For autodidact students of Yiddish, the second word is "be," and in Yiddish "be" is the verb זײַן (zayn). It is the most irregular verb in the language and one of the most used. English has am, are, is, was, been and be; Yiddish has, in the present tense, five different forms that share almost nothing: בין (bin), ביסט (bist), איז (iz), זענען (zenen) and זענט (zent). They are like the forms of German sein (bin, bist, ist, sind, seid) and of English "be, am, is, are," which is no accident: all three are one verb that has been worn down differently in each language. The forms must be learned by heart, and the lesson sets them out in full.
The verb does three jobs. It links a subject to what is said of it: איך בין אַ לערער (ikh bin a lerer), "I am a teacher." It says where something is: דער טאַטע איז אין דער שטוב (der tate iz in der shtub), "father is in the room." And it is an auxiliary, a helping verb, which forms the past tense of itself (איך בין געװען, ikh bin geven, "I was, I have been") and of a number of verbs of motion (איך בין געקומען, ikh bin gekumen, "I came"), and which stands in front of the infinitive in the future (איך װעל זײַן, ikh vel zayn, "I shall be"). As Lesson 1 said, Yiddish, like English, does not leave out "is": דאָס הױז איז נײַ, "the house is new."
Yiddish also has a second verb that English renders "be" in some sentences: װערן (vern), "to become," as in איך װער מיד (ikh ver mid), "I am getting tired." זײַן describes a state; װערן describes the change into it.
Script note: זײַן is three letters, read from right to left: ז (zayin, z), ײַ (two yuds with a mark under them, pasekh tsvey yudn, ay) and the final form ן (final nun, n). The two yuds with the little line under them are one letter and make one vowel, ay, as in נײַ (nay), "new," in Lesson 1. Be careful with the word זיי (zey), "they," which is spelled with two separate yuds, ז י י, and has the vowel ey as in "hay": זיי זענען, "they are." The imperative זײַ (zay), "be!", has the pointed digraph ײַ and the vowel ay, as in "nigh." The two words look almost the same and are spelled differently. The same spelling זײַן is also the possessive "his, its" (זײַן הױז, zayn hoyz, "his house"); the verb and the possessive are two different words that happen to be written alike, and later lessons return to the second.
Key Takeaways: - זײַן (zayn): "to be," irregular; the present is בין, ביסט, איז, זענען, זענט, זענען - Present: איך בין, דו ביסט, ער/זי/עס איז, מיר זענען, איר זענט, זיי זענען - Past: the present of זײַן plus the participle געװען (geven): איך בין געװען - Future: װעל, װעסט, װעט, װעלן, װעט, װעלן plus the infinitive זײַן - Imperative: זײַ (to one person), זײַט (to several) - Negative: נישט after the verb; questions: the verb first (ביסט דו הונגעריק?) - עס איז קאַלט, "it is cold"; דאָ means "here"; דאָס ברױט איז דאָ, "the bread is here" - A noun naming what someone is takes אַ: ער איז אַ דאָקטער, "he is a doctor" - After זײַן an adjective takes no ending: זי איז שײן
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2.1a איך I בין am אַ a לערער teacher
2.1b ikh (ikh) I bin (bin) be.1SG a (ah) a lerer (LEH-rer) teacher.M
2.2a דו you ביסט are מיד tired
2.2b du (doo) you.SG bist (bist) be.2SG mid (mit) tired
