For autodidact students of Yiddish, the ninth word is "you," and in Yiddish "you" said to one person is דו (du). The learner has met it in every lesson since the second: דו ביסט, "you are," in the present tense of זײַן, and װוּ ביסט דו געװען?, "where have you been?" This lesson takes it as the headword and shows what it does. It is the subject pronoun of the second person singular, the word with which a speaker refers to the one person spoken to: דו זעסט, "you see," דו האָסט, "you have," דו װילסט, "you want."
English has one word for "you," for one person and for many, for a friend and for a stranger. Yiddish has two. דו is said to one person whom the speaker knows well: a friend, a child, a member of the family, and in prayer to God. For more than one person the word is איר (ir), "you" in the plural, as in Lesson 2: איר זענט שטענדיק הונגעריק, "you (all) are always hungry." Both Wiktionary and the English Wikipedia article on Yiddish grammar, consulted for this lesson, give the same pair: דו for the singular and the familiar, איר for the plural. The same sources add that איר has also been used to a single person as a mark of respect; the Wikipedia article calls that use archaic in the YIVO standard, and the learner who meets it in an older text or among older speakers should know it. The course teaches דו to one person and איר to several, and in the Genre Section of this lesson shows one polite איר, marked as such.
The pronoun has three forms, like the pronoun of Lesson 8. The subject is דו. The direct object is דיך (dikh): איך זע דיך, "I see you." The dative, the case of the indirect object and of the word after a preposition, is דיר (dir): דער דאָקטער גיט דיר אַ בריוו, "the doctor gives you a letter," and צו דיר, "to you," פֿון דיר, "from you." The plural איר has one form for both the object and the dative, אײַך (aykh): איך זע אײַך, "I see you (all)," איך גיב אײַך אַ בריוו, "I give you (all) a letter." The related word of possession is דײַן (dayn), "your" (said to one person), which stands before its noun: דײַן פֿרײַנד, "your friend." This lesson uses it only in its plain form, as the first word of a subject, as Lesson 8 did with מײַן; the other endings it takes are left to a later lesson.
Here is a trap, and it is the second one of its kind. The word איר is not only "you" in the plural: it is also the dative of the feminine pronoun, "to her" (ir), as the Wiktionary entry for איר records, and the same letters stand for both. The verb and the sense tell them apart. The word for "her" as a subject, זי, was in Lesson 2.
The verb has its own ending for each. The second person singular adds -סט to the stem: דו זעסט, דו קומסט, דו גײסט, דו לײענסט. Where the stem ends in -ס the ending is only -ט: דו הײסט. The plural adds -ט: איר גײט, איר קומט. A few verbs have forms of their own: דו ביסט, "you are," against איר זענט; דו האָסט against איר האָט. And in a question the pronoun is joined to the verb and shortened, so that ביסט דו becomes ביסטו, האָסט דו becomes האָסטו, װילסט דו becomes װילסטו. The famous song of Section F has this in its title.
The word is a cousin of German du and English "thou." Wiktionary gives it as from Middle High German du, through Old High German and Proto-Germanic, to an Indo-European root; the English "thou" is the same word, which has dropped out of everyday English as the singular "you" has driven it out. Hebrew has its own words for "you," אתה and את, and Yiddish does not use them. The pronoun is a Germanic word, like the rest of the grammar around it. The pronunciation varies by dialect; the course keeps the standard du, with the vowel of English "put" lengthened a little.
Script note: דו has two letters, written from right to left: the ד (dalet, the sound d) and the ו (vov, here the vowel u). The word is the shortest on the page, and it must be told from the word דאָ (do), "here," which has the extra letter א, and from דער (der), "the." Take care that the vowel is the u of "put" or "do," never the ee of English "dee."
