For autodidact students of Yiddish, the fourth word is "a," and in Yiddish "a" is the indefinite article אַ (a). After the four forms of "the" in Lesson 1, this word is a relief: it has one form, and it does not change for gender or for case. A dog is אַ הונט (a hunt), a woman is אַ פֿרױ (a froy) and a child is אַ קינד (a kind). The article is the same word in all three, and it is also the same whether the noun is the subject, the object, or comes after a preposition. Only one variant exists: before a word that begins with a vowel sound the article is אַן (an), as English "a" becomes "an": אַן עפּל (an epl), "an apple."
What the article does not show, the next word does. Yiddish keeps the gender and the case of a noun in the ending of the adjective that stands between the article and the noun: אַ גוטער הונט (a guter hunt), "a good dog"; אַ גוטע קאַץ (a gute kats), "a good cat"; אַ גוט קינד (a gut kind), "a good child." Notice that the three adjectives differ, and the article does not. Section D sets out the endings.
There is no plural of the indefinite article. English drops "a" in the plural as well ("a dog," but "dogs"), and Yiddish does the same: אַ קינד, "a child," but קינדער (kinder), "children." For the same reason there is no article before a word for a substance that is not counted. "Bread" is ברױט, with nothing in front of it, and to count it one takes a unit: אַ שטיק ברױט (a shtik broyt), "a piece of bread."
The word is a cousin of אײן (eyn), "one," and of German ein, which is both "a" and "one." Wiktionary traces אַ to Old High German ein, the source of the German word. Yiddish has two words where German has one: אַ is the article, and אײן is the number, said with weight: אײן הונט, "one dog," as against אַ הונט, "a dog." The article is never stressed.
Script note: אַ is one letter, the alef with a small horizontal line under it, the pasekh. Lesson 1 taught that the alef carries a mark to show a vowel: with the pasekh it is a, as here; with the komets, the little T-shape, it is o, as in דאָס. The bare alef, with no mark, is silent or a placeholder for another vowel, as at the start of און. So אַ, אָ and א are three different things. The word אַן adds the final nun, ן, and it has two look-alikes that you have met: און (un), "and," and אין (in), "in." The three words אַן, און and אין differ by a single mark or letter. One more caution: the pointed alef אַ also begins many longer words, such as אַלע (ale), "all," and אַמאָל (amol), "once," where it is not an article at all. The article is a word of its own, with a space after it.
Key Takeaways: - אַ (a): "a," the indefinite article; before a vowel sound it is אַן (an) - It does not change for gender or case: אַ הונט, אַ קאַץ, אַ קינד - The adjective between the article and the noun shows gender and case: אַ גוטער הונט, אַ גוטע קאַץ, אַ גוט קינד - No plural, and none before a substance: קינדער, ברױט; to count a substance use a unit: אַ גלאָז טײ - A noun that says what a person is takes אַ: ער איז אַ לערער - A unit of quantity: אַ סך קינדער, "many children"; אַ ביסל װאַסער, "a little water" - In a negative sentence אַ is usually replaced by קײן (keyn) - "A day" in "three times a day" is אַ טאָג: דרײַ מאָל אַ טאָג - װאָס פֿאַר אַ means "what kind of": װאָס פֿאַר אַ הונט? - Do not confuse אַן, "an," with און, "and," and אין, "in"
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4.1a ער he איז is אַ a לערער teacher
4.1b er (er) he iz (iz) be.3SG a (ah) a lerer (LEH-rer) teacher.M
4.2a איך I האָב have אַ a הונט dog
4.2b ikh (ikh) I hob (hob) have.1SG a (ah) a hunt (hoont) dog.M
4.3a דאָס that איז is אַ a בוך book
