For autodidact students of Yiddish, the twelfth word is "to" for the second time, and in Yiddish it is again צו (tsu). Lesson 6 gave the word its three jobs: the preposition of direction, צו דער מאַמע, "to Mother," the adverb "too," and the little word before an infinitive. The frequency list now comes back to "to" and files it as a particle, the sign of the infinitive. This lesson takes that one job and nothing else. The word is the same; what is new is how much of the language stands on it.
The infinitive is the form of the verb that the dictionary gives, and in Yiddish it ends in -ן: לײענען (leyenen), "to read," זאָגן (zogn), "to say," עסן (esn), "to eat." English puts "to" in front of the plain verb, and Yiddish puts צו in front of the infinitive: צו עסן, "to eat." The two languages agree about where the word goes, and they agree about where it does not go. After "can" and "must" English says "I can read," and Yiddish says איך קען לײענען, with no צו (Lesson 6 gave the rule for װילן, קענען, מוזן and דאַרפֿן). Where they part is the English "-ing": English says "I like reading" and "he begins writing," and the Yiddish of this lesson says איך האָב ליב צו לײענען (12.2) and זי הײבט אָן צו שרײַבן (12.5), with the infinitive.
The examples show the five places where צו stands. After a noun: צײַט צו עסן, "time to eat" (12.1), and װאָס צו עסן, "something to eat" (12.4). After an adjective: גרינג צו זאָגן, "easy to say" (12.3), and גרײט, "ready" (12.13). After certain verbs: ליב האָבן (12.2), אָנהײבן, "to begin" (12.5), פֿאַרגעסן, "to forget" (12.9), פּרובירן, "to try" (12.10). In the purpose clause, after כּדי (12.7) or אום (12.8), both "in order to." And after נישט, "not": דאָס איז נישט צו גלײבן, "that is not to be believed" (12.12). One more thing needs a warning, because it differs from English: when the verb has a prefix, the צו may move inside the word. The learner who knows German will recognise it: zu does the same there.
Here is a trap, of the same kind as in the last lessons. The word צו is three words. It is the preposition "to," with the dative (Lesson 6). It is the adverb "too" (צו גרױס, "too big"). And it is the marker of the infinitive. They can stand in one sentence: דער טײ איז צו הײס צו טרינקען (12.6) is "the tea is too hot to drink," where the first צו is "too" and the second is the marker. The word that follows tells them apart: a noun in the dative is the preposition, an adjective is "too," and an infinitive in -ן is the marker.
Script note: צו has two letters, as in Lesson 6: the צ (tsadek, the sound ts) and the ו (vov, the vowel u). In this lesson the word is sometimes hidden. In אַרײַנצולױפֿן (arayntsuloyfn), "to run in," and אַװעקצוגײן (avektsugeyn), "to go away," the צו stands inside the verb, between the prefix and the stem, and the whole is written as one word. Look for the צ in the middle and read the word in three parts: אַרײַן, צו, לױפֿן. The two words for "in order to" are אום (um), written with an א (alef, silent here), a vov and a final ם (mem sofit), and כּדי (kedey), whose first letter is כּ, the kof with a dot in it, the sound k.
Key Takeaways: - צו (tsu): the marker of the infinitive, "to," standing directly before a verb in -ן: צו עסן, צו לײענען - It follows a noun (צײַט צו עסן), an adjective (גרינג צו זאָגן, גרײט צו שיקן) or a verb (ליב האָבן, אָנהײבן, פֿאַרגעסן, פּרובירן) - Where English has "-ing" after "like" or "begin," Yiddish has צו and the infinitive: איך האָב ליב צו לײענען - No צו after װילן, קענען, מוזן, דאַרפֿן: איך װיל לײענען, איר מוזט שרײַבן - Purpose: כּדי and אום, both "in order to," with צו before the infinitive: כּדי אַ בריוו צו שיקן, אום ביכער צו לײענען - Negative: נישט before צו (נישט צו גלײבן); with ליב האָבן, נישט before ליב (ער האָט נישט ליב צו שרײַבן) - A verb with a separable prefix takes צו inside: אַרײַנצולױפֿן, אַװעקצוגײן; a verb with an unstressed prefix takes it in front: צו אַנטלױפֿן - The infinitive has the sense that fits: גרינג צו לײענען is "easy to read," גרײט צו שיקן is "ready to be sent" - Do not confuse the preposition, "to" (צו דער מאַמע), the adverb "too" (צו הײס) and the marker (צו טרינקען)
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
12.1a עס it איז is צײַט time צו to עסן eat
12.1b es (ess) it iz (iz) be.3SG tsayt (tsight) time.F tsu (tsoo) to-INF esn (ES-n) eat.INF
12.2a איך I האָב have ליב dear צו to לײענען read