2.3a ער he איז is אַ a דאָקטער doctor
2.3b er (er) he iz (iz) be.3SG a (ah) a doktor (DOK-ter) doctor.M
2.4a זי she איז is שײן beautiful
2.4b zi (zee) she iz (iz) be.3SG sheyn (shayn) beautiful
2.5a עס it איז is קאַלט cold
2.5b es (es) it iz (iz) be.3SG kalt (kalt) cold
2.6a מיר we זענען are אין in דער the שטוב room
2.6b mir (meer) we zenen (ZEH-nen) be.1PL in (in) in der (dair) the-F.DAT shtub (shtoob) room.F
2.7a זיי they זענען are נישט not אין in דער the שטוב room
2.7b zey (zay) they zenen (ZEH-nen) be.3PL nisht (nisht) not in (in) in der (dair) the-F.DAT shtub (shtoob) room.F
2.8a ביסט are דו you הונגעריק hungry
2.8b bist (bist) be.2SG du (doo) you.SG hungerik (HOONG-er-ik) hungry
2.9a איר you זענט are שױן already אין in דער the שטאָט city
2.9b ir (eer) you.PL zent (zent) be.2PL shoyn (shoyn) already in (in) in der (dair) the-F.DAT shtot (shtot) city.F
2.10a דאָס the װאַסער water איז is נישט not קאַלט cold עס it איז is הײס hot
2.10b dos (doss) the-N.NOM vaser (VAH-ser) water.N iz (iz) be.3SG nisht (nisht) not kalt (kalt) cold es (es) it iz (iz) be.3SG heys (hayss) hot
2.11a איך I בין am געװען been אין in דער the שטאָט city
2.11b ikh (ikh) I bin (bin) be.1SG geven (geh-VEN) be.PTCP in (in) in der (dair) the-F.DAT shtot (shtot) city.F
2.12a דער the טאַטע father איז is געװען been אַ a לערער teacher
2.12b der (dair) the-M.NOM tate (TAH-teh) father.M iz (iz) be.3SG geven (geh-VEN) be.PTCP a (ah) a lerer (LEH-rer) teacher.M
2.13a עס it איז is געװען been אַמאָל once אַ a מלך king
2.13b es (es) it iz (iz) be.3SG geven (geh-VEN) be.PTCP amol (ah-MOL) once a (ah) a melekh (MEH-lekh) king.M
2.14a מיר we װעלן will זײַן be אין in דער the שטוב room
2.14b mir (meer) we veln (VEH-len) will.1PL zayn (zighn) be.INF in (in) in der (dair) the-F.DAT shtub (shtoob) room.F
2.15a זײַט be שטיל quiet קינדער children דער the טאַטע father לײענט reads
2.15b zayt (zight) be.IMP.PL shtil (shtil) quiet kinder (KIN-der) children.PL der (dair) the-M.NOM tate (TAH-teh) father.M leynt (laynt) read.3SG
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2.1 איך בין אַ לערער. (ikh bin a lerer) "I am a teacher." 2.2 דו ביסט מיד. (du bist mid) "You are tired." 2.3 ער איז אַ דאָקטער. (er iz a doktor) "He is a doctor." 2.4 זי איז שײן. (zi iz sheyn) "She is beautiful." 2.5 עס איז קאַלט. (es iz kalt) "It is cold." 2.6 מיר זענען אין דער שטוב. (mir zenen in der shtub) "We are in the room." 2.7 זיי זענען נישט אין דער שטוב. (zey zenen nisht in der shtub) "They are not in the room." 2.8 ביסט דו הונגעריק? (bist du hungerik) "Are you hungry?" 2.9 איר זענט שױן אין דער שטאָט. (ir zent shoyn in der shtot) "You are already in the city." 2.10 דאָס װאַסער איז נישט קאַלט, עס איז הײס. (dos vaser iz nisht kalt, es iz heys) "The water is not cold; it is hot." 2.11 איך בין געװען אין דער שטאָט. (ikh bin geven in der shtot) "I was in the city." / "I have been in the city." 2.12 דער טאַטע איז געװען אַ לערער. (der tate iz geven a lerer) "Father was a teacher." 2.13 עס איז געװען אַמאָל אַ מלך. (es iz geven amol a melekh) "Once there was a king." 2.14 מיר װעלן זײַן אין דער שטוב. (mir veln zayn in der shtub) "We shall be in the room." 2.15 זײַט שטיל, קינדער, דער טאַטע לײענט. (zayt shtil, kinder, der tate leynt) "Be quiet, children, father is reading."