4.3b dos (doss) that iz (iz) be.3SG a (ah) a bukh (bookh) book.N
4.4a זי she האָט has אַ a קינד child
4.4b zi (zee) she hot (hot) have.3SG a (ah) a kind (kint) child.N
4.5a מיר we האָבן have אַן an עפּל apple
4.5b mir (meer) we hobn (HOB-n) have.1PL an (ahn) an epl (EP-l) apple.M
4.6a דער the טאַטע father האָט has אַ a גרױסן big הונט dog
4.6b der (dair) the-M.NOM tate (TAH-teh) father.M hot (hot) have.3SG a (ah) a groysn (GROY-sn) big-M.ACC hunt (hoont) dog.M
4.7a זי she איז is אַ a קלוגע clever פֿרױ woman
4.7b zi (zee) she iz (iz) be.3SG a (ah) a kluge (KLOO-geh) clever-F.NOM froy (froy) woman.F
4.8a אין in אַ a גרױסער big שטאָט city װױנט lives אַ a יונגער young דאָקטער doctor
4.8b in (in) in a (ah) a groyser (GROY-ser) big-F.DAT shtot (shtot) city.F voynt (voynt) live.3SG a (ah) a yunger (YOON-ger) young-M.NOM doktor (DOK-tor) doctor.M
4.9a דאָס that איז is אַ a שײן beautiful הױז house
4.9b dos (doss) that iz (iz) be.3SG a (ah) a sheyn (shayn) beautiful-N.NOM hoyz (hoyz) house.N
4.10a ער he קױפֿט buys אַ a נײַ new בוך book
4.10b er (er) he koyft (koyft) buy.3SG a (ah) a nay (nigh) new-N.ACC bukh (bookh) book.N
4.11a איך I עס eat דרײַ three מאָל times אַ a טאָג day
4.11b ikh (ikh) I es (es) eat.1SG dray (drigh) three mol (mol) times a (ah) a.DISTR tog (tog) day.M
4.12a װאָס what פֿאַר for אַ a הונט dog איז is דאָס that
4.12b vos (vos) what far (far) for a (ah) a hunt (hoont) dog.M iz (iz) be.3SG dos (doss) that
4.13a איך I װיל want אַ a גלאָז glass טײ tea און and אַ a שטיק piece ברױט bread
4.13b ikh (ikh) I vil (vil) want.1SG a (ah) a gloz (gloz) glass.N tey (tay) tea un (oon) and a (ah) a shtik (shtik) piece.N broyt (broyt) bread.N
4.14a אין in דער the שטוב room זענען are דאָ here אַ a סך lot קינדער children
4.14b in (in) in der (dair) the-F.DAT shtub (shtoob) room.F zenen (ZEH-nen) be.3PL do (doh) here a (ah) a sakh (sahkh) lot kinder (KIN-der) children.PL
4.15a דער the זיידע grandfather איז is אַן an אַלטער old מאַן man אָבער but ער he איז is אַ a קלוגער clever מענטש person
4.15b der (dair) the-M.NOM zeyde (ZAY-deh) grandfather.M iz (iz) be.3SG an (ahn) an alter (AL-ter) old-M.NOM man (mahn) man.M ober (OH-ber) but er (er) he iz (iz) be.3SG a (ah) a kluger (KLOO-ger) clever-M.NOM mentsh (mentsh) person.M
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4.1 ער איז אַ לערער. (er iz a lerer) "He is a teacher." 4.2 איך האָב אַ הונט. (ikh hob a hunt) "I have a dog." 4.3 דאָס איז אַ בוך. (dos iz a bukh) "That is a book." 4.4 זי האָט אַ קינד. (zi hot a kind) "She has a child." 4.5 מיר האָבן אַן עפּל. (mir hobn an epl) "We have an apple." 4.6 דער טאַטע האָט אַ גרױסן הונט. (der tate hot a groysn hunt) "Father has a big dog." 4.7 זי איז אַ קלוגע פֿרױ. (zi iz a kluge froy) "She is a clever woman." 4.8 אין אַ גרױסער שטאָט װױנט אַ יונגער דאָקטער. (in a groyser shtot voynt a yunger doktor) "In a big city lives a young doctor." 4.9 דאָס איז אַ שײן הױז. (dos iz a sheyn hoyz) "That is a beautiful house." 4.10 ער קױפֿט אַ נײַ בוך. (er koyft a nay bukh) "He is buying a new book." 4.11 איך עס דרײַ מאָל אַ טאָג. (ikh es dray mol a tog) "I eat three times a day." 4.12 װאָס פֿאַר אַ הונט איז דאָס? (vos far a hunt iz dos) "What kind of dog is that?" 4.13 איך װיל אַ גלאָז טײ און אַ שטיק ברױט. (ikh vil a gloz tey un a shtik broyt) "I want a glass of tea and a piece of bread." 4.14 אין דער שטוב זענען דאָ אַ סך קינדער. (in der shtub zenen do a sakh kinder) "There are a lot of children in the room." 4.15 דער זיידע איז אַן אַלטער מאַן, אָבער ער איז אַ קלוגער מענטש. (der zeyde iz an alter man, ober er iz a kluger mentsh) "Grandfather is an old man, but he is a clever person."