12.2b ikh (ikh) I hob (hob) have.1SG lib (lib) dear tsu (tsoo) to-INF leyenen (LAY-e-nen) read.INF
12.3a דאָס that איז is גרינג easy צו to זאָגן say
12.3b dos (doss) that iz (iz) be.3SG gring (gring) easy tsu (tsoo) to-INF zogn (ZOG-n) say.INF
12.4a ער he האָט has װאָס what צו to עסן eat
12.4b er (er) he hot (hot) have.3SG vos (voss) what tsu (tsoo) to-INF esn (ES-n) eat.INF
12.5a זי she הײבט begins אָן on צו to שרײַבן write
12.5b zi (zee) she heybt (haypt) begin.3SG on (awn) PRT tsu (tsoo) to-INF shraybn (SHRIGH-bn) write.INF
12.6a דער the טײ tea איז is צו too הײס hot צו to טרינקען drink
12.6b der (dair) the-M.NOM tey (tay) tea iz (iz) be.3SG tsu (tsoo) too heys (hayss) hot tsu (tsoo) to-INF trinken (TRIN-ken) drink.INF
12.7a דער the לערער teacher גײט goes צו to דער the פּאָסט post-office כּדי in-order אַ a בריוו letter צו to שיקן send
12.7b der (dair) the-M.NOM lerer (LEH-rer) teacher.M geyt (gayt) go.3SG tsu (tsoo) to der (dair) the-F.DAT post (post) post-office.F kedey (keh-DAY) in-order a (ah) a briv (brif) letter.M tsu (tsoo) to-INF shikn (SHIK-n) send.INF
12.8a ער he לערנט studies ייִדיש Yiddish אום in-order ביכער books צו to לײענען read
12.8b er (er) he lernt (lernt) study.3SG yidish (YI-dish) Yiddish um (oom) in-order bikher (BIKH-er) books.PL tsu (tsoo) to-INF leyenen (LAY-e-nen) read.INF
12.9a איך I האָב have פֿאַרגעסן forgotten דעם the בריוו letter צו to שיקן send
12.9b ikh (ikh) I hob (hob) have.1SG fargesn (far-GES-n) forgotten.PTCP dem (dem) the-M.ACC briv (brif) letter.M tsu (tsoo) to-INF shikn (SHIK-n) send.INF
12.10a מיר we פּרובירן try אַ a בוך book אױף in ייִדיש Yiddish צו to לײענען read
12.10b mir (meer) we probirn (pro-BEER-n) try.1PL a (ah) a bukh (bookh) book.N oyf (oyf) on yidish (YI-dish) Yiddish tsu (tsoo) to-INF leyenen (LAY-e-nen) read.INF
12.11a ער he האָט has נישט not ליב dear בריוו letters צו to שרײַבן write
12.11b er (er) he hot (hot) have.3SG nisht (nisht) not lib (lib) dear briv (brif) letter.PL tsu (tsoo) to-INF shraybn (SHRIGH-bn) write.INF
12.12a דאָס that איז is נישט not צו to גלײבן believe
12.12b dos (doss) that iz (iz) be.3SG nisht (nisht) not tsu (tsoo) to-INF gleybn (GLAY-bn) believe.INF
12.13a דער the הונט dog איז is גרײט ready אַרײַנצולױפֿן in-to-run
12.13b der (dair) the-M.NOM hunt (hoont) dog.M iz (iz) be.3SG greyt (grayt) ready arayntsuloyfn (a-RAYN-tsoo-LOY-fn) in-to-run.INF
12.14a דער the הונט dog איז is גרײט ready צו to אַנטלױפֿן run-away
12.14b der (dair) the-M.NOM hunt (hoont) dog.M iz (iz) be.3SG greyt (grayt) ready tsu (tsoo) to-INF antloyfn (ant-LOY-fn) run-away.INF
12.15a עס it איז is שפּעט late און and עס it איז is צײַט time אַװעקצוגײן away-to-go
12.15b es (ess) it iz (iz) be.3SG shpet (shpet) late un (oon) and es (ess) it iz (iz) be.3SG tsayt (tsight) time.F avektsugeyn (a-VEK-tsoo-gayn) away-to-go.INF
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
12.1 עס איז צײַט צו עסן. (es iz tsayt tsu esn) "It is time to eat." 12.2 איך האָב ליב צו לײענען. (ikh hob lib tsu leyenen) "I like to read." 12.3 דאָס איז גרינג צו זאָגן. (dos iz gring tsu zogn) "That is easy to say." 12.4 ער האָט װאָס צו עסן. (er hot vos tsu esn) "He has something to eat." 12.5 זי הײבט אָן צו שרײַבן. (zi heybt on tsu shraybn) "She begins to write." 12.6 דער טײ איז צו הײס צו טרינקען. (der tey iz tsu heys tsu trinken) "The tea is too hot to drink." 12.7 דער לערער גײט צו דער פּאָסט כּדי אַ בריוו צו שיקן. (der lerer geyt tsu der post kedey a briv tsu shikn) "The teacher goes to the post office to send a letter." 12.8 ער לערנט ייִדיש אום ביכער צו לײענען. (er lernt yidish um bikher tsu leyenen) "He studies Yiddish in order to read books." 12.9 איך האָב פֿאַרגעסן דעם בריוו צו שיקן. (ikh hob fargesn dem briv tsu shikn) "I forgot to send the letter." 12.10 מיר פּרובירן אַ בוך אױף ייִדיש צו לײענען. (mir probirn a bukh oyf yidish tsu leyenen) "We are trying to read a book in Yiddish." 12.11 ער האָט נישט ליב בריוו צו שרײַבן. (er hot nisht lib briv tsu shraybn) "He does not like to write letters." 12.12 דאָס איז נישט צו גלײבן. (dos iz nisht tsu gleybn) "That is not to be believed." 12.13 דער הונט איז גרײט אַרײַנצולױפֿן. (der hunt iz greyt arayntsuloyfn) "The dog is ready to run in." 12.14 דער הונט איז גרײט צו אַנטלױפֿן. (der hunt iz greyt tsu antloyfn) "The dog is ready to run away." 12.15 עס איז שפּעט און עס איז צײַט אַװעקצוגײן. (es iz shpet un es iz tsayt avektsugeyn) "It is late, and it is time to go away."
