער איז נישט שײן (10.11). A feminine noun is replaced by זי: די טיר איז קלײן, אָבער זי איז שײן (10.12). A neuter noun is replaced by עס: דאָס הױז איז גרױס, און עס האָט אַ גרױסן גאָרטן (10.13). The learner who knows the gender of the noun, from the article in Lesson 1, knows the pronoun. A neuter noun which names a person is the exception noted in the Introduction: it takes ער or זי by the sex of the person.
The cases of עס. The nominative and the accusative are the same word. As a subject: עס האָט אַ גרױסן גאָרטן (10.13). As a direct object: איך האָב עס (10.4), איך װיל עס לײענען (10.8). The dative is אים and stands after the prepositions and as the indirect object, as everywhere in the course: אין אים, מיט אים, פֿון אים. The accusative of ער is also אים, and the learner sees it in 10.15: איך לײען אים, because דער בריוו is masculine. The accusative of the masculine and the accusative of the neuter are therefore different words: איך לײען אים (the letter) and איך לײען עס (the book).
Where the pronoun stands. The object pronoun follows the verb: איך האָב עס (10.4). With a modal it stands before the infinitive: איך װיל עס לײענען (10.8), as the object of the infinitive. The subject pronoun follows the verb when something other than the subject begins the sentence or when the sentence is a question: איז עס װאַרעם? (10.10).
The dummy subject. When the sentence has no subject to name, Yiddish puts עס in the first place, as English puts "it": עס איז הײס (10.1), עס רעגנט (10.2), עס איז שפּעט (10.3). The verb is in the third person singular: רעגנט has the -ט of the third person (Lesson 9), and איז is the third person of זײַן. The sentence of weather has no other word; the sentence of time and state has a predicate adjective, which takes no ending: עס איז הײס, עס איז שפּעט. The idiom of Lesson 6, עס איז צײַט צו גײן, "it is time to go," is the same construction.
The placeholder before the true subject. In עס שײַנט די זון (10.7) the true subject is די זון, which follows the verb, and עס holds the first place. The sentence says "it shines the sun." The verb agrees with the thing that follows, and in 10.7 it is singular because the sun is. The same construction is used for existence: עס איז דאָ אַ בוך (10.5), "there is a book," where דאָ is "here" or "there" and the true subject is אַ בוך. The learner will see the same idea in the genre section, in עס איז דאָ טײ אין דער קיך (10.24).
Leaving it out. When a phrase of time or place begins the sentence, the course follows the rule of Lessons 7 and 8 and writes no עס: הײַנט איז קאַלט (10.6), אין דער קיך איז װאַרעם (10.27), and in the clause after װען, װען עס איז קאַלט, איז שטיל אין דעם גאָרטן (10.14), where the main clause begins with the verb. The clause with װען keeps its own עס, since the clause needs a subject of its own. The word אָבער stands outside the order, and the clause that follows it begins in the usual way: אָבער עס רעגנט נישט (10.6). The course teaches this rule; the learner who reads older texts may meet sentences that keep the dummy in other places as well.
The question. With עס as dummy the question begins with the verb: איז עס װאַרעם אין דער קיך? (10.10); איז עס שױן שפּעט? (10.25). With a question word, the verb stands next to it and עס follows: װי גײט עס דיר? (10.9), the question of Lesson 8. Here עס is the dummy; the person who is asked stands in the dative: דיר.
The negative. נישט stands after the verb and the pronoun: עס רעגנט נישט (10.6), ער איז נישט שײן (10.11), עס איז נישט שפּעט (10.26).
The contraction. In speech, and in writing which follows speech, עס before a verb becomes ס׳ and is joined to the verb: ס׳איז for עס איז (10.30), ס׳ברענט for עס ברענט (Section F). The mark after the ס shows the omitted ע. Some writers use the spelling סע. In this course the full עס is written in the sentences, and the short form in the cited song and in one line of the dialogue.
The other עס. The verb עסן, "to eat," has the first person singular איך עס and the imperative עס! The pronoun and the verb are written alike. The context is enough: איך האָב עס is "I have it," and a sentence with איך עס and an object is "I eat."