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4.1 ער איז אַ לערער. 4.2 איך האָב אַ הונט. 4.3 דאָס איז אַ בוך. 4.4 זי האָט אַ קינד. 4.5 מיר האָבן אַן עפּל. 4.6 דער טאַטע האָט אַ גרױסן הונט. 4.7 זי איז אַ קלוגע פֿרױ. 4.8 אין אַ גרױסער שטאָט װױנט אַ יונגער דאָקטער. 4.9 דאָס איז אַ שײן הױז. 4.10 ער קױפֿט אַ נײַ בוך. 4.11 איך עס דרײַ מאָל אַ טאָג. 4.12 װאָס פֿאַר אַ הונט איז דאָס? 4.13 איך װיל אַ גלאָז טײ און אַ שטיק ברױט. 4.14 אין דער שטוב זענען דאָ אַ סך קינדער. 4.15 דער זיידע איז אַן אַלטער מאַן, אָבער ער איז אַ קלוגער מענטש.
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These are the grammar rules for אַ (a), "a, an."
Two forms, chosen by sound. The article is אַ before a word that begins with a consonant sound, and אַן before one that begins with a vowel or a diphthong. The rule goes by the sound and not by the letter. So אַ הונט, אַ בוך, אַ הױז (the ה is the consonant h) and אַ יאָר (a yor), "a year" (the י is the consonant y), but אַן עפּל (4.5), אַן אַלטער מאַן (4.15), אַן אױג (an oyg), "an eye," and אַן אָװנט (an ovnt), "an evening." The final ן of אַן is only a linking n, like the n of English "an"; it is not a case ending.
One article for all genders and cases. Compare Lesson 1, where the definite article had to be דער, די, דאָס or דעם. The indefinite article has none of this: אַ הונט (masculine, 4.2), אַ פֿרױ (feminine, 4.7), אַ קינד (neuter, 4.4). The noun after a preposition takes the same אַ as the subject: אין אַ גרױסער שטאָט (4.8), "in a big city." The gender of the noun still matters, since it decides the adjective and the pronoun that refers to the noun, but you will see it only in them.
The adjective shows gender and case. When an adjective stands between אַ and the noun it takes an ending: - masculine: nominative אַ גוטער הונט (a guter hunt); accusative and dative אַ גוטן הונט (a gutn hunt) - feminine: nominative and accusative אַ גוטע קאַץ (a gute kats); dative אַ גוטער קאַץ (a guter kats) - neuter: nominative and accusative אַ גוט קינד (a gut kind), with no ending at all; dative אַ גוטן קינד (a gutn kind) - plural, which has no article: גוטע הינט (gute hint), "good dogs"
The lesson's sentences show most of these. In 4.6 the dog is the object, so the masculine adjective is accusative, אַ גרױסן הונט. In 4.7 the feminine nominative אַ קלוגע פֿרױ ends in -ע. In 4.8 the city is the noun after אין and so the feminine dative, אַ גרױסער שטאָט, takes -ער, and the doctor, who is the subject, has the masculine nominative -ער as well, אַ יונגער דאָקטער. The neuter in 4.9 and 4.10 has no ending, אַ שײן הױז and אַ נײַ בוך, and the genre text below has more. Examples of the dative masculine and neuter, which this lesson's sentences do not show, are אין אַ גרױסן הױז (in a groysn hoyz), "in a big house," and מיט אַ גוטן פֿרײַנד (mit a gutn fraynd), "with a good friend." Two adjectives before the noun both take the ending: אַ שטילער, גוטער טאָג (4.30). Compare Lesson 2, where an adjective after זײַן has none: זי איז שײן, but אַ שײנע פֿרױ.
The plural and substances. The article has no plural: אַ קינד, but קינדער. Substances that one does not count have none either: איך האָב ברױט. To count them, or to measure them, Yiddish names the unit and puts the substance straight after it, with no word for "of": אַ גלאָז טײ (4.13), "a glass of tea"; אַ שטיק ברױט (4.13), "a piece of bread"; אַ ביסל װאַסער (a bisl vaser), "a little water." The same pattern gives אַ סך קינדער (4.14), "many children," where אַ סך (a sakh) is "a lot" and works like a number, before a plural noun.