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2.1 איך בין אַ לערער. 2.2 דו ביסט מיד. 2.3 ער איז אַ דאָקטער. 2.4 זי איז שײן. 2.5 עס איז קאַלט. 2.6 מיר זענען אין דער שטוב. 2.7 זיי זענען נישט אין דער שטוב. 2.8 ביסט דו הונגעריק? 2.9 איר זענט שױן אין דער שטאָט. 2.10 דאָס װאַסער איז נישט קאַלט, עס איז הײס. 2.11 איך בין געװען אין דער שטאָט. 2.12 דער טאַטע איז געװען אַ לערער. 2.13 עס איז געװען אַמאָל אַ מלך. 2.14 מיר װעלן זײַן אין דער שטוב. 2.15 זײַט שטיל, קינדער, דער טאַטע לײענט.
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These are the grammar rules for זײַן (zayn), "to be."
The present tense. The forms do not follow a pattern and have to be learned as a set. With the transliteration in parentheses: - איך בין (ikh bin), "I am" - דו ביסט (du bist), "you are" (one person, familiar) - ער איז (er iz), זי איז (zi iz), עס איז (es iz), "he, she, it is" - מיר זענען (mir zenen), "we are" - איר זענט (ir zent), "you are" (several people, or one person politely) - זיי זענען (zey zenen), "they are"
Only the second plural, זענט, differs from the first and third plural, זענען. English "you are" serves for one person and for several; Yiddish distinguishes דו ביסט, to one person you know well, from איר זענט, to several people or to one person politely (2.9). Some textbooks, and the spelling of some communities, write the plural as זײַנען and זײַט; this course follows the YIVO standard, זענען and זענט.
Nouns after "be." A noun that says what a person is takes the indefinite article אַ (a), as in English: איך בין אַ לערער (2.1), ער איז אַ דאָקטער (2.3), "I am a teacher," "he is a doctor." A noun with the definite article is an identification: זיי זענען די קינדער, "they are the children." The noun after זײַן is in the nominative, the same case as the subject.
An adjective after "be." As Lesson 1 said, the adjective takes no ending when it follows the verb: זי איז שײן (2.4), עס איז הײס (2.10), דו ביסט מיד (2.2). Before a noun it does: אַ גוטער יונג (a guter yung), "a good boy" (2.26), where the masculine nominative after אַ takes -ער.
"It is" with no thing in view. For the weather and for the general state of affairs Yiddish uses עס (es), "it": עס איז קאַלט (2.5), עס איז הײס (2.10). In speech עס is often cut down to ס' and joined to the verb: ס'איז קאַלט (s'iz kalt). When another word stands first in the sentence, as in the song in Section F, אין שטוב איז הײס, the עס is not needed at all.
The negative. נישט (nisht) comes after the verb: זיי זענען נישט אין דער שטוב (2.7), דאָס װאַסער איז נישט קאַלט (2.10). Yiddish has no "do" to carry the negative, as English does in "I do not know": the verb זײַן takes נישט directly.
Questions. A question to which the answer is yes or no puts the verb first: ביסט דו הונגעריק? (2.8), איז דאָס ברױט דאָ? (2.29). A question with a question word puts the word first and the verb straight after it: װוּ ביסט דו געװען? (2.16), װוּ איז ער? (2.23), װי איז די באָבע? (2.18). In speech, דו after ביסט is run on to it: ביסטו.
The past tense. Yiddish has a single past tense for most verbs, made with an auxiliary and the participle. For זײַן itself the auxiliary is זײַן again, in the present, and the participle is געװען (geven): איך בין געװען, דו ביסט געװען, ער איז געװען, מיר זענען געװען, איר זענט געװען, זיי זענען געװען. The tense means both "I was" and "I have been," and the context decides (2.11, 2.12, 2.17). It is not made with האָבן (hobn), "to have": איך בין געװען, never \איך האָב געװען. This is true also of some verbs of motion and change of state, about thirty of them: איך בין געקומען (ikh bin gekumen*), "I came"; the other verbs use האָבן, which a later lesson sets out. The expression עס איז געװען אַמאָל (2.13) opens a tale.
The future. The future is made with an auxiliary, װעלן (veln), and the infinitive, which in a main clause goes to the end: איך װעל זײַן (ikh vel zayn), דו װעסט זײַן (du vest zayn), ער/זי/עס װעט זײַן (er/zi/es vet zayn), מיר װעלן זײַן (mir veln zayn), איר װעט זײַן (ir vet zayn), זיי װעלן זײַן (zey veln zayn). Note that the second plural, איר װעט, is the same as the third singular, ער װעט. Examples: מיר װעלן זײַן אין דער שטוב (2.14), איך װעל זײַן שטיל (2.25).