Key Takeaways: - דו (du): "you," the subject pronoun of the second person singular, said to one person who is familiar - איר (ir): "you" in the plural, said to more than one person, and in the traditional polite singular - Three forms: דו (subject), דיך (direct object), דיר (dative and after prepositions); for איר the object and dative are both אײַך - Verb endings: -סט for דו (דו זעסט, דו גײסט); -ט for איר (איר גײט); דו ביסט, איר זענט; דו האָסט, איר האָט - In a question the pronoun joins the verb: ביסטו, האָסטו, װילסטו - The pronoun must be said: דו זעסט, not זעסט alone - The verb is second: הײַנט ביסט דו, אין װינטער לײענסט דו - The imperative is the bare stem for one person, and the stem with -ט for several: קום, קומט; שרײַב, שרײַבט - The possessive is דײַן, "your" (singular) - Do not confuse דו with דאָ, "here," or איר, "you (all)," with איר, "to her"
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
9.1a דו you ביסט are דאָ here
9.1b du (doo) you.SG bist (bist) be.2SG do (doh) here
9.2a דו you האָסט have אַ a בוך book
9.2b du (doo) you.SG host (host) have.2SG a (ah) a bukh (bookh) book.N
9.3a איך I זע see דיך you
9.3b ikh (ikh) I ze (zeh) see.1SG dikh (dikh) you.ACC.SG
9.4a דו you הײסט are-called בײלע Beyle
9.4b du (doo) you.SG heyst (hayst) be-called.2SG beyle (BAY-leh) Beyle
9.5a דו you גײסט go אין in שול school
9.5b du (doo) you.SG geyst (gayst) go.2SG in (in) in shul (shool) school.F
9.6a הײַנט today ביסט are דו you אין in דער the שטוב room
9.6b haynt (highnt) today bist (bist) be.2SG du (doo) you.SG in (in) in der (dair) the-F.DAT shtub (shtoob) room.F
9.7a דו you ביסט are נישט not קראַנק sick דו you ביסט are געזונט well
9.7b du (doo) you.SG bist (bist) be.2SG nisht (nisht) not krank (krahnk) sick du (doo) you.SG bist (bist) be.2SG gezunt (geh-ZOONT) well
9.8a װאָס what האָסטו have-you אין in דער the האַנט hand
9.8b vos (voss) what hostu (HOS-too) have.2SG=you.SG in (in) in der (dair) the-F.DAT hant (hahnt) hand.F
9.9a איך I קום come צו to דיר you דו you האָסט have טײ tea
9.9b ikh (ikh) I kum (koom) come.1SG tsu (tsoo) to dir (deer) you.DAT.SG du (doo) you.SG host (host) have.2SG tey (tay) tea
9.10a דו you זעסט see מיך me און and איך I זע see דיך you
9.10b du (doo) you.SG zest (zest) see.2SG mikh (mikh) me.ACC un (oon) and ikh (ikh) I ze (zeh) see.1SG dikh (dikh) you.ACC.SG
9.11a װען when דו you ביסט are אין in דער the קיך kitchen איז is װאַרעם warm
9.11b ven (ven) when du (doo) you.SG bist (bist) be.2SG in (in) in der (dair) the-F.DAT kikh (kikh) kitchen.F iz (iz) be.3SG varem (VAH-rem) warm
9.12a אין in װינטער winter לײענסט read דו you אַ a בוך book אין in דער the שטוב room
9.12b in (in) in vinter (VIN-ter) winter.M leyenst (LAY-enst) read.2SG du (doo) you.SG a (ah) a bukh (bookh) book.N in (in) in der (dair) the-F.DAT shtub (shtoob) room.F
9.13a דו you גײסט go אָבער but דו you קומסט come באַלד soon װידער again
9.13b du (doo) you.SG geyst (gayst) go.2SG ober (OH-ber) but du (doo) you.SG kumst (koomst) come.2SG bald (bahld) soon vider (VEE-der) again
9.14a דער the דאָקטער doctor גיט gives דיר you אַ a בריוו letter און and דו you לײענסט read דעם the בריוו letter אין in דער the קיך kitchen
9.14b der (dair) the-M.NOM doktor (DOK-tor) doctor.M git (git) give.3SG dir (deer) you.DAT.SG a (ah) a briv (brif) letter.M un (oon) and du (doo) you.SG leyenst (LAY-enst) read.2SG dem (dem) the-M.ACC briv (brif) letter.M in (in) in der (dair) the-F.DAT kikh (kikh) kitchen.F
9.15a דײַן your פֿרײַנד friend װיל wants װיסן to-know װאָס what דו you האָסט have אין in דער the האַנט hand
9.15b dayn (dighn) your.M.NOM fraynd (frighnt) friend.M vil (vil) want.3SG visn (VIS-n) know.INF vos (voss) what du (doo) you.SG host (host) have.2SG in (in) in der (dair) the-F.DAT hant (hahnt) hand.F
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
9.1 דו ביסט דאָ. (du bist do) "You are here." 9.2 דו האָסט אַ בוך. (du host a bukh) "You have a book." 9.3 איך זע דיך. (ikh ze dikh) "I see you." 9.4 דו הײסט בײלע. (du heyst beyle) "Your name is Beyle." 9.5 דו גײסט אין שול. (du geyst in shul) "You go to school." 9.6 הײַנט ביסט דו אין דער שטוב. (haynt bist du in der shtub) "Today you are in the room." 9.7 דו ביסט נישט קראַנק, דו ביסט געזונט. (du bist nisht krank, du bist gezunt) "You are not sick, you are well." 9.8 װאָס האָסטו אין דער האַנט? (vos hostu in der hant) "What do you have in your hand?" 9.9 איך קום צו דיר, דו האָסט טײ. (ikh kum tsu dir, du host tey) "I am coming to you, you have tea." 9.10 דו זעסט מיך און איך זע דיך. (du zest mikh un ikh ze dikh) "You see me and I see you." 9.11 װען דו ביסט אין דער קיך, איז װאַרעם. (ven du bist in der kikh, iz varem) "When you are in the kitchen, it is warm." 9.12 אין װינטער לײענסט דו אַ בוך אין דער שטוב. (in vinter leyenst du a bukh in der shtub) "In winter you read a book in the room." 9.13 דו גײסט, אָבער דו קומסט באַלד װידער. (du geyst, ober du kumst bald vider) "You are going, but you will come again soon." 9.14 דער דאָקטער גיט דיר אַ בריוו, און דו לײענסט דעם בריוו אין דער קיך. (der doktor git dir a briv, un du leyenst dem briv in der kikh) "The doctor gives you a letter, and you read the letter in the kitchen." 9.15 דײַן פֿרײַנד װיל װיסן װאָס דו האָסט אין דער האַנט. (dayn fraynd vil visn vos du host in der hant) "Your friend wants to know what you have in your hand."