After "be": what someone is. A noun that says what a person is takes אַ, as in Lesson 2: ער איז אַ לערער (4.1), זי איז אַ קלוגע פֿרױ (4.7). A noun with the definite article is an identification, and the one with אַ is a description.
"A" meaning "per." To say how often, Yiddish puts אַ before the unit of time: דרײַ מאָל אַ טאָג (4.11), "three times a day"; צװײ מאָל אַ װאָך (tsvey mol a vokh), "twice a week." English does the same, with "a" in the place of "per."
"What kind of." װאָס פֿאַר אַ (vos far a) asks what sort of thing something is: װאָס פֿאַר אַ הונט איז דאָס? (4.12), "what kind of dog is that?" It may also exclaim: װאָס פֿאַר אַ שײנער טאָג! (vos far a sheyner tog), "what a beautiful day!" The noun after it has the article אַ, and the adjective is as above.
Introducing a thing, and then naming it again. The indefinite article brings a new thing into the talk, and the definite article refers to it after that. The genre text shows it: אַ הױז (4.16), then דאָס הױז (4.17); אַ בױם (4.18), then אױפֿן בױם (4.19). English does the same.
"No," not "a." In an ordinary negative sentence Yiddish uses the word קײן (keyn), "no, not a," in the place of אַ: ער איז נישט קײן לערער, "he is not a teacher." A later lesson teaches it with the word for "no"; for the time being only note that it is the negative of this article.
Words that begin with the article. Several common words are made with אַ: אַמאָל (amol), "once," which is the article and מאָל, "time," written as one word, as in Lesson 2 (עס איז געװען אַמאָל אַ מלך); and the thanks אַ דאַנק (a dank), "thanks," with its fuller form אַ גרױסן דאַנק (a groysn dank), "many thanks," in which the adjective has the ending -ן.
Common Mistakes: - Using אַ before a vowel: \*אַ עפּל. It is אַן עפּל - Using אַן before a consonant: \*אַן הונט. It is אַ הונט - Putting אַ before a plural noun: \*אַ קינדער. The plural has no article: קינדער - Leaving the ending off the masculine or the feminine adjective: \*אַ גרױס הונט. It is אַ גרױסער הונט, but אַ גרױס הױז - Giving the neuter noun the masculine ending: \*אַ שײנער הױז. It is אַ שײן הױז - Using the feminine nominative ending in the dative: \*אין אַ גרױסע שטאָט. It is אין אַ גרױסער שטאָט (4.8) - Writing אַ with the komets, אָ. In this course the article has the pasekh - Using a number for the article, or the article for the number: אײן הונט means "one dog," and not "a dog" - Mixing up אַן, "an," אין, "in," and און, "and" - Putting "of" between a unit and the substance: \*אַ גלאָז פֿון טײ. It is אַ גלאָז טײ (4.13)
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אַ is the fourth word on the frequency list this course follows, and, like "a" in English, it is among the words that one reads on nearly every line. It is also among the least stressed. In speech it runs into the word after it, and what a learner hears is a short a before the noun.
The article does a little more in Yiddish than in English. One of the best-known uses is with the word מענטש (mentsh), "person": ער איז אַ מענטש does not only say that he is a person. It says that he is a decent person, a person of integrity. The English word mensch, borrowed from Yiddish, has this sense. The advice זײַ אַ מענטש (zay a mentsh), "be a mensch," uses the imperative of Lesson 2, and it is among the most familiar of Yiddish sayings. In Section F the same word is used in its plain sense, "person," in a proverb about people and mountains.
The article is also in some of the most common set phrases. אַ דאַנק, "thanks," is what Beyle says to Leyzer in Lesson 3, and the fuller אַ גרױסן דאַנק is "many thanks." The "once upon a time" of Lesson 2, עס איז געװען אַמאָל, has the article in it, and so has the way of counting by the day: דרײַ מאָל אַ טאָג, "three times a day."
Many printings, and much informal writing, leave the points off and write the article as a bare א. The pasekh in this course follows the YIVO standard, and a learner who meets a bare א standing alone before a noun should read it as the article.