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
12.1 עס איז צײַט צו עסן. 12.2 איך האָב ליב צו לײענען. 12.3 דאָס איז גרינג צו זאָגן. 12.4 ער האָט װאָס צו עסן. 12.5 זי הײבט אָן צו שרײַבן. 12.6 דער טײ איז צו הײס צו טרינקען. 12.7 דער לערער גײט צו דער פּאָסט כּדי אַ בריוו צו שיקן. 12.8 ער לערנט ייִדיש אום ביכער צו לײענען. 12.9 איך האָב פֿאַרגעסן דעם בריוו צו שיקן. 12.10 מיר פּרובירן אַ בוך אױף ייִדיש צו לײענען. 12.11 ער האָט נישט ליב בריוו צו שרײַבן. 12.12 דאָס איז נישט צו גלײבן. 12.13 דער הונט איז גרײט אַרײַנצולױפֿן. 12.14 דער הונט איז גרײט צו אַנטלױפֿן. 12.15 עס איז שפּעט און עס איז צײַט אַװעקצוגײן.
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
These are the grammar rules for צו (tsu), "to," the marker of the infinitive.
Where it stands. צו stands directly before the infinitive, and the infinitive is the last word of its group. Whatever belongs to the verb stands in front of צו: the object in ביכער צו לײענען (12.8), אַ בריוו צו שיקן (12.7), דעם בריוו צו שיקן (12.9); the pronoun in אים צו שיקן (12.28); the phrase of place in אַ בוך אױף ייִדיש צו לײענען (12.10). The infinitive itself is the dictionary form, with no ending for person or number: צו עסן is the same for "I," "he" and "we."
What governs it. Three kinds of word stand before צו and the infinitive. A noun: צײַט צו עסן (12.1), "time to eat," and װאָס צו עסן (12.4), "something to eat," literally "what to eat." An adjective: גרינג צו זאָגן (12.3), שװער צו (Lesson 6), גרײט (12.14), and in the genre section גרײט צו שיקן (12.26). A verb: ליב האָבן (12.2, 12.11), אָנהײבן (12.5), פֿאַרגעסן (12.9), פּרובירן (12.10). The learner learns the verbs one at a time, and the dictionary says whether a verb takes the infinitive with צו. With אָנהײבן the צו is sometimes left out, and this course writes it, because the form with צו is always correct.
No צו after the modals. After װילן, קענען, מוזן and דאַרפֿן the infinitive stands alone, as in Lesson 6: איך װיל לײענען, never \*איך װיל צו לײענען. The genre section has both together, in the mother's words: איר מוזט הײַנט נישט אַלץ שרײַבן, "you do not have to write everything today," with the modal and the bare infinitive, and then פּרובירט אַ ביסל צו שרײַבן, "try to write a little," with פּרובירן and צו (12.23). English is the same here: "I must write," but "I try to write."
"-ing" in English. In "I like reading" and "he begins writing," the English has a form in -ing, and the Yiddish of these examples has the infinitive: איך האָב ליב צו לײענען (12.2), זי הײבט אָן צו שרײַבן (12.5). The learner should not look for a Yiddish "-ing" word. The infinitive with צו does the work.
The purpose clause. To say "in order to," Yiddish uses כּדי, with צו before the infinitive: כּדי אַ בריוו צו שיקן (12.7), as in Lesson 6. The word אום (um) does the same job. Dictionaries give it as "in order to," used with צו, and the lesson writes it so: אום ביכער צו לײענען (12.8), אום אים צו שיקן (12.28). The infinitive is last in the clause in both. In both, the clause says why the main verb is done: he studies Yiddish in order to read books.
The negative. נישט stands before צו and the infinitive, and not after: דאָס איז נישט צו גלײבן (12.12), "that is not to be believed." With ליב האָבן the negative stands between האָבן and ליב, and not before the verb: ער האָט נישט ליב בריוו צו שרײַבן (12.11). In the imperative the negative follows the verb: פֿאַרגעס נישט ברױט צו קױפֿן (12.29), "do not forget to buy bread."