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
9.1 דו ביסט דאָ. 9.2 דו האָסט אַ בוך. 9.3 איך זע דיך. 9.4 דו הײסט בײלע. 9.5 דו גײסט אין שול. 9.6 הײַנט ביסט דו אין דער שטוב. 9.7 דו ביסט נישט קראַנק, דו ביסט געזונט. 9.8 װאָס האָסטו אין דער האַנט? 9.9 איך קום צו דיר, דו האָסט טײ. 9.10 דו זעסט מיך און איך זע דיך. 9.11 װען דו ביסט אין דער קיך, איז װאַרעם. 9.12 אין װינטער לײענסט דו אַ בוך אין דער שטוב. 9.13 דו גײסט, אָבער דו קומסט באַלד װידער. 9.14 דער דאָקטער גיט דיר אַ בריוו, און דו לײענסט דעם בריוו אין דער קיך. 9.15 דײַן פֿרײַנד װיל װיסן װאָס דו האָסט אין דער האַנט.
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
These are the grammar rules for דו (du), "you."
The three forms. The second person singular has a form for each of the cases the course has met: the nominative דו, the accusative דיך, the dative דיר. The nominative is the subject: דו ביסט (9.1). The accusative is the direct object: איך זע דיך (9.3), דו זעסט מיך און איך זע דיך (9.10). The dative is the indirect object and the word after a preposition: דער דאָקטער גיט דיר אַ בריוו (9.14), איך קום צו דיר (9.9). This is the rule of Lessons 1, 5, 6, 7 and 8: after פֿון, צו and אין the pronoun is in the dative, and so it is צו דיר, פֿון דיר, and never *צו דיך. The pronoun of Lesson 8 had the same three: איך, מיך, מיר. The forms for the other persons come with their own lessons.
The plural איר. For more than one person the subject is איר, and the object and the dative are the same word, אײַך. The verb has the ending -ט: איר גײט, איר קומט, איר האָט, and for זײַן the form is איר זענט, as in Lesson 2. In the genre section of this lesson the mother asks two young people at once: װילט איר טרינקען טײ? (9.29). In the imperative the plural adds -ט to the stem: קום, "come" (to one person), קומט, "come" (to several). The same letters איר also mean "to her," the dative of זי; the sense settles it, and the verb with it, since the plural subject has -ט and the dative "her" stands with a verb of another subject.
The verb endings. The second person singular adds -סט to the stem: זען gives דו זעסט (9.10), גײען gives דו גײסט (9.5), קומען gives דו קומסט (9.13), לײענען gives דו לײענסט (9.12). Where the stem already ends in -ס the ending is only -ט: הײסן gives דו הײסט (9.4). Compare the first person, which has no ending (Lesson 8), and the third, which adds -ט: ער זעט, ער גײט. Because the first person has no ending but the second has one, the learner can tell איך זע from דו זעסט by the verb alone, and yet the pronoun is said all the same: דו זעסט, never a bare זעסט.
Irregular forms. זײַן has דו ביסט (9.1), with איך בין, ער איז, מיר זענען, איר זענט. האָבן has דו האָסט (9.2), against איר האָט. The verb of wanting has דו װילסט, as in Lesson 6, 6.26; it is followed by the bare infinitive: דו װילסט טרינקען, "you want to drink." The lesson does not list the other irregular verbs of the second person.
The joined pronoun. In a question the pronoun דו is joined to the end of the verb: ביסט דו becomes ביסטו (bistu), האָסט דו becomes האָסטו (9.8, hostu), װילסט דו becomes װילסטו. The question word comes first and the joined verb after it: װאָס האָסטו אין דער האַנט? (9.8). In the lessons so far the pronoun has been written as a separate word, as in Lesson 6, 6.16: װוּהין גײסט דו? The learner should know both, since the joined form is the one in the title of the song of Section F. The joined form is said in the same breath as the verb, HOS-tu, and written as one word.
