שלעכט מזל
shlekht mazl
The Yiddish phrase for "bad luck" is שלעכט מזל (shlekht mazl).
שלעכט מזל is used to denote misfortune.
Meaning: misfortune (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the adjective שלעכט (shlekht), meaning "bad" and the noun מזל (mazl), meaning "luck".
How does it change in a sentence?
When using the phrase as a modified noun phrase (e.g., 'a bad luck'), the adjective takes the masculine singular ending '-ער' (-er) to agree with the masculine noun מזל. In this case, the form becomes שלעכטער מזל (shlekhtar mazl).
How do you pronounce it?
shlekht mazl
Did you know?
- In Yiddish culture, mentioning שלעכט מזל (shlekht mazl) can sometimes be seen as inviting it, leading people to use euphemisms or 'knock on wood' to ward off the misfortune.
- While מזל (mazl) means 'luck', its Hebrew root actually refers to an astronomical constellation or an astrological influence. Historically, one's luck was believed to be determined by the movement of the stars.
- The phrase שלעכט מזל (shlekht mazl) creates a linguistic bridge between two unrelated language families by combining a Germanic adjective with a Hebrew noun.
Examples in context
- ער האָט שלעכט מזל מיט רעגען.er hot shlekht mazl mit regen.He has bad luck with rain.
Example conversation
Hannah and Menachem are talking about a missed bus.
- חנה Chanaמנחם, איך האָב פֿאַרלוירן דעם באַס!Menachem, ikh hob farlorn dem bas!Menachem, I missed the bus!
- מנחם Menahemדאָס איז שלעכט מזל, חנה.Dos iz shlekht mazl, Chana.That is bad luck, Hannah.
- חנה Chanaוואָס זאָל איך טאָן איצט?Vos zol ikh ton itst?What should I do now?
- מנחם Menahemמיר וועלן וואַרטן פֿאַר דעם נעקסטן.Mir veln vartn far dem nekstn.We will wait for the next one.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries מזל, שלעכט, CC BY-SA 4.0.
