בלאָ
blo
The Yiddish word for blue is בלאָ (blo).
בלאָ is an adjective used to describe things that are blue-coloured.
Meaning: blue-coloured (adj)
Is it said differently in some regions?
In American Yiddish, the term בלאַוו (blau) is used.
How do you pronounce it?
blo
Did you know?
- Because Yiddish is a fusion language, the way בלאָ is pronounced can immediately signal whether a speaker's ancestors came from the Litvak regions of the north or the Polish regions of the south.
- In some historical Yiddish contexts, shades of blue were associated with the 'tekhelet', a specific biblical blue dye that is deeply significant in Jewish tradition.
- If you are describing a person who is 'blue' in the sense of being depressed, Yiddish often favors terms related to 'heavy' or 'dark' rather than the color itself.
Examples in context
- צי איז עס בלאָ?Is it blue?This example shows how to ask if something is the color בלאָ.Tatoeba #7969088 by shekitten, translation #2248442 by CK
- דער הימל איז בלאָ.The sky is blue.This sentence illustrates how to state that the sky is בלאָ.Tatoeba #7969083 by shekitten, translation #18275 by CK
- איז דאָס ניט בלאָ?Isn't this blue?This is a way to ask a negative question regarding whether something is בלאָ.Tatoeba #8137235 by shekitten, translation #7969673 by shekitten
- 40 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Yitzhak and Sarah are looking at a piece of clothing.
- יצחק Yitzchakשרה, זעסטו דעם בלאָ קלייד?Sarah, zestu dem blo kleyd?Sarah, do you see the blue dress?
- שרה Saraיא, עס איז זייער שיין.Ya, es iz zeyer sheyn.Yes, it is very beautiful.
- יצחק Yitzchakאיז עס בלאָ גענוג פֿאַר דיר?Iz es blo genug far dir?Is it blue enough for you?
- שרה Saraיא, איך ליבע בלאָ קלערן.Ya, ikh libe blo klern.Yes, I love blue colors.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry בלאָ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