The imperative. To one person זײַ (zay): זײַ שטיל! (2.22). To several people, or to one person politely, זײַט (zayt): זײַט שטיל, קינדער (2.15). The farewell זײַ געזונט (zay gezunt), "be well, goodbye," to one person and זײַט געזונט to several, is built on it.
Agreement and word order. The verb agrees with its subject. A compound subject, "the bread and the milk," takes the plural: דאָס ברױט און די מילך זענען דאָ (2.30), whereas one thing takes איז: דאָס ברױט איז דאָ (2.29). In a statement the finite verb is the second element, so in the future װעלן stands second and the infinitive זײַן goes after what the sentence says (2.14).
Here and there. דאָ (do), "here," is used with זײַן to say that something is present: איז דאָס ברױט דאָ? "Is the bread here?" (2.29). דאָרט (dort), "there," says that it is somewhere else: ער איז דאָרט (2.21). װוּ, "where," asks after either.
Common Mistakes: - Using איז for every person. The verb changes with the subject: איך בין, not \איך איז; מיר זענען, not \מיר איז. - Mixing up זענען and זענט. זענט is only for איר: איר זענט, never \*מיר זענט. - Leaving out the verb because the sentence is "obvious." Yiddish says it: דאָס הױז איז נײַ. - Putting נישט before the verb, or using "do" with it: איך בין נישט, not \*איך טו נישט זײַן. - Making the past with האָבן: איך בין געװען, not \*איך האָב געװען. - Forgetting the infinitive in the future. װעט alone is not "will be"; the infinitive follows: ער װעט זײַן. - Mixing up זיי (zey), "they," and זײַ (zay), "be!": the first is spelled with two yuds and the second with the pointed digraph ײַ. - Adding an ending to the adjective after "be": דער טיש איז גרױסער is wrong; דער טיש איז גרױס.
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זײַן is among the most frequent words in the language, since it is in every sentence that says what someone or something is. A great deal of set Yiddish is made with it: the question to a stranger (װער זענט איר? ver zent ir?, "who are you?"), the wish at parting (זײַ געזונט, zay gezunt, "be well"), and the opening of a story (עס איז געװען אַמאָל, es iz geven amol, "once there was"), the Yiddish "once upon a time."
The forms in this lesson are the standard. Speakers differ a little. The vowel of זײַן itself is ay in the standard (/zaɪn/), a long a in the Mideastern dialects (/zaːn/) and a short a in the Southeastern ones (/zan/), and the written forms זענען and זענט are also found as זײַנען and זײַט in some communities and textbooks. A learner who meets the second spelling should not be surprised: the first is the YIVO spelling this course uses, and the second belongs to another tradition.
Yiddish keeps the familiar דו apart from the plural, or polite, איר, which English "you" does not; a speaker who is unsure uses איר, with the plural verb זענט. In speech the forms run together: ביסט דו becomes ביסטו, and עס איז becomes ס'איז, written with an apostrophe in place of the vowel.
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מאַרק װאַרשאַװסקי (Mark Warshawsky), אױפֿן פּריפּעטשיק (Oyfn pripetshik, "On the Hearth"), the first four lines
Mark Warshawsky (who died in 1907) wrote this song about a teacher and his young pupils learning the Hebrew alphabet; it was originally titled Der alef-beyz, and with the help of Sholem Aleichem his songs were collected in two volumes, in 1901 and 1914. The song became so popular that its authorship was forgotten, and it appears in many versions. It is quoted here in its first four lines, and the wording is taken from published texts and transliterations, with the spelling normalised by the Latinum Institute to the YIVO standard, so the text is a reconstruction in standard spelling and not a facsimile of any one printing. In the printed texts the word for "alphabet" is transliterated alef-beyz, the way some dialects say it; the standard spelling and form is אַלף־בית, alef-beys.
אױפֿן פּריפּעטשיק ברענט אַ פֿײַערל, און אין שטוב איז הײס, און דער רבי לערנט קלײנע קינדערלעך דעם אַלף־בית.