Common Mistakes: - Leaving out the dummy subject: \רעגנט, \איז הײס. It is עס רעגנט, עס איז הײס - Using עס for a masculine or a feminine noun: \*דער טיש איז גרױס, אָבער עס איז נישט שײן. It is ער איז נישט שײן; and for די טיר it is זי - Using ער or זי for a neuter noun: \*דאָס בוך איז שײן, אָבער ער איז גרױס. It is עס איז גרױס - Using עס after a preposition: \*אין עס. It is אין אים - Using אים for the object when the noun is neuter: \*איך װיל אים לײענען, said of דאָס בוך. It is איך װיל עס לײענען - Writing עס after a phrase that stands first, where the course leaves it out: \*הײַנט עס איז קאַלט - Reading עס as English "ess," with a long vowel, or adding an a: it is es, with the vowel of "bed" - Confusing עס, "it," with עס, "I eat," "eat!"
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עס is the tenth word on the frequency list this course follows. It is a small word and is usually said quickly and without stress, and Wiktionary records the shortened forms ס׳ and סע for the speech that runs it into the verb. The sentences of weather and of time, עס רעגנט and עס איז שפּעט, are among the first a learner can say, since the dummy subject needs no gender and no case; and the question װי גײט עס דיר? that the learner has met since Lesson 8 carries the same word in the same place.
The title of the song of Section F is written in two ways, עס ברענט and ס׳ברענט, and the learner will find both in print.
The last lesson introduced the pronoun of the person spoken to, and the lesson before it the pronoun of the speaker. This lesson adds the pronoun of the thing spoken of. The next headword is a verb, to have, which the learner has used since Lesson 1.
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עס ברענט (Es brent), also called אונדזער שטעטל ברענט (Undzer shtetl brent), a song by Mordechai Gebirtig, first two lines
The song Es brent, "It Is Burning," also known by its second line as Undzer shtetl brent, "Our Town Is Burning," is by the Kraków poet and songwriter Mordechai Gebirtig. The citation was checked in three places. The English Wikipedia article on the song gives the Yiddish title עס ברענט and the second title אונדזער שטעטל ברענט, and names Gebirtig as the author. The website yiddishsongs.org and the website Antiwar Songs both give the first two lines in Yiddish letters in the same words, and the same English sense. They link the song to the pogrom in the Polish town of Przytyk, which the Antiwar Songs page dates to 9 March 1936. The sources do not agree on the year in which Gebirtig wrote the song: the Wikipedia article gives 1936 and says that most accounts give 1937, and the other two sites give 1938. The lesson therefore says only that it was written in the later 1930s, after Przytyk. The song became known in the ghettos, and Gebirtig himself was killed by the Germans in the Kraków ghetto during the Holocaust. The lesson cites the first two lines only. The spelling of the contraction varies a little in the sources (ס׳ and ס'), and the lesson uses ס׳.
ס׳ברענט! ברידערלעך, ס׳ברענט! אױ, אונדזער אָרעם שטעטל נעבעך ברענט!
F-A: Interlinear
F.1a ס׳ברענט it-burns ברידערלעך brothers ס׳ברענט it-burns
F.1b s'brent (SBRENT) it=burn.3SG briderlekh (BRI-der-lekh) brother.DIM.PL s'brent (SBRENT) it=burn.3SG
F.2a אױ oh אונדזער our אָרעם poor שטעטל town נעבעך alas ברענט burns
F.2b oy (oy) oh undzer (UN-dzer) our orem (OH-rem) poor-N.NOM shtetl (SHTE-tl) town.N nebekh (NE-bekh) alas brent (brent) burn.3SG
F-B: Original and Translation
ס׳ברענט! ברידערלעך, ס׳ברענט! אױ, אונדזער אָרעם שטעטל נעבעך ברענט!
"It is burning! Brothers, it is burning! Oh, our poor little town is burning, alas!" (Translation: Latinum Institute, after the sense given by the two sites.) The two sites give "It burns! Brothers, it burns!" and "It's burning, brothers, it's burning!" The Yiddish word שטעטל is the diminutive of שטאָט, "city," and is the word for the small town of Jewish eastern Europe. The word נעבעך is a word of pity.
F-C: Original
ס׳ברענט! ברידערלעך, ס׳ברענט! אױ, אונדזער אָרעם שטעטל נעבעך ברענט!
F-D: Grammar and Literary Commentary
The first line is the dummy subject of this lesson, in the contracted form of Section D. The ס׳ is עס, and the verb is the third person singular ברענט, "burns," the same ending as רעגנט in 10.2. The cry names no thing: it burns. The poem is a call to the bystanders, and the call gives the alarm before it gives the object, as עס רעגנט gives the weather. The line repeats ס׳ברענט on either side of the vocative ברידערלעך, "brothers" or "dear brothers," where the ending -לעך makes the plural of the diminutive. The cry stands first and last, and the address stands in the middle.