Verbs with prefixes. Yiddish has two kinds of prefix, and the marker treats them differently. A separable prefix is stressed, and in a finite sentence it leaves the verb and stands apart from it, later in the clause: זי הײבט אָן צו שרײַבן (12.5), איך הײב אָן צו שרײַבן (12.19). In the infinitive it stays with the verb, and צו goes inside the word, between the prefix and the stem, written as one word: אַרײַנצולױפֿן (12.13), "to run in," from the prefix אַרײַן and the verb לױפֿן; אַװעקצוגײן (12.15, 12.30), "to go away," from אַװעק and גײן. An unstressed prefix does not leave the verb, and צו stands in front of the whole verb, as a separate word: ער איז גרײט צו אַנטלױפֿן (12.14), "he is ready to run away," with the prefix אַנט-. The other unstressed prefixes, among them באַ- and פֿאַר-, are of the same class and are treated in the same way: צו פֿאַרגעסן, "to forget." The form אַװעקצוגײן follows the same rule as אַרײַנצולױפֿן.
The sense of the infinitive. Yiddish uses the plain infinitive where English may use a passive. דאָס בוך איז גרינג צו לײענען is "the book is easy to read," and the Lesson 6 example דאָס בוך איז שװער צו לײענען (6.9) is the same. In 12.12 the infinitive צו גלײבן is "to be believed," and in 12.26 גרײט צו שיקן is "ready to be sent." The learner does not have to put the verb in a passive form. The subject of the sentence is the thing that is read, believed or sent.
Three words צו. The preposition has the dative: צו דער פּאָסט (12.7, 12.27, 12.28), "to the post office," and צו מיר, צו אים. The adverb "too" stands before an adjective or an adverb: צו הײס (12.6), צו לאַנג (12.22). The marker stands before an infinitive: צו טרינקען (12.6). In 12.6 and 12.22 the adverb and the marker follow each other, צו הײס צו טרינקען, "too hot to drink."
Common Mistakes: - Writing צו after a modal: \איך װיל צו לײענען, \איר מוזט צו שרײַבן. It is איך װיל לײענען, איר מוזט שרײַבן - Writing צו after the infinitive: \*לײענען צו. It is צו לײענען - Omitting צו after כּדי or אום: \*כּדי אַ בריוו שיקן. It is כּדי אַ בריוו צו שיקן - Putting נישט after the infinitive: \*דאָס איז צו גלײבן נישט. It is דאָס איז נישט צו גלײבן - Writing צו in front of a verb with a separable prefix: \*צו אַרײַנלױפֿן. It is אַרײַנצולױפֿן, with the marker inside - Writing צו inside a verb with an unstressed prefix: \*אַנטצולױפֿן. It is צו אַנטלױפֿן - Looking for a Yiddish word in -ing, where the Yiddish has the infinitive: איך האָב ליב צו לײענען, "I like reading" - Confusing the three words: צו הײס, "too hot," and צו טרינקען, "to drink," are different words that look alike
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
צו is the twelfth word on the frequency list this course follows, and with the preposition of Lesson 6 it is among the commonest words of the language. No speaker of Yiddish can say much without it. It belongs to every register, from the talk of a kitchen to the prose of a newspaper, and it is the same word in all of them. It is the cousin of German zu and of the English "to" and "too," and the learner who knows either language will find the sense of most of these examples before reading the gloss.
The commonest forms are fixed, and the learner should have them whole. עס איז צײַט צו (12.1) opens many sentences, and שװער צו and גרינג צו with an infinitive are the Yiddish way to say what is hard or easy to do. The most famous use of the word in Yiddish writing is in the title of a play by Sholem Aleichem, שװער צו זײַן אַ ייִד, "It Is Hard to Be a Jew," which Lesson 6 took for its Section F, and whose title is exactly this pattern: an adjective, צו, and the infinitive זײַן, "to be." A learner who has understood 12.3 and 12.12 understands the title.
The phrase נישט צו גלײבן, "not to be believed," is what a speaker says of news that is too strange or too good: the Yiddish way to say "unbelievable." It is often shortened to ס׳איז נישט צו גלײבן, "it is not to be believed."
The last lesson gave the verb of possession and the one before it the pronouns. This lesson adds the marker that joins one verb to another, and from here the learner can make sentences of two verbs: "I like to read," "I forgot to send." The next word on the list, the thirteenth, is "that," the demonstrative and relative pronoun, which the learner has already seen in דאָס.
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
אַז ס׳איז באַשערט אײנעם דערטרונקען צו װערן, װערט ער דערטרונקען אין אַ לעפֿל װאַסער (Az s'iz bashert eynem dertrunken tsu vern, vert er dertrunken in a lefl vaser), a traditional Yiddish proverb
The saying Az s'iz bashert eynem dertrunken tsu vern, vert er dertrunken in a lefl vaser, "If it is someone's fate to drown, he will drown in a spoonful of water," is a Yiddish proverb about fate: what is fated will come, by whatever small means. The text is given as it appears in two online collections of Yiddish proverbs, one in Yiddish letters and romanisation, the other in romanisation, with the same wording in both. The saying is not traced to a named author, and so the lesson calls it, as Lessons 3, 4 and 5 call theirs, a traditional proverb. The collection in Yiddish letters prints the vowels in a plain spelling, and the lesson writes the saying in the YIVO spelling the course uses.