Word order. The verb stands second in the sentence, and the pronoun follows it when something else stands first. With a time phrase first: הײַנט ביסט דו אין דער שטוב (9.6), אין װינטער לײענסט דו (9.12). In a question with a question word: װאָס האָסטו אין דער האַנט? (9.8). In the order of a plain statement the pronoun comes first: דו ביסט דאָ (9.1). A question without a question word begins with the verb: ביסטו מיד? (9.24). After װען, "when," and װאָס, "what," the pronoun stands after the conjunction and the verb after it: װען דו ביסט אין דער קיך (9.11), װאָס דו האָסט אין דער האַנט (9.15). When the whole clause stands first, the main clause begins with its verb, as in Lessons 7 and 8: איז װאַרעם (9.11).
Two clauses, one pronoun. As with איך, the course repeats the pronoun in the second clause: דו ביסט נישט קראַנק, דו ביסט געזונט (9.7); דו גײסט, אָבער דו קומסט באַלד װידער (9.13). The word אָבער stands outside the order, as in Lesson 1.
The negative. נישט stands after the verb and after the pronoun: דו ביסט נישט קראַנק (9.7).
"Your name is …". Yiddish says דו הײסט בײלע (9.4), "you are called Beyle," where English says "your name is." It is the construction of Lesson 8, 8.4: איך הײס. The second person is הײסט, and it is written like the third, ער הײסט.
The possessive. דײַן (dayn), "your," is the word of possession for the singular, as מײַן is for the first person. It stands before its noun, and here it is used in its plain form, as the first word of the subject: דײַן פֿרײַנד (9.15). The learner must not use it for several people: for that Yiddish has another word, which the course takes later.
Common Mistakes: - Leaving out the pronoun: \*זעסט דיך. It is דו זעסט דיך, or in the joined form, זעסטו דיך? - Using דו as the object: \*איך זע דו. It is איך זע דיך - Using the accusative after a preposition: \*צו דיך. It is צו דיר - Using the first person ending with דו: \דו זע, \דו גײ. It is דו זעסט, דו גײסט - Using the third person ending with דו: \דו זעט, \דו גײט. It is דו זעסט, דו גײסט; the -ט alone is the plural, איר גײט - Saying דו to several people: \*דו זענט. For several people it is איר זענט - Putting the pronoun before the verb after a time phrase: \*הײַנט דו ביסט אין דער שטוב. It is הײַנט ביסט דו אין דער שטוב - Reading the ו as ee, and so דו as English "dee," or writing דאָ for דו - Reading איר "you (all)" as איר "to her," and the other way round
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
דו is the ninth word on the frequency list this course follows, and it is, like איך, a word the reader meets in every letter and every conversation. It is unstressed in a sentence and said quickly, du. It is the word of the family, of friends, of children, and of the language of prayer, where God is addressed as דו.
The choice between דו and איר is a choice of closeness. The learner who speaks to a stranger, to an older person or to a teacher has to decide, and the decision depends on the community. The English Wikipedia article calls the use of the plural to a single person archaic in the YIVO standard; Wiktionary calls איר the formal singular. Practice differs from one community and one speaker to another, and the course does not claim to know which will be right in a given room. It does not choose for the learner. It teaches דו for the one person and איר for several, and when in doubt in front of a stranger it recommends listening to what the other person says first.
Hasidic Yiddish, which is the Yiddish of most of the living speakers, has a system of address of its own, more elaborate than this lesson's pair. A recent academic article on it carries the title "Grammar in the service of pragmatics: The tripartite address system in Contemporary Hasidic Yiddish," and the learner who wishes to speak with a Hasidic community will need to learn it from its speakers.
Letters, as the last lesson said, are the home of the first person, and the pronoun of the second person is the other half. The Genre Section of this lesson is a conversation, and a conversation is two people saying איך and דו in turn. The next section takes a song whose title is this pair in miniature: מיר, "to me," and the joined ביסטו.
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
בײַ מיר ביסטו שײן (Bay mir bistu sheyn), a song of 1932 from the musical comedy M'ken lebn nor m'lost nit ("I Would If I Could"), music by Sholom Secunda, words by Jacob Jacobs
The song Bay mir bistu sheyn, "To Me You're Beautiful," is one of the best known songs of the American Yiddish stage. It was written by the composer Sholom Secunda and the lyricist Jacob Jacobs for the musical comedy M'ken lebn nor m'lost nit, officially subtitled in English I Would If I Could, of 1932. The title was checked in two places: the English Wikipedia article on the song, which gives the composer, the lyricist, the musical and the year 1932, and the English title "To Me You're Beautiful"; and the page of the Milken Archive of Jewish Music, which gives the same composer, lyricist, show and year, and the same English meaning of the title. The two sources do not agree on the theatre in Brooklyn where the show first played, and so the lesson does not name one. The Yiddish spelling of the last word varies from source to source (the Wikipedia article gives שעהן, and other places שיין); the lesson uses the YIVO spelling שײן, as in Lesson 7. Only the title is cited: the lesson does not quote from the words of the song, since the words were not seen in Yiddish letters in a printed text checked against another.
