Yiddish #3

Last lesson, we learned how to conjugate the verb זײַן/zayn/to be in the present tense. Now, let’s see how most other verbs in the present tense are conjugated. The endings are as follows, and I’ll use the verb זינגען/zingen/to sing as an example:

איך/ikh/I: chop off the verb ending (ען/en or simply ן/n) -> זינג/zing
דו/du/you: same as איך/ikh, then add on סט/st -> זינגסט/zingst
ער־זי־עס/er-zi-es/he-she-it: same as איך/ikh, then add on ט/t -> זינגט/zingt
מיר־זײ/mir-zey/we-they: same as איך/ikh, then add on ען/en -> זינגען/zingen

איר/ir/you (pl.): same as איך/ikh, then add on ט/t -> זינגט/zingtSo let’s look at a few conjugations:

זען/zen/to see
איך/ikh/I: זע/ze
דו/du/you: זעסט/zest
ער־זי־עס/er-zi-es/he-she-it: זעט/zet
מיר־זײ/mir-zey/we-they: זעען/zeen
איר/ir/you (pl.): זעט/zet

זאָגן/zogn/to say
איך/ikh/I: זאָג/zog
דו/du/you: זאָגסט/zogst
ער־זי־עס/er-zi-es/he-she-it: זאָגט/zogt
מיר־זײ/mir-zey/we-they: זאָגן/zogn
איר/ir/you (pl.): זאָגט/zogt

עסן/esn/to eat
איך/ikh/I: עס/es
דו/du/you: עסט/est
ער־זי־עס/er-zi-es/he-she-it: עסט/est
מיר־זײ/mir-zey/we-they: עסן/esn
איר/ir/you (pl.): עסט/est

Basic conjugation in the present tense.

You might be asking yourself what the heck happened with that last verb. Shouldn’t the conjugation for דו/du/you be עססט/esst? Well, yes, but since Yiddish usually doesn’t double up on consonants, we drop the second ס/s. Similar changes occur in verbs ending in ט/t, such as בײַטן/baytn/to change, where the third-person conjugation is בײַט/bayt, instead of בײַטט/baytt.

Here are some verbs for you to learn so you can start making sentences on your own!
האָבן/hobn=to have
גײן/geyn=to go
קומען/kumen=to come
פֿילן/filn=to feel
לױפֿן/loyfn=to run
רעדן/redn=to speak
לערנען/lernen=to learn
That’s all for now.

Ready to move on to some harder stuff and put your conjugal skills (just kidding, I guess I should say conjugational) to use? Click here!