אַז ס׳איז באַשערט אײנעם דערטרונקען צו װערן, װערט ער דערטרונקען אין אַ לעפֿל װאַסער
F-A: Interlinear
F.1a אַז if ס׳איז it-is באַשערט fated אײנעם one דערטרונקען drowned צו to װערן become װערט becomes ער he דערטרונקען drowned אין in אַ a לעפֿל spoon װאַסער water
F.1b az (ahz) if s'iz (siz) it=be.3SG bashert (ba-SHERT) fated eynem (AY-nem) one.DAT dertrunken (der-TRUN-ken) drowned.PTCP tsu (tsoo) to-INF vern (VER-n) become.INF vert (vert) become.3SG er (er) he dertrunken (der-TRUN-ken) drowned.PTCP in (in) in a (ah) a lefl (LEF-l) spoon vaser (VAH-ser) water
F-B: Original and Translation
אַז ס׳איז באַשערט אײנעם דערטרונקען צו װערן, װערט ער דערטרונקען אין אַ לעפֿל װאַסער
"If it is someone's fate to drown, he will drown in a spoonful of water." The literal reading is: "If it is fated for someone to become drowned, he becomes drowned in a spoon of water." The word אַז is here "if" or "when."
F-C: Original
אַז ס׳איז באַשערט אײנעם דערטרונקען צו װערן, װערט ער דערטרונקען אין אַ לעפֿל װאַסער
F-D: Grammar and Literary Commentary
The saying is one sentence of two clauses, and the marker stands once, in the first clause, in the infinitive group דערטרונקען צו װערן. The infinitive is װערן, "to become," which Yiddish uses with a participle to make the passive; the participle דערטרונקען, "drowned," stands in front of צו and the infinitive, as an object stands in front of צו in 12.8. So דערטרונקען צו װערן is "to become drowned," that is, "to drown." The second clause uses the same participle with the finite form װערט.
The group hangs on the adjective באַשערט, "fated," and on the dative אײנעם, "to one": באַשערט אײנעם, "fated to someone." This is the pattern of Section D: an adjective governs צו and the infinitive, as גרינג and גרײט do in 12.3 and 12.13. Here the adjective is not "easy" or "ready" but "fated," and the person to whom the fate belongs is in the dative, between the adjective and the infinitive. The subject of the first clause is the bare ס׳איז, "it is," the contraction of עס איז, with the infinitive group standing for what it is.
The proverb makes its point by the contrast of a large fate and a small cause. The first clause is solemn: it is fated, and the infinitive says what. The second clause answers it with the smallest vessel there is, אַ לעפֿל װאַסער. The marker and its infinitive carry the weight of the first clause: the fate is in the verb that follows צו.
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
Beyle and Leyzer are with their mother in the kitchen, and the letter from the doctor has been read. Now there is an answer to be written and sent. It follows Beyle and Leyzer of Lessons 5 to 11, and the letter of Lesson 11.
12.16a מאַמע mother בײלע Beyle עס it איז is צײַט time אַ a בריוו letter צו to שרײַבן write
12.16b mame (MAH-meh) mother beyle (BAY-leh) Beyle es (ess) it iz (iz) be.3SG tsayt (tsight) time.F a (ah) a briv (brif) letter.M tsu (tsoo) to-INF shraybn (SHRIGH-bn) write.INF
12.17a בײלע Beyle איך I האָב have ליב dear צו to שרײַבן write אָבער but איך I װײס know נישט not װאָס what צו to זאָגן say
12.17b beyle (BAY-leh) Beyle ikh (ikh) I hob (hob) have.1SG lib (lib) dear tsu (tsoo) to-INF shraybn (SHRIGH-bn) write.INF ober (OH-ber) but ikh (ikh) I veys (vays) know.1SG nisht (nisht) not vos (voss) what tsu (tsoo) to-INF zogn (ZOG-n) say.INF
12.18a לײזער Leyzer דאָס that איז is גרינג easy צו to זאָגן say זאָג say אַ a דאַנק thanks דעם the דאָקטער doctor