The second line names what burns. Its subject is אונדזער אָרעם שטעטל, "our poor town," and it comes before the verb, so that no עס is needed: the verb is ברענט at the end of the line. The word שטעטל is neuter, and the possessive and the adjective before it have no ending: אונדזער אָרעם שטעטל. A word of this kind would be replaced in a following sentence by עס, "it," for the town is a neuter noun. The reader who sees the first line again after the second can take the ס׳ of the cry as the same "it" that is now named: the town itself. The course takes it as the plain dummy of the cry, and does not decide between the two readings.
The two lines give the learner much of the lesson in a few words: the contraction of עס, the third person verb in -ט, the cry without a named subject, and the sentence with its subject named, a neuter noun.
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Beyle and Leyzer sit in the garden, where Leyzer has brought the book with the beautiful pictures that he offered in Lesson 9. The day is warm, and then it rains. Beyle's mother calls them in. It follows Beyle and Leyzer of Lessons 5 to 9.
10.16a בײלע Beyle לײזער Leyzer עס it איז is שײן beautiful אין in דעם the גאָרטן garden הײַנט today
10.16b beyle (BAY-leh) Beyle leyzer (LAY-zer) Leyzer es (ess) it.EXPL iz (iz) be.3SG sheyn (shayn) beautiful in (in) in dem (dem) the-M.DAT gortn (GOR-tn) garden.M haynt (highnt) today
10.17a לײזער Leyzer יאָ yes עס it שײַנט shines די the זון sun און and עס it איז is װאַרעם warm
10.17b leyzer (LAY-zer) Leyzer yo (yoh) yes es (ess) it.EXPL shaynt (shighnt) shine.3SG di (dee) the-F.NOM zun (zoon) sun.F un (oon) and es (ess) it.EXPL iz (iz) be.3SG varem (VAH-rem) warm
10.18a בײלע Beyle האָסטו have-you דאָס the בוך book איך I װיל want עס it זען to-see
10.18b beyle (BAY-leh) Beyle hostu (HOS-too) have.2SG=you.SG dos (doss) the-N.ACC bukh (bookh) book.N ikh (ikh) I vil (vil) want.1SG es (ess) it.N.ACC zen (zen) see.INF
10.19a לײזער Leyzer יאָ yes איך I האָב have עס it אין in דער the האַנט hand
10.19b leyzer (LAY-zer) Leyzer yo (yoh) yes ikh (ikh) I hob (hob) have.1SG es (ess) it.N.ACC in (in) in der (dair) the-F.DAT hant (hahnt) hand.F
10.20a בײלע Beyle דאָס the בוך book איז is גרױס big אָבער but עס it איז is שײן beautiful
10.20b beyle (BAY-leh) Beyle dos (doss) the-N.NOM bukh (bookh) book.N iz (iz) be.3SG groys (groyss) big ober (OH-ber) but es (ess) it.N.NOM iz (iz) be.3SG sheyn (shayn) beautiful
10.21a לײזער Leyzer אין in אים it זענען are שײנע beautiful בילדער pictures װילסטו want-you זען to-see
10.21b leyzer (LAY-zer) Leyzer in (in) in im (im) it.N.DAT zenen (ZE-nen) be.3PL sheyne (SHAY-neh) beautiful-PL bilder (BIL-der) picture.PL vilstu (VIL-stoo) want.2SG=you.SG zen (zen) see.INF
10.22a בײלע Beyle יאָ yes אָבער but זע see עס it רעגנט rains שױן already
10.22b beyle (BAY-leh) Beyle yo (yoh) yes ober (OH-ber) but ze (zeh) see.IMP.SG es (ess) it.EXPL regnt (REG-nt) rain.3SG shoyn (shoyn) already
10.23a לײזער Leyzer עס it רעגנט rains אָבער but עס it איז is נישט not קאַלט cold
10.23b leyzer (LAY-zer) Leyzer es (ess) it.EXPL regnt (REG-nt) rain.3SG ober (OH-ber) but es (ess) it.EXPL iz (iz) be.3SG nisht (nisht) not kalt (kahlt) cold