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אַ באַרג מיט אַ באַרג קומט זיך נישט צונױף (A barg mit a barg kumt zikh nit tsunoyf), a traditional Yiddish proverb
This is a folk saying with no known author, quoted in English as "Two mountains cannot come together, but two people can." The wording was checked in two places: the Wikiquote collection of Yiddish proverbs, and a bookseller's list of Yiddish proverbs and quotations. Both give it in transliteration, as A barg mit a barg kumt zikh nit tsunoyf, ober a mentsh mit a mentshn yo, and the two agree. The Yiddish spelling here is 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. Both sources write the negative as nit, a spoken form; this course writes נישט (nisht), as in the earlier lessons.
אַ באַרג מיט אַ באַרג קומט זיך נישט צונױף, אָבער אַ מענטש מיט אַ מענטשן יאָ.
F-A: Interlinear
F.1a אַ a באַרג mountain מיט with אַ a באַרג mountain קומט comes זיך self נישט not צונױף together
F.1b a (ah) a barg (barg) mountain.M mit (mit) with a (ah) a barg (barg) mountain.M kumt (koomt) come.3SG zikh (zikh) REFL nisht (nisht) not tsunoyf (tsoo-NOYF) together
F.2a אָבער but אַ a מענטש person מיט with אַ a מענטשן person יאָ yes
F.2b ober (OH-ber) but a (ah) a mentsh (mentsh) person.M mit (mit) with a (ah) a mentshn (MEN-tshn) person.M-DAT yo (yoh) yes
F-B: Original and Translation
אַ באַרג מיט אַ באַרג קומט זיך נישט צונױף, אָבער אַ מענטש מיט אַ מענטשן יאָ.
"A mountain with a mountain does not come together, but a person with a person does." (Translation: Latinum Institute.) The verb is קומען זיך צונױף (kumen zikh tsunoyf), "to come together, to meet." In the second half the verb is left out, and יאָ, "yes," stands for it: "a person with a person, yes." The word מענטש means "a person, a human being," as in Section E.
F-C: Original
אַ באַרג מיט אַ באַרג קומט זיך נישט צונױף, אָבער אַ מענטש מיט אַ מענטשן יאָ.
F-D: Grammar and Literary Commentary
The article is in the proverb four times, and it does the work of Section D: it presents a mountain and a person, each time as one of a kind, with no particular one in mind, and so the saying is general. Each half has the pattern "a X with a X," the same word twice, and the word is a different one in the second half. This balance is what makes a proverb easy to remember.
The first half has a singular subject, אַ באַרג מיט אַ באַרג, and a singular verb, קומט. This is different from Lesson 3, where two subjects joined by און took a plural verb. The word מיט, "with," does not join two subjects in the way that "and" does; it leaves one subject, "a mountain," and says what it is with, so the verb is in the singular. The reflexive זיך (zikh) goes with the verb: קומען זיך צונױף is "to come together," and the particle צונױף goes at the end.
In the second half the second noun is מענטשן, with an ending -ן, as the printed wording has it: the noun is in the dative after מיט, and a masculine noun that names a person often takes the ending -ן in the dative (and in the accusative). The nouns באַרג in the first half have no such ending, since a mountain is not a person. The article אַ is the same word in all four places, as Section D says: it carries no case. The spelling צונױף has the digraph ױ (oy) and the final ף, which is the final form of the פֿ.
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A short description of a house and of what is in it. The article introduces each new thing: a house, a tree, a bird, a kitchen, a table, a lamp. The definite article then refers to what has already been named. The adjectives show the endings of Section D.