12.18b leyzer (LAY-zer) Leyzer dos (doss) that iz (iz) be.3SG gring (gring) easy tsu (tsoo) to-INF zogn (ZOG-n) say.INF zog (zog) say.IMP.SG a (ah) a dank (dahnk) thanks.M dem (dem) the-M.DAT doktor (DOK-tor) doctor.M
12.19a בײלע Beyle יאָ yes איך I הײב begin אָן on צו to שרײַבן write
12.19b beyle (BAY-leh) Beyle yo (yoh) yes ikh (ikh) I heyb (hayp) begin.1SG on (awn) PRT tsu (tsoo) to-INF shraybn (SHRIGH-bn) write.INF
12.20a מאַמע mother האָסטו have-you פּאַפּיר paper צו to שרײַבן write
12.20b mame (MAH-meh) mother hostu (HOS-too) have.2SG=you.SG papir (pa-PEER) paper tsu (tsoo) to-INF shraybn (SHRIGH-bn) write.INF
12.21a בײלע Beyle יאָ yes איך I האָב have פּאַפּיר paper און and איך I האָב have װאָס what צו to שרײַבן write
12.21b beyle (BAY-leh) Beyle yo (yoh) yes ikh (ikh) I hob (hob) have.1SG papir (pa-PEER) paper un (oon) and ikh (ikh) I hob (hob) have.1SG vos (voss) what tsu (tsoo) to-INF shraybn (SHRIGH-bn) write.INF
12.22a לײזער Leyzer דער the בריוו letter איז is צו too לאַנג long צו to שרײַבן write הײַנט today
12.22b leyzer (LAY-zer) Leyzer der (dair) the-M.NOM briv (brif) letter.M iz (iz) be.3SG tsu (tsoo) too lang (lahng) long tsu (tsoo) to-INF shraybn (SHRIGH-bn) write.INF haynt (highnt) today
12.23a מאַמע mother איר you-all מוזט must הײַנט today נישט not אַלץ everything שרײַבן write פּרובירט try אַ a ביסל little צו to שרײַבן write
12.23b mame (MAH-meh) mother ir (eer) you.PL muzt (moozt) must.2PL haynt (highnt) today nisht (nisht) not alts (ahlts) everything shraybn (SHRIGH-bn) write.INF probirt (pro-BEERT) try.IMP.PL a (ah) a bisl (BIS-l) little tsu (tsoo) to-INF shraybn (SHRIGH-bn) write.INF
12.24a בײלע Beyle איך I האָב have פֿאַרגעסן forgotten דעם the נאָמען name צו to שרײַבן write
12.24b beyle (BAY-leh) Beyle ikh (ikh) I hob (hob) have.1SG fargesn (far-GES-n) forgotten.PTCP dem (dem) the-M.ACC nomen (NO-men) name.M tsu (tsoo) to-INF shraybn (SHRIGH-bn) write.INF
12.25a לײזער Leyzer איך I בין am גרײט ready אים it צו to שרײַבן write
12.25b leyzer (LAY-zer) Leyzer ikh (ikh) I bin (bin) be.1SG greyt (grayt) ready im (im) it.M.ACC tsu (tsoo) to-INF shraybn (SHRIGH-bn) write.INF
12.26a מאַמע mother גוט good דער the בריוו letter איז is גרײט ready צו to שיקן send
12.26b mame (MAH-meh) mother gut (goot) good der (dair) the-M.NOM briv (brif) letter.M iz (iz) be.3SG greyt (grayt) ready tsu (tsoo) to-INF shikn (SHIK-n) send.INF
12.27a בײלע Beyle װער who גײט goes צו to דער the פּאָסט post-office כּדי in-order אים it צו to שיקן send
12.27b beyle (BAY-leh) Beyle ver (ver) who geyt (gayt) go.3SG tsu (tsoo) to der (dair) the-F.DAT post (post) post-office.F kedey (keh-DAY) in-order im (im) it.M.ACC tsu (tsoo) to-INF shikn (SHIK-n) send.INF
12.28a לײזער Leyzer איך I גײ go צו to דער the פּאָסט post-office אום in-order אים it צו to שיקן send
12.28b leyzer (LAY-zer) Leyzer ikh (ikh) I gey (gay) go.1SG tsu (tsoo) to der (dair) the-F.DAT post (post) post-office.F um (oom) in-order im (im) it.M.ACC tsu (tsoo) to-INF shikn (SHIK-n) send.INF
12.29a מאַמע mother גוט good אָבער but פֿאַרגעס forget נישט not ברױט bread צו to קױפֿן buy
12.29b mame (MAH-meh) mother gut (goot) good ober (OH-ber) but farges (far-GES) forget.IMP.SG nisht (nisht) not broyt (broyt) bread.N tsu (tsoo) to-INF koyfn (KOY-fn) buy.INF
12.30a לײזער Leyzer איך I פֿאַרגעס forget נישט not מאַמע mother עס it איז is צײַט time אַװעקצוגײן away-to-go
12.30b leyzer (LAY-zer) Leyzer ikh (ikh) I farges (far-GES) forget.1SG nisht (nisht) not mame (MAH-meh) mother es (ess) it iz (iz) be.3SG tsayt (tsight) time.F avektsugeyn (a-VEK-tsoo-gayn) away-to-go.INF
