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What are your all-time favorite Yiddish “proverbs”/sayings?
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amother
OP


 

Post Sun, Jan 10 2021, 12:40 pm
I would love to know your favorite Yiddish sayings that teach you a life lesson.

(And please include a translation for those who don’t speak Yiddish)
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Genius




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Jan 10 2021, 1:00 pm
Vus hakstee in chainik?
Why are you knocking in a teapot?
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Blessing1




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Jan 10 2021, 1:08 pm
אז מען מיינט, נער'ט מען זיך.

It basically means that there are people that think their opinion is the only one, they're so sure that they're right, and they can't listen to others opions and often end up staying a fool when proven wrong.
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Einikel




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Jan 10 2021, 1:10 pm
טראכט גוט וועט זיין גוט
If you think good thoughts good things will happen. I believe it’s attributed to one of the Lubavitcher Rebbes.
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Blessing1




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Jan 10 2021, 1:12 pm
Einikel wrote:
טראכט גוט וועט זיין גוט
If you think good thoughts good things will happen. I believe it’s attributed to one of the Lubavitcher Rebbes.


Yes, the Tzemach Tzedek said this.
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zaq




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Jan 10 2021, 1:15 pm
Az men is raikh, is men shein un klug un ken fain zingen
When you're you're rich, you're pretty and clever and can sing well, too.

I don't know so much about life lessons, I just like the pithiness of the expressions.

Es hot geholfen vee a teit in bankes: It helped like cupping a corpse.
A khisoron di kallah is tzu shein: A defect, the bride is too pretty.
Vos men leigt arain, nemt men aroys: You get out what you put in.
A krankn fregt men, a gezuntn git men: a sick person you ask if he wants food; a healthy person you serve without asking if he wants
In beis harov, kent di meshoresteh paskenen shailes: in the rabbi's house, the Gentile housemaid knows how to answer questions on Jewish law
Az me muz, muz men: when you have to, you have to.
A nekhtiger tog: literally, a nightly day, iow 'ha! fat chance!no way!'
A mensh trakht, G-tt lakht: man proposes, G-d disposes (literally a man thinks, G-d laughs)


Last edited by zaq on Sun, Jan 10 2021, 1:44 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Blessing1




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Jan 10 2021, 1:19 pm
זאג נישט פאר דעם באשעפער ווי גרויס דיינע פראבלעמען זענען, זאג פאר דיינע פראבלעמען ווי גרויס דער באשעפער איז

Don't tell hashem how big your problems are, tell your problems how big hashem is.
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HeartyAppetite




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Jan 10 2021, 1:24 pm
Hit dir vel ich dir hiten - watch over yourself and I will watch over you.
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Genius




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Jan 10 2021, 1:45 pm
A gashenkta ferd bakikt men nisht dee tzein.
Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.
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silverlining3




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Jan 10 2021, 2:14 pm
Oib s'is do a villn is do a vage.
If there's a will there's a way

Voos m'tit for yenem tit men for zich alein.
What you do for others you really do for yourself
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leah233




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Jan 10 2021, 2:38 pm
Ah halb emes iz a gantze sheker

(A half truth is a whole lie)
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dankbar




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Jan 10 2021, 3:56 pm
Zaq,
Ah nechtige tug, means yesterday's day.

Just like yesterday's day passed already, and won't happen again, same thing when someone promises something & it's not happening & you believe it never will anymore
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weirdo




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Jan 10 2021, 4:11 pm
A mentsch tracht und G-t lacht

We make plans and we think we know what will happen but things turn out differently, G-d has things planned for us.
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amother
Indigo


 

Post Sun, Jan 10 2021, 5:31 pm
Billig is tayer.
Cheap is expensive.
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clowny




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Jan 10 2021, 5:42 pm
Blessing1 wrote:
זאג נישט פאר דעם באשעפער ווי גרויס דיינע פראבלעמען זענען, זאג פאר דיינע פראבלעמען ווי גרויס דער באשעפער איז

Don't tell hashem how big your problems are, tell your problems how big hashem is.


I love this one. And I love the song of it too.
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amother
Mistyrose


 

Post Sun, Jan 10 2021, 6:16 pm
פאר א נער ווייזט מען א האלבע אַרבעט
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summer0808




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Jan 10 2021, 6:41 pm
A Foiler arbet dopelt

A lazy person works twice as much
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GLUE




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Jan 10 2021, 7:20 pm
I don't know how to say them in Yiddish

The whole world is not crazy

Don't wish for a new king

My grandmother used to tell us this one:
May all your teeth fall out except one so you will get a tooth ace
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trixx




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Jan 10 2021, 7:20 pm
Leo rostens books. All gold
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Sprinkles1




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Jan 10 2021, 7:23 pm
amother [ Mistyrose ] wrote:
פאר א נער ווייזט מען א האלבע אַרבעט


...ווייזט מען נישט
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