10.24a מאַמע mother בײלע Beyle לײזער Leyzer קומט come אין in שטוב house עס it איז is דאָ here טײ tea אין in דער the קיך kitchen
10.24b mame (MAH-meh) mother beyle (BAY-leh) Beyle leyzer (LAY-zer) Leyzer kumt (koomt) come.IMP.PL in (in) in shtub (shtoob) house.F es (ess) it.EXPL iz (iz) be.3SG do (doh) here tey (tay) tea in (in) in der (dair) the-F.DAT kikh (kikh) kitchen.F
10.25a בײלע Beyle מאַמע mother איז is עס it שױן already שפּעט late
10.25b beyle (BAY-leh) Beyle mame (MAH-meh) mother iz (iz) be.3SG es (ess) it.EXPL shoyn (shoyn) already shpet (shpet) late
10.26a מאַמע mother ניין no עס it איז is נישט not שפּעט late קומט come צו to מיר me אין in דער the קיך kitchen
10.26b mame (MAH-meh) mother neyn (nayn) no es (ess) it.EXPL iz (iz) be.3SG nisht (nisht) not shpet (shpet) late kumt (koomt) come.IMP.PL tsu (tsoo) to mir (meer) me.DAT in (in) in der (dair) the-F.DAT kikh (kikh) kitchen.F
10.27a לײזער Leyzer אַ a דאַנק thanks אין in דער the קיך kitchen איז is װאַרעם warm
10.27b leyzer (LAY-zer) Leyzer a (ah) a dank (dahnk) thanks.M in (in) in der (dair) the-F.DAT kikh (kikh) kitchen.F iz (iz) be.3SG varem (VAH-rem) warm
10.28a בײלע Beyle לײזער Leyzer דאָס the בוך book איז is שײן beautiful איך I האָב have עס it ליב dear
10.28b beyle (BAY-leh) Beyle leyzer (LAY-zer) Leyzer dos (doss) the-N.NOM bukh (bookh) book.N iz (iz) be.3SG sheyn (shayn) beautiful ikh (ikh) I hob (hob) have.1SG es (ess) it.N.ACC lib (lib) dear
10.29a לײזער Leyzer דו you האָסט have עס it בײלע Beyle עס it איז is דײַן your בוך book
10.29b leyzer (LAY-zer) Leyzer du (doo) you.SG host (host) have.2SG es (ess) it.N.ACC beyle (BAY-leh) Beyle es (ess) it.N.NOM iz (iz) be.3SG dayn (dighn) your.N.NOM bukh (bookh) book.N
10.30a בײלע Beyle אַ a דאַנק thanks לײזער Leyzer ס׳איז it-is שױן already צײַט time צו to טרינקען drink טײ tea
10.30b beyle (BAY-leh) Beyle a (ah) a dank (dahnk) thanks.M leyzer (LAY-zer) Leyzer s'iz (siz) it.EXPL=be.3SG shoyn (shoyn) already tsayt (tsight) time.F tsu (tsoo) to trinken (TRIN-ken) drink.INF tey (tay) tea
10.16 בײלע: לײזער, עס איז שײן אין דעם גאָרטן הײַנט. (beyle: leyzer, es iz sheyn in dem gortn haynt) "Beyle: Leyzer, it is beautiful in the garden today." 10.17 לײזער: יאָ, עס שײַנט די זון און עס איז װאַרעם. (leyzer: yo, es shaynt di zun un es iz varem) "Leyzer: Yes, the sun is shining and it is warm." 10.18 בײלע: האָסטו דאָס בוך? איך װיל עס זען. (beyle: hostu dos bukh? ikh vil es zen) "Beyle: Do you have the book? I want to see it." 10.19 לײזער: יאָ, איך האָב עס אין דער האַנט. (leyzer: yo, ikh hob es in der hant) "Leyzer: Yes, I have it in my hand." 10.20 בײלע: דאָס בוך איז גרױס, אָבער עס איז שײן. (beyle: dos bukh iz groys, ober es iz sheyn) "Beyle: The book is big, but it is beautiful." 10.21 לײזער: אין אים זענען שײנע בילדער. װילסטו זען? (leyzer: in im zenen sheyne bilder. vilstu zen) "Leyzer: In it are beautiful pictures. Do you want to look?" 10.22 בײלע: יאָ, אָבער זע, עס רעגנט שױן! (beyle: yo, ober ze, es regnt shoyn) "Beyle: Yes, but look, it is raining already!" 