12.16 מאַמע: בײלע, עס איז צײַט אַ בריוו צו שרײַבן. (mame: beyle, es iz tsayt a briv tsu shraybn) "Mother: Beyle, it is time to write a letter." 12.17 בײלע: איך האָב ליב צו שרײַבן, אָבער איך װײס נישט װאָס צו זאָגן. (beyle: ikh hob lib tsu shraybn, ober ikh veys nisht vos tsu zogn) "Beyle: I like to write, but I do not know what to say." 12.18 לײזער: דאָס איז גרינג צו זאָגן. זאָג אַ דאַנק דעם דאָקטער. (leyzer: dos iz gring tsu zogn. zog a dank dem doktor) "Leyzer: That is easy to say. Say thank you to the doctor." 12.19 בײלע: יאָ, איך הײב אָן צו שרײַבן. (beyle: yo, ikh heyb on tsu shraybn) "Beyle: Yes, I begin to write." 12.20 מאַמע: האָסטו פּאַפּיר צו שרײַבן? (mame: hostu papir tsu shraybn) "Mother: Do you have paper to write on?" 12.21 בײלע: יאָ, איך האָב פּאַפּיר און איך האָב װאָס צו שרײַבן. (beyle: yo, ikh hob papir un ikh hob vos tsu shraybn) "Beyle: Yes, I have paper, and I have something to write." 12.22 לײזער: דער בריוו איז צו לאַנג צו שרײַבן הײַנט. (leyzer: der briv iz tsu lang tsu shraybn haynt) "Leyzer: The letter is too long to write today." 12.23 מאַמע: איר מוזט הײַנט נישט אַלץ שרײַבן. פּרובירט אַ ביסל צו שרײַבן. (mame: ir muzt haynt nisht alts shraybn. probirt a bisl tsu shraybn) "Mother: You do not have to write everything today. Try to write a little." 12.24 בײלע: איך האָב פֿאַרגעסן דעם נאָמען צו שרײַבן. (beyle: ikh hob fargesn dem nomen tsu shraybn) "Beyle: I forgot to write the name." 12.25 לײזער: איך בין גרײט אים צו שרײַבן. (leyzer: ikh bin greyt im tsu shraybn) "Leyzer: I am ready to write it." 12.26 מאַמע: גוט. דער בריוו איז גרײט צו שיקן. (mame: gut. der briv iz greyt tsu shikn) "Mother: Good. The letter is ready to send." 12.27 בײלע: װער גײט צו דער פּאָסט כּדי אים צו שיקן? (beyle: ver geyt tsu der post kedey im tsu shikn) "Beyle: Who is going to the post office to send it?" 12.28 לײזער: איך גײ צו דער פּאָסט אום אים צו שיקן. (leyzer: ikh gey tsu der post um im tsu shikn) "Leyzer: I am going to the post office to send it." 12.29 מאַמע: גוט, אָבער פֿאַרגעס נישט ברױט צו קױפֿן. (mame: gut, ober farges nisht broyt tsu koyfn) "Mother: Good, but do not forget to buy bread." 12.30 לײזער: איך פֿאַרגעס נישט, מאַמע. עס איז צײַט אַװעקצוגײן. (leyzer: ikh farges nisht, mame. es iz tsayt avektsugeyn) "Leyzer: I will not forget, Mother. It is time to go."
12.16 מאַמע: בײלע, עס איז צײַט אַ בריוו צו שרײַבן. 12.17 בײלע: איך האָב ליב צו שרײַבן, אָבער איך װײס נישט װאָס צו זאָגן. 12.18 לײזער: דאָס איז גרינג צו זאָגן. זאָג אַ דאַנק דעם דאָקטער. 12.19 בײלע: יאָ, איך הײב אָן צו שרײַבן. 12.20 מאַמע: האָסטו פּאַפּיר צו שרײַבן? 12.21 בײלע: יאָ, איך האָב פּאַפּיר און איך האָב װאָס צו שרײַבן. 12.22 לײזער: דער בריוו איז צו לאַנג צו שרײַבן הײַנט. 12.23 מאַמע: איר מוזט הײַנט נישט אַלץ שרײַבן. פּרובירט אַ ביסל צו שרײַבן. 12.24 בײלע: איך האָב פֿאַרגעסן דעם נאָמען צו שרײַבן. 12.25 לײזער: איך בין גרײט אים צו שרײַבן. 12.26 מאַמע: גוט. דער בריוו איז גרײט צו שיקן. 12.27 בײלע: װער גײט צו דער פּאָסט כּדי אים צו שיקן? 12.28 לײזער: איך גײ צו דער פּאָסט אום אים צו שיקן. 12.29 מאַמע: גוט, אָבער פֿאַרגעס נישט ברױט צו קױפֿן. 12.30 לײזער: איך פֿאַרגעס נישט, מאַמע. עס איז צײַט אַװעקצוגײן.
A letter to write (12.16, 12.17). The mother's sentence is the pattern of 12.1: a noun of time, צײַט, then the object and the marker and the infinitive, אַ בריוו צו שרײַבן. Beyle's answer has two groups of צו and the infinitive. The first stands after ליב האָבן, as in 12.2. The second stands after a question word: װאָס צו זאָגן, "what to say," the pattern of 12.4. The verb װײס, "I know," is followed by the whole group, with נישט in front of it: איך װײס נישט װאָס צו זאָגן.