F-A: Interlinear
F.1a אױפֿן on-the פּריפּעטשיק hearth ברענט burns אַ a פֿײַערל little-fire
F.1b oyfn (OY-fn) on-the-M.DAT pripetshik (pri-PET-shik) hearth.M brent (brent) burn.3SG a (ah) a fayerl (FIGH-erl) fire-DIM
F.2a און and אין in שטוב room איז is הײס hot
F.2b un (oon) and in (in) in shtub (shtoob) room iz (iz) be.3SG heys (hayss) hot
F.3a און and דער the רבי teacher לערנט teaches קלײנע little קינדערלעך children-DIM
F.3b un (oon) and der (dair) the-M.NOM rebe (REH-beh) teacher.M lernt (lernt) teach.3SG kleyne (KLAY-neh) little-PL kinderlekh (KIN-der-lekh) children-DIM.PL
F.4a דעם the אַלף־בית alphabet
F.4b dem (dem) the-M.ACC alef-beys (AH-lef-bayss) alphabet
F-B: Original and Translation
אױפֿן פּריפּעטשיק ברענט אַ פֿײַערל, / און אין שטוב איז הײס, / און דער רבי לערנט קלײנע קינדערלעך / דעם אַלף־בית.
"On the hearth a little fire burns, and it is warm in the room, and the teacher is teaching little children the alphabet." (Translation: Latinum Institute.) The word rebe is the title of a teacher of small children in the traditional school, the חדר (kheyder). The song goes on, in the refrain, to the first vowel, "komets-alef: o," the sound of the letter אָ that Lesson 1 taught.
F-C: Original
אױפֿן פּריפּעטשיק ברענט אַ פֿײַערל, און אין שטוב איז הײס, און דער רבי לערנט קלײנע קינדערלעך דעם אַלף־בית.
F-D: Grammar and Literary Commentary
The second line is the one that belongs to this lesson: און אין שטוב איז הײס, "and it is warm in the room." The verb איז is the third person singular of זײַן. The line has no עס, "it," as in עס איז קאַלט (2.5), because the place, אין שטוב, already stands first; this is a pattern you will meet often. The adjective הײס follows the verb and has no ending, as Section D says. The song also leaves out the article before שטוב, "in room" for "in the room," as English leaves it out in "at home"; in ordinary sentences the article stays, as in Lesson 1's אין דער שטוב.
The other lines show that Yiddish does not need זײַן for everything: ברענט (brent) and לערנט (lernt) are the third person singular of their own verbs, "burns," "teaches" (לערנען, lernen, means both "to learn" and "to teach"). The contraction אױפֿן (oyfn) is אױף דעם, "on the," of Lesson 1, written as one word and dative after the preposition; in the fourth line דעם אַלף־בית, "the alphabet," is accusative, the object of the teaching. The small things are named with the diminutive: פֿײַערל (fayerl), "little fire," and קינדערלעך (kinderlekh), "little children," the diminutive plural of קינד.
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Shloyme comes home late, and his mother Khane wants to know where he has been. The dialogue uses every tense of the verb: the present, the past, the future and the imperative.