בײַ מיר ביסטו שײן
F-A: Interlinear
F.1a בײַ at מיר me ביסטו are-you שײן beautiful
F.1b bay (bigh) at mir (meer) me.DAT bistu (BIS-too) be.2SG=you.SG sheyn (shayn) beautiful
F-B: Original and Translation
בײַ מיר ביסטו שײן
"To me you are beautiful." (Translation: Latinum Institute.) Word for word the Yiddish says "at me are-you beautiful." The English title of the song is "To Me You're Beautiful."
F-C: Original
בײַ מיר ביסטו שײן
F-D: Grammar and Literary Commentary
The title is a complete sentence, and its second word and third word are the pair of this lesson and the last. The word ביסטו is the joined form: ביסט, the second person of זײַן (9.1), and דו, with the vowel shortened, joined to it as in 9.8 and in the question ביסטו מיד? (9.24). The verb comes second, after the phrase בײַ מיר, which stands first, and the pronoun follows it, joined to the verb. The order is that of 9.6: a phrase first, then ביסט, then דו.
The phrase בײַ מיר is the preposition בײַ (bay), "at, by, with," and the dative מיר, "me," as the rule of the course has it: the pronoun after a preposition is in the dative. The preposition has appeared in Lesson 2, 2.17, בײַ דער באָבע, "at grandmother's." Here it has the sense "to me, in my view," as the English title renders it. The learner may compare 9.9, איך קום צו דיר, where the dative דיר stands after צו. The adjective שײן (sheyn), "beautiful," was in Lesson 7, in שײנע בלומען.
Note that the title holds the first and the second person in one line. The first person is the dative מיר (here it is "me," since בײַ takes the dative and no plural verb follows), and the second person is the joined דו. The title is a sentence for two people: מיר for the speaker and דו for the one addressed.
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
Leyzer, who in Lesson 8 wrote from Warsaw that he would come back in spring, is now at Beyle's house. Beyle speaks to him with דו, as a friend, and so does her mother. Leyzer speaks to the mother with the polite איר. Her question at the end is to the two young people together. It follows Beyle and Leyzer of Lessons 5 to 8.
9.16a בײלע Beyle לײזער Leyzer דו you ביסט are דאָ here
9.16b beyle (BAY-leh) Beyle leyzer (LAY-zer) Leyzer du (doo) you.SG bist (bist) be.2SG do (doh) here
9.17a לײזער Leyzer יאָ yes בײלע Beyle איך I בין am שױן already דאָ here און and איך I זע see דיך you
9.17b leyzer (LAY-zer) Leyzer yo (yoh) yes beyle (BAY-leh) Beyle ikh (ikh) I bin (bin) be.1SG shoyn (shoyn) already do (doh) here un (oon) and ikh (ikh) I ze (zeh) see.1SG dikh (dikh) you.ACC.SG
9.18a בײלע Beyle איך I בין am געזונט well װאָס what האָסטו have-you אין in דער the האַנט hand
9.18b beyle (BAY-leh) Beyle ikh (ikh) I bin (bin) be.1SG gezunt (geh-ZOONT) well vos (voss) what hostu (HOS-too) have.2SG=you.SG in (in) in der (dair) the-F.DAT hant (hahnt) hand.F
9.19a לײזער Leyzer איך I האָב have אַ a בוך book מיט with שײנע beautiful בילדער pictures װילסטו want-you דאָס the בוך book
9.19b leyzer (LAY-zer) Leyzer ikh (ikh) I hob (hob) have.1SG a (ah) a bukh (bookh) book.N mit (mit) with sheyne (SHAY-neh) beautiful-PL bilder (BIL-der) pictures.PL vilstu (VIL-stoo) want.2SG=you.SG dos (doss) the-N.ACC bukh (bookh) book.N
9.20a בײלע Beyle יאָ yes אַ a דאַנק thanks דו you ביסט are אַ a גוטער good פֿרײַנד friend
