There are several different words which all translate to the English word "the". There are rules when to use each word, but if your goal is just to know basic Yiddish, it's not so important to actually know these rules.
| אַ נײַ װאָרט - A new word
|
| The word
|
דער, די, דאָס, דעם
|
the
|
| Example
|
זאָגט דער רמבּ"ן אַזױ.
|
The Ramban says the following:
|
| Example
|
די ראשונים מאַכֿן אַ חילוק.
|
The Rishoinim differentiate.
|
| Example
|
דאָס עסן אין ישיבֿה איז ניט גוט.
|
The food in Yeshivah isn’t good.
|
| Example
|
ער האַלט פֿון דעם הסבּר.
|
He approves of the explanation.
|
These words are also used to mean "this". When it means this, more emphasis is given to the word.
| אַ נײַ װאָרט - A new word
|
| The word
|
דער, די, דאָס, דעם
|
this
|
| Example
|
די סוגיא איז געשמאַק.
|
This subject is enjoyable.
|
Another common word, which has already been used in some of the examples, is איז. It is usually pronounced exactly like the English word is, but sometimes the ז at the end is left unpronounced. It means the exact same thing as the English word is.
| אַ נײַ װאָרט - A new word
|
| The word
|
איז
|
is
|
| Example
|
ער איז גערעכֿט.
|
He is correct.
|
Here are a few more common words:
| אַ נײַ װאָרט - A new word
|
| The word
|
יאָ
|
yes
|
| Example
|
עס איז יאָ שװער.
|
It is indeed difficult.
|
| אַ נײַ װאָרט - A new word
|
| The word
|
נײן
|
no
|
| Example
|
נײן! װאָס איז שװער?
|
No? What’s problematic?
|
| אַ נײַ װאָרט - A new word
|
| The word
|
ניט (usually pronounced נישט)
|
not
|
| Example
|
עס איז ניט שװער בּכֿלל.
|
It is not difficult at all.
|
The word ניט is very often used together with קײן, which is somewhat hard to translate. It usually replaces the word אַ or אַן before a noun.
| אַ נײַ װאָרט - A new word
|
| The word
|
קײן
|
not
|
| Example
|
איך האָבּ ניט קײן צײַט.
|
I don't have time.
|
| Example
|
קײן עין הרע (usually pronounced keNAYne horo)
|
May there be no evil eye.
|
| אַ נײַ װאָרט - A new word
|
| The word
|
אָדער
|
or
|
| אַ נײַ װאָרט - A new word
|
| The word
|
אָבּער
|
but
|
| אַ נײַ װאָרט - A new word
|
| The word
|
דען
|
then
|
| אַ נײַ װאָרט - A new word
|
| The word
|
עס איז דאָ (usually shortened to ס'איז דאָ)
|
there is (literally: it is here)
|
| Example
|
עס איז דאָ אַ פּני יהושע אױף דעם.
|
There is a Pnei Yehoshua about this.
|
| אַ נײַ װאָרט - A new word
|
| The word
|
אַז
|
that
|
| אַ נײַ װאָרט - A new word
|
| The word
|
אַזױ
|
so
|
| Example
|
װי אַזױ?
|
How so?
|