2.16a חנה Khane שלמה Shloyme װוּ where ביסט are דו you געװען been
2.16b khane (KHAH-neh) Khane shloyme (SHLOY-meh) Shloyme vu (voo) where bist (bist) be.2SG du (doo) you.SG geven (geh-VEN) be.PTCP
2.17a שלמה Shloyme איך I בין am געװען been בײַ at דער the באָבע grandmother מאַמע mother
2.17b shloyme (SHLOY-meh) Shloyme ikh (ikh) I bin (bin) be.1SG geven (geh-VEN) be.PTCP bay (bigh) at der (dair) the-F.DAT bobe (BOH-beh) grandmother.F mame (MAH-meh) mother
2.18a חנה Khane און and װי how איז is די the באָבע grandmother
2.18b khane (KHAH-neh) Khane un (oon) and vi (vee) how iz (iz) be.3SG di (dee) the-F.NOM bobe (BOH-beh) grandmother.F
2.19a שלמה Shloyme זי she איז is געזונט healthy אָבער but זי she איז is מיד tired
2.19b shloyme (SHLOY-meh) Shloyme zi (zee) she iz (iz) be.3SG gezunt (geh-ZOONT) healthy ober (OH-ber) but zi (zee) she iz (iz) be.3SG mid (mit) tired
2.20a חנה Khane איז is דער the זיידע grandfather אױך also דאָרט there
2.20b khane (KHAH-neh) Khane iz (iz) be.3SG der (dair) the-M.NOM zeyde (ZAY-deh) grandfather.M oykh (oykh) also dort (dort) there
2.21a שלמה Shloyme יאָ yes ער he איז is דאָרט there ער he איז is אין in דער the קיך kitchen
2.21b shloyme (SHLOY-meh) Shloyme yo (yoh) yes er (er) he iz (iz) be.3SG dort (dort) there er (er) he iz (iz) be.3SG in (in) in der (dair) the-F.DAT kikh (kikh) kitchen.F
2.22a חנה Khane זײַ be שטיל quiet שלמה Shloyme דער the טאַטע father איז is מיד tired
2.22b khane (KHAH-neh) Khane zay (zigh) be.IMP.SG shtil (shtil) quiet shloyme (SHLOY-meh) Shloyme der (dair) the-M.NOM tate (TAH-teh) father.M iz (iz) be.3SG mid (mit) tired
2.23a שלמה Shloyme װוּ where איז is ער he
2.23b shloyme (SHLOY-meh) Shloyme vu (voo) where iz (iz) be.3SG er (er) he
2.24a חנה Khane ער he איז is אין in דער the שטוב room ער he איז is געװען been אין in דער the שטאָט city און and ער he איז is מיד tired
2.24b khane (KHAH-neh) Khane er (er) he iz (iz) be.3SG in (in) in der (dair) the-F.DAT shtub (shtoob) room.F er (er) he iz (iz) be.3SG geven (geh-VEN) be.PTCP in (in) in der (dair) the-F.DAT shtot (shtot) city.F un (oon) and er (er) he iz (iz) be.3SG mid (mit) tired
2.25a שלמה Shloyme גוט good איך I װעל will זײַן be שטיל quiet
2.25b shloyme (SHLOY-meh) Shloyme gut (goot) good ikh (ikh) I vel (vel) will.1SG zayn (zighn) be.INF shtil (shtil) quiet
2.26a חנה Khane דו you ביסט are אַ a גוטער good יונג boy
2.26b khane (KHAH-neh) Khane du (doo) you.SG bist (bist) be.2SG a (ah) a guter (GOO-ter) good-M.NOM yung (yoong) boy.M
2.27a שלמה Shloyme מאַמע mother מיר we זענען are הונגעריק hungry איך I און and דער the הונט dog
2.27b shloyme (SHLOY-meh) Shloyme mame (MAH-meh) mother mir (meer) we zenen (ZEH-nen) be.1PL hungerik (HOONG-er-ik) hungry ikh (ikh) I un (oon) and der (dair) the-M.NOM hunt (hoont) dog.M
2.28a חנה Khane איר you זענט are שטענדיק always הונגעריק hungry דו you און and דער the הונט dog
2.28b khane (KHAH-neh) Khane ir (eer) you.PL zent (zent) be.2PL shtendik (SHTEN-dik) always hungerik (HOONG-er-ik) hungry du (doo) you.SG un (oon) and der (dair) the-M.NOM hunt (hoont) dog.M
2.29a שלמה Shloyme איז is דאָס the ברױט bread דאָ here
2.29b shloyme (SHLOY-meh) Shloyme iz (iz) be.3SG dos (doss) the-N.NOM broyt (broyt) bread.N do (doh) here