10.23 לײזער: עס רעגנט, אָבער עס איז נישט קאַלט. (leyzer: es regnt, ober es iz nisht kalt) "Leyzer: It is raining, but it is not cold." 10.24 מאַמע: בײלע, לײזער, קומט אין שטוב! עס איז דאָ טײ אין דער קיך. (mame: beyle, leyzer, kumt in shtub! es iz do tey in der kikh) "Mother: Beyle, Leyzer, come indoors! There is tea in the kitchen." 10.25 בײלע: מאַמע, איז עס שױן שפּעט? (beyle: mame, iz es shoyn shpet) "Beyle: Mother, is it late already?" 10.26 מאַמע: ניין, עס איז נישט שפּעט. קומט צו מיר אין דער קיך. (mame: neyn, es iz nisht shpet. kumt tsu mir in der kikh) "Mother: No, it is not late. Come to me in the kitchen." 10.27 לײזער: אַ דאַנק. אין דער קיך איז װאַרעם. (leyzer: a dank. in der kikh iz varem) "Leyzer: Thank you. It is warm in the kitchen." 10.28 בײלע: לײזער, דאָס בוך איז שײן. איך האָב עס ליב. (beyle: leyzer, dos bukh iz sheyn. ikh hob es lib) "Beyle: Leyzer, the book is beautiful. I love it." 10.29 לײזער: דו האָסט עס, בײלע. עס איז דײַן בוך. (leyzer: du host es, beyle. es iz dayn bukh) "Leyzer: You have it, Beyle. It is your book." 10.30 בײלע: אַ דאַנק, לײזער! ס׳איז שױן צײַט צו טרינקען טײ. (beyle: a dank, leyzer! s'iz shoyn tsayt tsu trinken tey) "Beyle: Thank you, Leyzer! It is time already to drink tea."
10.16 בײלע: לײזער, עס איז שײן אין דעם גאָרטן הײַנט. 10.17 לײזער: יאָ, עס שײַנט די זון און עס איז װאַרעם. 10.18 בײלע: האָסטו דאָס בוך? איך װיל עס זען. 10.19 לײזער: יאָ, איך האָב עס אין דער האַנט. 10.20 בײלע: דאָס בוך איז גרױס, אָבער עס איז שײן. 10.21 לײזער: אין אים זענען שײנע בילדער. װילסטו זען? 10.22 בײלע: יאָ, אָבער זע, עס רעגנט שױן! 10.23 לײזער: עס רעגנט, אָבער עס איז נישט קאַלט. 10.24 מאַמע: בײלע, לײזער, קומט אין שטוב! עס איז דאָ טײ אין דער קיך. 10.25 בײלע: מאַמע, איז עס שױן שפּעט? 10.26 מאַמע: ניין, עס איז נישט שפּעט. קומט צו מיר אין דער קיך. 10.27 לײזער: אַ דאַנק. אין דער קיך איז װאַרעם. 10.28 בײלע: לײזער, דאָס בוך איז שײן. איך האָב עס ליב. 10.29 לײזער: דו האָסט עס, בײלע. עס איז דײַן בוך. 10.30 בײלע: אַ דאַנק, לײזער! ס׳איז שױן צײַט צו טרינקען טײ.
The weather and the pronoun (10.16, 10.17). Beyle's first sentence has the dummy: עס איז שײן אין דעם גאָרטן הײַנט, with the time phrase at the end, so that the sentence can begin with עס. Leyzer's answer has two dummies in one sentence, one for the sun and one for the warmth: עס שײַנט די זון און עס איז װאַרעם. Note that the second clause repeats the pronoun, as the course has done with the personal pronouns.
The neuter book (10.18 to 10.21). The book is דאָס בוך, neuter, and so Beyle and Leyzer say עס: איך װיל עס זען (10.18), איך האָב עס אין דער האַנט (10.19), עס איז שײן (10.20). The question האָסטו דאָס בוך? has the joined pronoun of Lesson 9, and the object is the full noun. In 10.21 the preposition takes the dative of the neuter, אין אים, "in it," with the plural verb זענען because the true subject is שײנע בילדער, which follows. The adjective has the plural ending -ע, as in Lesson 7.
Look, it is raining (10.22, 10.23). The imperative singular of זען is the bare stem, זע, as Lesson 9 said for the imperative. The next clause is a plain weather sentence and has עס in the first place: עס רעגנט שױן. The word שױן stands after the verb. In 10.23 אָבער begins the second clause, and the pronoun follows it: אָבער עס איז נישט קאַלט, with נישט before the predicate adjective.