Easy to say (12.18). Leyzer uses the adjective of 12.3, גרינג צו זאָגן, and then the imperative זאָג, "say," which is the bare stem, as האָב was in Lesson 11 (האָב געדולד). The thanks is אַ דאַנק, and the person who is thanked stands in the dative, דעם דאָקטער.
I begin (12.19). The first person of אָנהײבן is איך הײב אָן: the verb stands second, the prefix אָן at the end of the clause's verb group, and צו comes after the prefix, in front of the infinitive, as in 12.5.
Paper to write on (12.20, 12.21). The mother's question has the joined pronoun, האָסטו, and a noun with the marker, פּאַפּיר צו שרײַבן, "paper to write on." The English needs "on" at the end; Yiddish does not say it. Beyle's answer repeats the group of 12.4: איך האָב װאָס צו שרײַבן.
Too long to write (12.22). Leyzer's sentence has the adverb and the marker in a row, צו לאַנג צו שרײַבן, as in 12.6. The word הײַנט, "today," stands at the end, after the infinitive, and not in the first place, since the speaker wants to put the stress on the length of the letter.
You do not have to; try (12.23). The mother speaks to both children, so the modal is the second person plural, מוזט, and the infinitive after it is bare: שרײַבן, not צו שרײַבן. With נישט, מוזן means "do not have to." The plural imperative פּרובירט, "try," is followed by the marker: פּרובירט אַ ביסל צו שרײַבן. The two sentences stand side by side, so that the learner can see the modal without צו and the verb with it.
I forgot (12.24). פֿאַרגעסן, "to forget," is both the infinitive and the participle, with the prefix פֿאַר- and no ge-, as in 12.9. The verb that follows is the infinitive of the thing forgotten: דעם נאָמען צו שרײַבן, "to write the name," with the object in front, in the masculine accusative דעם.
Ready (12.25, 12.26). The adjective גרײט, "ready," takes צו and the infinitive, as in 12.13 and 12.14. In 12.25 the object is the pronoun אים, for the masculine נאָמען, and it stands in front of צו. In 12.26 the infinitive has a passive sense: דער בריוו איז גרײט צו שיקן is "the letter is ready to be sent." The learner does not need a passive verb here.
Who goes, and why (12.27, 12.28). The question uses כּדי, the answer uses אום, and each has the pronoun אים in front of צו and the infinitive. In both sentences the first צו, in צו דער פּאָסט, is the preposition with the dative, and the second is the marker: the two are three words apart, and the learner can see them as two different words.
Do not forget (12.29, 12.30). The negative imperative is פֿאַרגעס נישט, "do not forget," with נישט after the verb, and the object and the marker follow: ברױט צו קױפֿן. Leyzer answers with the same verb in the first person present, איך פֿאַרגעס נישט, "I do not forget," which in English is "I will not forget." The last sentence is the sentence of 12.15, with the prefixed infinitive אַװעקצוגײן, and the marker inside the word.
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
The respellings follow the Standard Yiddish pronunciation of the YIVO tradition, as in Lessons 1 to 11, and the transliteration is the YIVO romanisation.
צו (tsu) — IPA: /tsu/ — The צ is ts, as at the end of English "cats," here at the beginning of a word, and the ו is u, as in "do." The marker is unstressed in a sentence and is said lightly before the infinitive. אום (um) — IPA: /um/ — The vowel is u, as in "put." כּדי (kedey) — The stress falls on the second syllable. The first vowel is a short e, the second is ey, as in "hay." גרינג (gring) — IPA: /ɡrɪŋ/ — The vowel is short i, and the final ng is as in "sing." עסן (esn) — The final ן is a syllabic n, with no vowel before it, as in האָבן in Lesson 11. זאָגן (zogn) — The אָ is o, as in האָבן. שרײַבן (shraybn) — IPA: /ˈʃraɪbn̩/ — The ײַ is ay, as in "high," and the ש is sh. גלײבן (gleybn) — The ײ is ey, as in "hay." גרײט (greyt) — IPA: /ɡreɪt/ — The ײ is ey. פֿאַרגעסן (fargesn) — The stress falls on the second syllable, and the prefix פֿאַר- is unstressed. The פֿ (with the bar) is f. פּרובירן (probirn) — The stress falls on the second syllable. קױפֿן (koyfn) — The ױ is oy, as in "boy." אַרײַנצולױפֿן (arayntsuloyfn) — The stress falls on the prefix, on the -rayn-, with a lighter stress on -loyf-, and the צו in the middle is said as a short tsu. Say the three parts in a row, a-rayn-tsu-loyfn, until they run together. אַװעקצוגײן (avektsugeyn) — The stress falls on the -vek- of the prefix. The װ is v. אַנטלױפֿן (antloyfn) — The stress falls on the second syllable, and the prefix אַנט- is unstressed. דערטרונקען (dertrunken) — The stress falls on the second syllable, and the ו is u, as in "put." װערן (vern) — IPA: /ˈvɛrn̩/ — The װ is v. 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.
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
---
Course Index: [latinum.substack.com/p/index](https://latinum.substack.com/p/index)