2.30a חנה Khane יאָ yes דאָס the ברױט bread און and די the מילך milk זענען are דאָ here
2.30b khane (KHAH-neh) Khane yo (yoh) yes dos (doss) the-N.NOM broyt (broyt) bread.N un (oon) and di (dee) the-F.NOM milkh (milkh) milk.F zenen (ZEH-nen) be.3PL do (doh) here
2.16 חנה: שלמה, װוּ ביסט דו געװען? (khane: shloyme, vu bist du geven?) "Khane: Shloyme, where have you been?" 2.17 שלמה: איך בין געװען בײַ דער באָבע, מאַמע. (shloyme: ikh bin geven bay der bobe, mame) "Shloyme: I have been at Grandmother's, Mother." 2.18 חנה: און װי איז די באָבע? (khane: un vi iz di bobe?) "Khane: And how is Grandmother?" 2.19 שלמה: זי איז געזונט, אָבער זי איז מיד. (shloyme: zi iz gezunt, ober zi iz mid) "Shloyme: She is well, but she is tired." 2.20 חנה: איז דער זיידע אױך דאָרט? (khane: iz der zeyde oykh dort?) "Khane: Is Grandfather there too?" 2.21 שלמה: יאָ, ער איז דאָרט. ער איז אין דער קיך. (shloyme: yo, er iz dort. er iz in der kikh) "Shloyme: Yes, he is there. He is in the kitchen." 2.22 חנה: זײַ שטיל, שלמה, דער טאַטע איז מיד. (khane: zay shtil, shloyme, der tate iz mid) "Khane: Be quiet, Shloyme, Father is tired." 2.23 שלמה: װוּ איז ער? (shloyme: vu iz er?) "Shloyme: Where is he?" 2.24 חנה: ער איז אין דער שטוב. ער איז געװען אין דער שטאָט, און ער איז מיד. (khane: er iz in der shtub. er iz geven in der shtot, un er iz mid) "Khane: He is in the room. He has been in the city, and he is tired." 2.25 שלמה: גוט, איך װעל זײַן שטיל. (shloyme: gut, ikh vel zayn shtil) "Shloyme: Good, I shall be quiet." 2.26 חנה: דו ביסט אַ גוטער יונג. (khane: du bist a guter yung) "Khane: You are a good boy." 2.27 שלמה: מאַמע, מיר זענען הונגעריק, איך און דער הונט. (shloyme: mame, mir zenen hungerik, ikh un der hunt) "Shloyme: Mother, we are hungry, the dog and I." 2.28 חנה: איר זענט שטענדיק הונגעריק, דו און דער הונט! (khane: ir zent shtendik hungerik, du un der hunt!) "Khane: You are always hungry, you and the dog!" 2.29 שלמה: איז דאָס ברױט דאָ? (shloyme: iz dos broyt do?) "Shloyme: Is the bread here?" 2.30 חנה: יאָ, דאָס ברױט און די מילך זענען דאָ. (khane: yo, dos broyt un di milkh zenen do) "Khane: Yes, the bread and the milk are here."
2.16 חנה: שלמה, װוּ ביסט דו געװען? 2.17 שלמה: איך בין געװען בײַ דער באָבע, מאַמע. 2.18 חנה: און װי איז די באָבע? 2.19 שלמה: זי איז געזונט, אָבער זי איז מיד. 2.20 חנה: איז דער זיידע אױך דאָרט? 2.21 שלמה: יאָ, ער איז דאָרט. ער איז אין דער קיך. 2.22 חנה: זײַ שטיל, שלמה, דער טאַטע איז מיד. 2.23 שלמה: װוּ איז ער? 2.24 חנה: ער איז אין דער שטוב. ער איז געװען אין דער שטאָט, און ער איז מיד. 2.25 שלמה: גוט, איך װעל זײַן שטיל. 2.26 חנה: דו ביסט אַ גוטער יונג. 2.27 שלמה: מאַמע, מיר זענען הונגעריק, איך און דער הונט. 2.28 חנה: איר זענט שטענדיק הונגעריק, דו און דער הונט! 2.29 שלמה: איז דאָס ברױט דאָ? 2.30 חנה: יאָ, דאָס ברױט און די מילך זענען דאָ.
Where have you been (2.16–2.17). װוּ ביסט דו געװען? is the present of זײַן with the participle: ביסט is the auxiliary, געװען the participle, and the question word and the verb stand first. The answer repeats the pattern: איך בין געװען. The preposition בײַ (bay), "at, with, by," is followed by the dative, so the feminine article is דער: בײַ דער באָבע, "at Grandmother's."