9.20b beyle (BAY-leh) Beyle yo (yoh) yes a (ah) a dank (dahnk) thanks.M du (doo) you.SG bist (bist) be.2SG a (ah) a guter (GOO-ter) good-M.NOM fraynd (frighnt) friend.M
9.21a מאַמע mother בײלע Beyle װער who איז is דאָ here
9.21b mame (MAH-meh) mother beyle (BAY-leh) Beyle ver (ver) who iz (iz) be.3SG do (doh) here
9.22a בײלע Beyle מאַמע mother דאָס that איז is לײזער Leyzer ער he איז is אַ a פֿרײַנד friend פֿון from װאַרשע Warsaw
9.22b beyle (BAY-leh) Beyle mame (MAH-meh) mother dos (doss) that-N iz (iz) be.3SG leyzer (LAY-zer) Leyzer er (er) he iz (iz) be.3SG a (ah) a fraynd (frighnt) friend.M fun (foon) from varshe (VAR-sheh) Warsaw
9.23a לײזער Leyzer גוטן good טאָג day איר you האָט have אַ a שײנע beautiful שטוב house
9.23b leyzer (LAY-zer) Leyzer gutn (GOOT-n) good-M.ACC tog (tok) day.M ir (eer) you.PL.POLITE hot (hot) have.2PL a (ah) a sheyne (SHAY-neh) beautiful-F.ACC shtub (shtoob) house.F
9.24a מאַמע mother גוטן good טאָג day לײזער Leyzer ביסטו are-you מיד tired
9.24b mame (MAH-meh) mother gutn (GOOT-n) good-M.ACC tog (tok) day.M leyzer (LAY-zer) Leyzer bistu (BIS-too) be.2SG=you.SG mid (mit) tired
9.25a לײזער Leyzer יאָ yes איך I בין am אַ a ביסל little מיד tired איר you זענט are גוט good צו to מיר me
9.25b leyzer (LAY-zer) Leyzer yo (yoh) yes ikh (ikh) I bin (bin) be.1SG a (ah) a bisl (BIS-l) little mid (mit) tired ir (eer) you.PL.POLITE zent (zent) be.2PL gut (goot) good tsu (tsoo) to mir (meer) me.DAT
9.26a מאַמע mother לײזער Leyzer װי how גײט goes עס it דיר you אין in װאַרשע Warsaw
9.26b mame (MAH-meh) mother leyzer (LAY-zer) Leyzer vi (vee) how geyt (gayt) go.3SG es (es) it dir (deer) you.DAT.SG in (in) in varshe (VAR-sheh) Warsaw
9.27a לײזער Leyzer אין in װאַרשע Warsaw איז is קאַלט cold אָבער but דאָ here איז is װאַרעם warm
9.27b leyzer (LAY-zer) Leyzer in (in) in varshe (VAR-sheh) Warsaw iz (iz) be.3SG kalt (kahlt) cold ober (OH-ber) but do (doh) here iz (iz) be.3SG varem (VAH-rem) warm
9.28a בײלע Beyle לײזער Leyzer דו you קומסט come צו to מיר me און and איך I בין am פֿרײלעך happy
9.28b beyle (BAY-leh) Beyle leyzer (LAY-zer) Leyzer du (doo) you.SG kumst (koomst) come.2SG tsu (tsoo) to mir (meer) me.DAT un (oon) and ikh (ikh) I bin (bin) be.1SG freylekh (FRAY-lekh) happy
9.29a מאַמע mother װילט want איר you-all טרינקען drink טײ tea אין in דעם the גאָרטן garden
9.29b mame (MAH-meh) mother vilt (vilt) want.2PL ir (eer) you.PL trinken (TRIN-ken) drink.INF tey (tay) tea in (in) in dem (dem) the-M.DAT gortn (GOR-tn) garden.M
9.30a בײלע Beyle יאָ yes מאַמע mother מיר we גײען go אין in דעם the גאָרטן garden
9.30b beyle (BAY-leh) Beyle yo (yoh) yes mame (MAH-meh) mother mir (meer) we geyen (GAY-en) go.1PL in (in) in dem (dem) the-M.ACC gortn (GOR-tn) garden.M
9.16 בײלע: לײזער, דו ביסט דאָ! (beyle: leyzer, du bist do) "Beyle: Leyzer, you are here!" 9.17 לײזער: יאָ, בײלע, איך בין שױן דאָ און איך זע דיך. (leyzer: yo, beyle, ikh bin shoyn do un ikh ze dikh) "Leyzer: Yes, Beyle, I am here now and I see you." 9.18 בײלע: איך בין געזונט. װאָס האָסטו אין דער האַנט? (beyle: ikh bin gezunt. vos hostu in der hant) "Beyle: I am well. What do you have in your hand?" 9.19 לײזער: איך האָב אַ בוך מיט שײנע בילדער. װילסטו דאָס בוך? (leyzer: ikh hob a bukh mit sheyne bilder. vilstu dos bukh) "Leyzer: I have a book with beautiful pictures. Do you want the book?" 9.20 בײלע: יאָ, אַ דאַנק. דו ביסט אַ גוטער פֿרײַנד. (beyle: yo, a dank. du bist a guter fraynd) "Beyle: Yes, thank you. You are a good friend." 