4.16a אין in דער the שטאָט city שטײט stands אַ a קלײן small הױז house
4.16b in (in) in der (dair) the-F.DAT shtot (shtot) city.F shteyt (shtayt) stand.3SG a (ah) a kleyn (klayn) small-N.NOM hoyz (hoyz) house.N
4.17a דאָס the הױז house איז is אַלט old אָבער but עס it איז is שײן beautiful
4.17b dos (doss) the-N.NOM hoyz (hoyz) house.N iz (iz) be.3SG alt (alt) old ober (OH-ber) but es (es) it iz (iz) be.3SG sheyn (shayn) beautiful
4.18a בײַ at דעם the הױז house װאַקסט grows אַ a בױם tree
4.18b bay (bigh) at dem (dem) the-N.DAT hoyz (hoyz) house.N vakst (vahkst) grow.3SG a (ah) a boym (boym) tree.M
4.19a אױפֿן on-the בױם tree זיצט sits אַ a גרױסער big פֿױגל bird און and זינגט sings
4.19b oyfn (OY-fn) on-the-M.DAT boym (boym) tree.M zitst (zitst) sit.3SG a (ah) a groyser (GROY-ser) big-M.NOM foygl (FOY-gl) bird.M un (oon) and zingt (zingt) sing.3SG
4.20a אין in דעם the הױז house זענען are דאָ here אַ a קיך kitchen און and אַ a שטוב room
4.20b in (in) in dem (dem) the-N.DAT hoyz (hoyz) house.N zenen (ZEH-nen) be.3PL do (doh) here a (ah) a kikh (kikh) kitchen.F un (oon) and a (ah) a shtub (shtoob) room.F
4.21a אין in דער the קיך kitchen שטײט stands אַ a טיש table
4.21b in (in) in der (dair) the-F.DAT kikh (kikh) kitchen.F shteyt (shtayt) stand.3SG a (ah) a tish (tish) table.M
4.22a אױפֿן on-the טיש table שטײט stands אַ a לאָמפּ lamp
4.22b oyfn (OY-fn) on-the-M.DAT tish (tish) table.M shteyt (shtayt) stand.3SG a (ah) a lomp (lomp) lamp.F
4.23a אונטער under דעם the טיש table ליגט lies אַ a קאַץ cat
4.23b unter (OON-ter) under dem (dem) the-M.DAT tish (tish) table.M ligt (likt) lie.3SG a (ah) a kats (kats) cat.F
4.24a אין in דער the שטוב room הענגט hangs אַ a בילד picture
4.24b in (in) in der (dair) the-F.DAT shtub (shtoob) room.F hengt (hengt) hang.3SG a (ah) a bild (bilt) picture.N
4.25a אױפֿן on-the בילד picture איז is דאָ here אַ a פֿרױ woman מיט with אַ a קינד child
4.25b oyfn (OY-fn) on-the-N.DAT bild (bilt) picture.N iz (iz) be.3SG do (doh) here a (ah) a froy (froy) woman.F mit (mit) with a (ah) a kind (kint) child.N
4.26a אין in דער the שטוב room איז is אױך also דאָ here אַ a בעט bed
4.26b in (in) in der (dair) the-F.DAT shtub (shtoob) room.F iz (iz) be.3SG oykh (oykh) also do (doh) here a (ah) a bet (bet) bed.N
4.27a אױפֿן on-the בעט bed שלאָפֿט sleeps אַ a קלײן small קינד child
4.27b oyfn (OY-fn) on-the-N.DAT bet (bet) bed.N shloft (shloft) sleep.3SG a (ah) a kleyn (klayn) small-N.NOM kind (kint) child.N
4.28a די the מאַמע mother זיצט sits בײַ at דעם the בעט bed און and לײענט reads אַ a בוך book
4.28b di (dee) the-F.NOM mame (MAH-meh) mother.F zitst (zitst) sit.3SG bay (bigh) at dem (dem) the-N.DAT bet (bet) bed.N un (oon) and leynt (laynt) read.3SG a (ah) a bukh (bookh) book.N
4.29a דער the טאַטע father איז is אין in דער the קיך kitchen און and ער he טרינקט drinks אַ a גלאָז glass טײ tea
4.29b der (dair) the-M.NOM tate (TAH-teh) father.M iz (iz) be.3SG in (in) in der (dair) the-F.DAT kikh (kikh) kitchen.F un (oon) and er (er) he trinkt (trinkt) drink.3SG a (ah) a gloz (gloz) glass.N tey (tay) tea
4.30a עס it איז is אַ a שטילער quiet גוטער good טאָג day
4.30b es (es) it iz (iz) be.3SG a (ah) a shtiler (SHTIL-er) quiet-M.NOM guter (GOO-ter) good-M.NOM tog (tog) day.M