How is she (2.18–2.19). װי (vi), "how," asks about a state, and the answer is an adjective after איז with no ending: זי איז געזונט, זי איז מיד. The two clauses are joined by אָבער, "but," which, as in Lesson 1, stands outside the word order.
Yes-or-no questions (2.20, 2.29). The verb comes first: איז דער זיידע אױך דאָרט? The answer begins with יאָ (yo), "yes," and repeats the verb with the subject after it: ער איז דאָרט.
Imperative (2.22). זײַ שטיל, שלמה is said to one person, and the name is a plain address. To the children together the form would be זײַט שטיל.
Where is he (2.23–2.24). The pronoun ער refers back to דער טאַטע, "the father," of the line before. The three clauses of 2.24 show three uses of the same verb: location (ער איז אין דער שטוב), the past (ער איז געװען אין דער שטאָט) and a state (ער איז מיד).
Future (2.25). איך װעל זײַן שטיל: the auxiliary װעל stands second after the subject and the infinitive זײַן follows, with the adjective after it. The word גוט, "good," at the head is an interjection and does not count as an element of the sentence.
A and an with an adjective (2.26). אַ גוטער יונג: the indefinite article אַ is followed by the masculine nominative adjective in -ער, as with the definite article in Lesson 1, and the noun that follows זײַן is in the nominative.
We and you (2.27–2.28). Shloyme says מיר זענען, "we are," and includes the dog. Khane answers with the plural איר זענט, because she speaks to two, the boy and the dog, and then names the pair: דו, the one boy, and דער הונט. To the boy alone she says דו ביסט (2.26).
A compound subject (2.30). דאָס ברױט און די מילך is two things, and the verb is plural: זענען. With one thing it is איז: דאָס ברױט איז דאָ.
Names (2.16–2.30). Names, as in Lesson 1, take no article. In Part B the speaker's name opens each line with a colon; a name inside the line (2.16, 2.22) is the person addressed.
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The respellings follow the Standard Yiddish pronunciation of the YIVO tradition, as in Lesson 1, and the transliteration is the YIVO romanisation.
זײַן (zayn) — IPA: /zaɪn/ — The ײַ (ay) is as in English "nigh," and the final ן is n. In the Mideastern dialects it is /zaːn/ and in the Southeastern /zan/. בין (bin) — IPA: /bɪn/ — A short i, as in "bin." ביסט (bist) — IPA: /bɪst/ — A short i, and a clear final t. איז (iz) — IPA: /ɪz/ — A short i, as in "is." The z is voiced. זענען (zenen) — IPA: /ˈzɛnən/ — The same as in Lesson 1: a short first vowel and a very short second. The stress is on the first syllable. זענט (zent) — IPA: /zɛnt/ — The vowel of "bed," and a clear final t. געװען (geven) — IPA: /ɡəˈvɛn/ — Unlike most Yiddish words, the stress falls on the second syllable: the prefix גע- (ge-) is a short e, as in the last syllable of "taken," and the stress falls on װען. װעל (vel) — IPA: /vɛl/ — The װ is as English "v"; װעט (vet) /vɛt/ and װעלן (veln) /ˈvɛln/ have the same vowel. מיד (mid) — IPA: /mɪt/ — The final d is pronounced t, as in קינד (kind), Lesson 1. שטיל (shtil) — IPA: /ʃtɪl/ — The sh is as in "shoe," and the i is short. דאָרט (dort) — IPA: /dɔrt/ — The אָ (o) is the vowel of British "dog," followed by a rolled or throaty r. דאָ (do) — IPA: /dɔ/ — The same vowel, open at the end. זיי (zey) — IPA: /zɛɪ/ — As "zay" in English "bay"; against it זײַ (zay) /zaɪ/ has the vowel of "nigh." איר (ir) — IPA: /ir/ — A clear ee and then the r. Vowel letters: ע is e (/ɛ/), י is i, ײ is ey /ɛɪ/, ײַ is ay /aɪ/, ױ is oy /ɔɪ/, אַ is a /a/, אָ is o /ɔ/. The letters ן (final nun), ם (final mem) and ך (final khof) are used only at the end of a word.
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