9.21 מאַמע: בײלע, װער איז דאָ? (mame: beyle, ver iz do) "Mother: Beyle, who is here?" 9.22 בײלע: מאַמע, דאָס איז לײזער. ער איז אַ פֿרײַנד פֿון װאַרשע. (beyle: mame, dos iz leyzer. er iz a fraynd fun varshe) "Beyle: Mother, this is Leyzer. He is a friend from Warsaw." 9.23 לײזער: גוטן טאָג. איר האָט אַ שײנע שטוב. (leyzer: gutn tog. ir hot a sheyne shtub) "Leyzer: Good day. You have a beautiful house." 9.24 מאַמע: גוטן טאָג, לײזער. ביסטו מיד? (mame: gutn tog, leyzer. bistu mid) "Mother: Good day, Leyzer. Are you tired?" 9.25 לײזער: יאָ, איך בין אַ ביסל מיד. איר זענט גוט צו מיר. (leyzer: yo, ikh bin a bisl mid. ir zent gut tsu mir) "Leyzer: Yes, I am a little tired. You are kind to me." 9.26 מאַמע: לײזער, װי גײט עס דיר אין װאַרשע? (mame: leyzer, vi geyt es dir in varshe) "Mother: Leyzer, how are you getting on in Warsaw?" 9.27 לײזער: אין װאַרשע איז קאַלט, אָבער דאָ איז װאַרעם. (leyzer: in varshe iz kalt, ober do iz varem) "Leyzer: In Warsaw it is cold, but here it is warm." 9.28 בײלע: לײזער, דו קומסט צו מיר און איך בין פֿרײלעך. (beyle: leyzer, du kumst tsu mir un ikh bin freylekh) "Beyle: Leyzer, you have come to me and I am happy." 9.29 מאַמע: װילט איר טרינקען טײ אין דעם גאָרטן? (mame: vilt ir trinken tey in dem gortn) "Mother: Do you (two) want to drink tea in the garden?" 9.30 בײלע: יאָ, מאַמע, מיר גײען אין דעם גאָרטן. (beyle: yo, mame, mir geyen in dem gortn) "Beyle: Yes, Mother, we are going into the garden."
9.16 בײלע: לײזער, דו ביסט דאָ! 9.17 לײזער: יאָ, בײלע, איך בין שױן דאָ און איך זע דיך. 9.18 בײלע: איך בין געזונט. װאָס האָסטו אין דער האַנט? 9.19 לײזער: איך האָב אַ בוך מיט שײנע בילדער. װילסטו דאָס בוך? 9.20 בײלע: יאָ, אַ דאַנק. דו ביסט אַ גוטער פֿרײַנד. 9.21 מאַמע: בײלע, װער איז דאָ? 9.22 בײלע: מאַמע, דאָס איז לײזער. ער איז אַ פֿרײַנד פֿון װאַרשע. 9.23 לײזער: גוטן טאָג. איר האָט אַ שײנע שטוב. 9.24 מאַמע: גוטן טאָג, לײזער. ביסטו מיד? 9.25 לײזער: יאָ, איך בין אַ ביסל מיד. איר זענט גוט צו מיר. 9.26 מאַמע: לײזער, װי גײט עס דיר אין װאַרשע? 9.27 לײזער: אין װאַרשע איז קאַלט, אָבער דאָ איז װאַרעם. 9.28 בײלע: לײזער, דו קומסט צו מיר און איך בין פֿרײלעך. 9.29 מאַמע: װילט איר טרינקען טײ אין דעם גאָרטן? 9.30 בײלע: יאָ, מאַמע, מיר גײען אין דעם גאָרטן.
Between friends (9.16, 9.17). Beyle's first words are the name of the person and then the plain sentence: לײזער, דו ביסט דאָ. The name stands first, outside the order of the sentence, as a call. Leyzer's answer has the first person in the first clause and the object דיך in the second: איך זע דיך. The word שױן, "already," stands after the verb, as in Lesson 6.
The joined pronoun (9.18, 9.19, 9.24). Three questions have the joined form: װאָס האָסטו, װילסטו דאָס בוך, ביסטו מיד. The first has a question word, and the verb stands next to it with the pronoun joined. The second and third have no question word, and begin with the verb: װילסטו, ביסטו. The statement before the second question, איך האָב אַ בוך מיט שײנע בילדער, has the plural adjective ending -ע after מיט, as in Lesson 7.
The friend (9.20). אַ דאַנק, "thanks," is as in Lesson 7. דו ביסט אַ גוטער פֿרײַנד has the masculine nominative ending -ער after אַ, as in Lesson 6, 6.21, because the noun is the predicate of "to be."