The mother's call (10.24, 10.26). The plural imperative adds -ט to the stem: קומט, "come" (to several), as in Lesson 9. The phrase אין שטוב has no article, as in Lesson 8, 8.11, and means "indoors." The sentence of existence עס איז דאָ טײ אין דער קיך has the dummy in the first place and the true subject, טײ, after דאָ. Compare 10.5.
The question of time (10.25, 10.26). The question without a question word begins with the verb, and the dummy עס follows it: איז עס שױן שפּעט? The answer has the negative after the verb and the dummy: עס איז נישט שפּעט. The mother's imperative which follows has צו מיר with the dative, as in Lesson 6.
A thing in the kitchen (10.27). אין דער קיך איז װאַרעם has no עס, since a phrase stands first, as in 8.18 and in Section D. The thanks אַ דאַנק is as in Lessons 7 and 9.
I have it dear (10.28). איך האָב עס ליב is the idiom of Lesson 5, 5.26: ליב האָבן, "to love," with the object between the verb and ליב. The object is the pronoun עס for דאָס בוך. English says "I love it."
Your book (10.29). דו האָסט עס uses the second person of Lesson 9, and עס is the object. The predicate sentence עס איז דײַן בוך has דײַן in its form for the neuter nominative, which is the plain form the course has used for it. The pronoun עס here is the pronoun of the book, and not a dummy: it stands for something that has been named.
It is time (10.30). ס׳איז שױן צײַט צו טרינקען טײ is the sentence of Lesson 6, עס איז צײַט צו גײן, with the contraction ס׳ and the infinitive טרינקען after צו. The word שױן, "already," stands after the verb.
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The respellings follow the Standard Yiddish pronunciation of the YIVO tradition, as in Lessons 1 to 9, and the transliteration is the YIVO romanisation.
עס (es) — IPA: /ɛs/ — The ע is the vowel e as in English "bed," and the ס is s. Wiktionary gives /ɛs/ for the full form and /s/ or /sə/ for the contraction. ס׳ (s') — IPA: /s/ — The contraction is said as a bare s, joined to the verb: ס׳איז is siz. אים (im) — IPA: /ɪm/ — The vowel is short, as in "it." ער (er) — IPA: /ɛr/ — The ע is e. זי (zi) — IPA: /zɪ/ — The vowel is short, as in "it." רעגנט (regnt) — IPA: /ˈrɛɡnt/ — The stress falls on the first syllable, and the ע is e. שײַנט (shaynt) — IPA: /ʃaɪnt/ — The ײַ is ay, as in English "nigh." שפּעט (shpet) — IPA: /ʃpɛt/ — The פּ (with a dot) is p, and the ע is e. קאַלט (kalt) — IPA: /kalt/ — The אַ is a as in "father," said short. הײס (heys) — IPA: /heɪs/ — The ײ is ey, as in "hay." װאַרעם (varem) — IPA: /ˈvarəm/ — The װ is v, and the stress falls on the first syllable. גרױס (groys) — IPA: /ɡrɔɪs/ — The ױ is oy, as in "boy." הױז (hoyz) — IPA: /hɔɪz/ — The ױ is oy. טיר (tir) — IPA: /tɪr/ — The vowel is short, as in "it." טיש (tish) — IPA: /tɪʃ/ — The ש is sh. בריוו (briv) — IPA: /brɪf/ — The final וו is said as f. שטיל (shtil) — IPA: /ʃtɪl/ — The vowel is short. ס׳ברענט (s'brent) — IPA: /sbrɛnt/ — The word is said in one breath. ברידערלעך (briderlekh) — IPA: /ˈbrɪdərləx/ — The stress falls on the first syllable, and the ך is kh, as in Scottish "loch." שטעטל (shtetl) — IPA: /ˈʃtɛtl̩/ — The stress falls on the first syllable. נעבעך (nebekh) — IPA: /ˈnɛbəx/ — The ך is kh. Vowel letters: ו is u, װ is v, ױ is oy /ɔɪ/, ײ is ey /eɪ/, ײַ is ay /aɪ/, י is i, ע is e /ɛ/, אַ is a /a/, אָ is o /ɔ/. The letters ן (final nun), ם (final mem), ך (final khof), ף (final fey) and ץ (final tsadek) are used only at the end of a word.
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Course Index: [latinum.substack.com/p/index](https://latinum.substack.com/p/index)