4.16 אין דער שטאָט שטײט אַ קלײן הױז. (in der shtot shteyt a kleyn hoyz) "In the city stands a small house." 4.17 דאָס הױז איז אַלט, אָבער עס איז שײן. (dos hoyz iz alt, ober es iz sheyn) "The house is old, but it is beautiful." 4.18 בײַ דעם הױז װאַקסט אַ בױם. (bay dem hoyz vakst a boym) "A tree grows beside the house." 4.19 אױפֿן בױם זיצט אַ גרױסער פֿױגל און זינגט. (oyfn boym zitst a groyser foygl un zingt) "On the tree sits a big bird, and it sings." 4.20 אין דעם הױז זענען דאָ אַ קיך און אַ שטוב. (in dem hoyz zenen do a kikh un a shtub) "In the house there are a kitchen and a room." 4.21 אין דער קיך שטײט אַ טיש. (in der kikh shteyt a tish) "In the kitchen stands a table." 4.22 אױפֿן טיש שטײט אַ לאָמפּ. (oyfn tish shteyt a lomp) "On the table stands a lamp." 4.23 אונטער דעם טיש ליגט אַ קאַץ. (unter dem tish ligt a kats) "Under the table lies a cat." 4.24 אין דער שטוב הענגט אַ בילד. (in der shtub hengt a bild) "In the room hangs a picture." 4.25 אױפֿן בילד איז דאָ אַ פֿרױ מיט אַ קינד. (oyfn bild iz do a froy mit a kind) "In the picture there is a woman with a child." 4.26 אין דער שטוב איז אױך דאָ אַ בעט. (in der shtub iz oykh do a bet) "In the room there is also a bed." 4.27 אױפֿן בעט שלאָפֿט אַ קלײן קינד. (oyfn bet shloft a kleyn kind) "On the bed a small child is sleeping." 4.28 די מאַמע זיצט בײַ דעם בעט און לײענט אַ בוך. (di mame zitst bay dem bet un leynt a bukh) "Mother sits by the bed and reads a book." 4.29 דער טאַטע איז אין דער קיך און ער טרינקט אַ גלאָז טײ. (der tate iz in der kikh un er trinkt a gloz tey) "Father is in the kitchen, and he is drinking a glass of tea." 4.30 עס איז אַ שטילער, גוטער טאָג. (es iz a shtiler, guter tog) "It is a quiet, good day."
4.16 אין דער שטאָט שטײט אַ קלײן הױז. 4.17 דאָס הױז איז אַלט, אָבער עס איז שײן. 4.18 בײַ דעם הױז װאַקסט אַ בױם. 4.19 אױפֿן בױם זיצט אַ גרױסער פֿױגל און זינגט. 4.20 אין דעם הױז זענען דאָ אַ קיך און אַ שטוב. 4.21 אין דער קיך שטײט אַ טיש. 4.22 אױפֿן טיש שטײט אַ לאָמפּ. 4.23 אונטער דעם טיש ליגט אַ קאַץ. 4.24 אין דער שטוב הענגט אַ בילד. 4.25 אױפֿן בילד איז דאָ אַ פֿרױ מיט אַ קינד. 4.26 אין דער שטוב איז אױך דאָ אַ בעט. 4.27 אױפֿן בעט שלאָפֿט אַ קלײן קינד. 4.28 די מאַמע זיצט בײַ דעם בעט און לײענט אַ בוך. 4.29 דער טאַטע איז אין דער קיך און ער טרינקט אַ גלאָז טײ. 4.30 עס איז אַ שטילער, גוטער טאָג.
First mention (4.16, 4.18, 4.20). Each thing that is new to the description comes with אַ: אַ קלײן הױז, אַ בױם, אַ קיך, אַ שטוב. The house is then called דאָס הױז (4.17), and the tree is called דעם בױם in the contracted form אױפֿן בױם (4.19). The contraction אױפֿן is אױף דעם, "on the," and is written as one word; it is the dative, as after אױף in Lesson 1. The noun after the contracted form is not given the article again.
The verb before the subject (4.16 to 4.27). In these sentences the place comes first, and the verb comes next, and the new thing, with its אַ, stands after the verb: אין דער שטאָט שטײט אַ קלײן הױז. This is the order of Lessons 1 to 3, with the verb as the second element; it is also the usual way to introduce a thing that has not been mentioned. In English one would say "there is" or "there stands."
Verbs of place (4.16, 4.21 to 4.24). The verbs שטײען (steyen), "to stand," ליגן (ligen), "to lie," הענגען (hengen), "to hang," and זיצן (zitsn), "to sit," say where a thing is and how it is placed, where English says only "is." Here they are all in the third person singular, because the subject, after the verb, is a single thing: שטײט, ליגט, הענגט, זיצט.
Neuter and masculine adjectives (4.16, 4.19, 4.27, 4.30). אַ קלײן הױז and אַ קלײן קינד, neuter, have no ending; אַ גרױסער פֿױגל, masculine, has -ער; and in 4.30 two masculine adjectives, אַ שטילער, גוטער טאָג, both take -ער and are separated by a comma. The comma is as in English.