Introductions (9.21, 9.22). װער, "who," begins the mother's question and the verb stands next to it: װער איז דאָ? The introduction has דאָס איז לײזער, "this is Leyzer," with דאָס, which does not change with the gender of the person named.
The polite איר (9.23, 9.25). Leyzer says איר האָט and איר זענט to Beyle's mother, one person: this is the polite plural, the traditional way of speaking to an older person who is not a close relation. It has the plural endings: האָט, זענט. The learner who is not sure which to say to a stranger should do as Section E advises. The mother says דו to Leyzer (ביסטו, דיר) because he is young and a friend of her daughter. The sentence איר זענט גוט צו מיר puts גוט before צו מיר, "good to me," with the dative after צו, as in Lesson 6.
The greeting (9.23, 9.24). גוטן טאָג, "good day," is the fixed greeting of Lesson 7. The adjective has the accusative ending -ן because the greeting is a wish: "(I wish you) a good day."
How are you (9.26). װי גײט עס דיר? is the same question as in Lesson 8, 8.21. The person asked is in the dative: דיר. The mother says it with Leyzer's name first, in a call, and the place אין װאַרשע last.
Cold and warm (9.27). The sentence has the order of 8.18: אין װאַרשע איז קאַלט, with no עס, since a phrase stands first. The second clause begins with אָבער, which stands outside the order, and then דאָ, "here," stands first, so that the verb follows it: דאָ איז װאַרעם, "here it is warm." The adjective װאַרעם has no ending, because it is the predicate.
To me (9.28). דו קומסט צו מיר has the second person of קומען, קומסט, and the dative מיר after צו. The present tense stands where English says "you have come." The adjective פֿרײלעך (freylekh), "happy," has no ending, as predicate.
You all (9.29, 9.30). The mother speaks to two people. The verb is װילט, the plural ending -ט, with the pronoun איר after it, since the sentence begins with the verb: װילט איר טרינקען טײ? The question has no question word. Beyle answers for both with מיר, "we," and the plural verb with -ען: מיר גײען. The word מיר is the same as the dative "me" of 9.25 and the learner reads the verb to tell them apart, as in Lesson 8. The phrase אין דעם גאָרטן ends both lines, in the place as in Lesson 7, 7.27.
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
The respellings follow the Standard Yiddish pronunciation of the YIVO tradition, as in Lessons 1 to 8, and the transliteration is the YIVO romanisation.
דו (du) — IPA: /dʊ/ — The ד is d, and the ו is the short vowel u as in English "put," though said a little longer. Unstressed in a sentence. The dialects range from /dʊ/ to /diː/; the course keeps the first. דיך (dikh) — IPA: /dɪx/ — The final ך is kh, as in Scottish "loch," and the vowel is short, as in "it." דיר (dir) — IPA: /dɪr/ — The vowel is short, as in "it," and the ר is the Yiddish r, which many speakers say at the back of the mouth. איר (ir) — IPA: /ɪr/ — The א is silent and carries the vowel. אײַך (aykh) — IPA: /aɪx/ — The ײַ is ay, as in English "nigh," and the final ך is kh. דײַן (dayn) — IPA: /daɪn/ — The ײַ is ay. ביסטו (bistu) — IPA: /ˈbɪstʊ/ — The stress falls on the first syllable, and the pronoun is said as the unstressed end of the word. האָסטו (hostu) — IPA: /ˈhɔstʊ/ — The אָ is the vowel of British "dog." װילסטו (vilstu) — IPA: /ˈvɪlstʊ/ — The װ is v. זעסט (zest) — IPA: /zɛst/ — The ע is e as in "bed." קומסט (kumst) — IPA: /kʊmst/ — The ו is the vowel u, as in "put." גײסט (geyst) — IPA: /ɡeɪst/ — The ײ is ey, as in "hay." הײסט (heyst) — IPA: /heɪst/ — The ײ is ey. לײענסט (leyenst) — IPA: /ˈleɪənst/ — The stress falls on the first syllable. זענט (zent) — IPA: /zɛnt/ — The ע is e. האָט (hot) — IPA: /hɔt/ — The אָ is the vowel of British "dog." װילט (vilt) — IPA: /vɪlt/ — As װילסטו without the ending. װער (ver) — IPA: /vɛr/ — The ע is e. פֿרײלעך (freylekh) — IPA: /ˈfreɪləx/ — The פֿ (with a bar) is f, the stress falls on the first syllable, and the ך is kh. בײַ (bay) — IPA: /baɪ/ — The ײַ is ay. שײן (sheyn) — IPA: /ʃeɪn/ — The ײ is ey. מיד (mid) — IPA: /mɪt/ — The final ד is said as t. 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)