A compound subject (4.20). אַ קיך און אַ שטוב are two things joined by און, and so the verb is plural, זענען, as in Lesson 3. Each noun keeps its own article. The words זענען דאָ here are "there are," and are the plural of איז דאָ.
A thing in a picture (4.25). אױפֿן בילד is "on the picture," and is also used for what a picture shows, where English says "in the picture." The woman is described with אַ פֿרױ, and the child, after מיט, has the same אַ: מיט אַ קינד.
Two verbs, one subject (4.19, 4.28). The subject is named once, and the second verb follows און: זיצט אַ גרױסער פֿױגל און זינגט, "sits a big bird and sings"; די מאַמע זיצט … און לײענט אַ בוך. In 4.29 the second clause has its own subject, ער, and so it is named: און ער טרינקט אַ גלאָז טײ.
Prepositions (4.18, 4.28). בײַ (bay), "at, beside," is followed by the dative, like אין, אױף and אונטער: בײַ דעם הױז, בײַ דעם בעט. It is spelled with the pointed digraph ײַ, as in נײַ and דרײַ.
"It is" and a noun (4.30). עס איז אַ שטילער, גוטער טאָג is the pattern of Lesson 2, עס איז קאַלט, with a noun in the place of the adjective: "it is a quiet, good day."
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The respellings follow the Standard Yiddish pronunciation of the YIVO tradition, as in Lessons 1 to 3, and the transliteration is the YIVO romanisation.
אַ (a) — IPA: /a/ — A short open vowel, as in the first sound of English "father," but shorter. It is not stressed in a sentence, and it is said directly before the noun. אַן (an) — IPA: /an/ — The same vowel with n. It is said as if it were the beginning of the next word: a-nepl for אַן עפּל. און (un) — IPA: /ʊn/ — The look-alike of Lesson 3: a short u, as in "put," and n. אין (in) — IPA: /ɪn/ — The look-alike of Lesson 1: a short i, as in "in." דאָס (dos) — IPA: /dɔs/ — The אָ (o) is the vowel of British "dog." It is the komets alef, and not the pasekh alef of this lesson. באַרג (barg) — IPA: /barg/ — The vowel is the same a as in the article. מענטש (mentsh) — IPA: /mɛntʃ/ — The ending -tsh is as English "ch" in "much," after n. מענטשן (mentshn) — IPA: /ˈmɛntʃn̩/ — The ending -ן is a syllabic n, with no vowel of its own. צונױף (tsunoyf) — IPA: /tsuˈnɔɪf/ — The stress is on the second syllable. The first sound is ts, as in "cats," and ױ is oy, as in "boy." זיך (zikh) — IPA: /zɪx/ — The ך is kh, the sound of Scottish "loch" and German "ach." סך (sakh) — IPA: /sax/ — The ך is kh, as in זיך. פֿאַר (far) — IPA: /far/ — The letter פֿ (fey, with a bar) is f. שטיק (shtik) — IPA: /ʃtɪk/ — A short i, as in "kit." The first sounds are sht. גלאָז (gloz) — IPA: /ɡlɔz/ — The אָ is the vowel of British "dog," and the final z is voiced. בױם (boym) — IPA: /bɔɪm/ — The ױ is oy, as in English "boy." פֿױגל (foygl) — IPA: /ˈfɔɪɡl̩/ — Stress on the first syllable, and a syllabic l at the end. שטײט (shteyt) — IPA: /ʃteɪt/ — The ײ is ey, as in "hay." בײַ (bay) — IPA: /baɪ/ — The ײַ is ay, as in English "nigh." װאַקסט (vakst) — IPA: /vakst/ — The װ is v. ליגט (ligt) — IPA: /lɪkt/ — In speech the g before t is said as k. הענגט (hengt) — IPA: /hɛŋt/ — The ng is as in English "sing," and the final g is not heard. שלאָפֿט (shloft) — IPA: /ʃlɔft/ — The פֿ is f, and the vowel is that of "dog." לאָמפּ (lomp) — IPA: /lɔmp/ — The פּ (pey, with a dot) is p, even at the end of the word. טרינקט (trinkt) — IPA: /trɪŋkt/ — The n before k is said as ng. Vowel letters: ו is u, װ is v, ױ is oy /ɔɪ/, ײ is ey /ɛɪ/, 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) and ף (final fey) are used only at the end of a word.
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