ביליק
bilik/ˈbɪɫɪk/
The Yiddish word for cheap is ביליק (bilik).
ביליק is an adjective used to describe something that is low or reduced in price.
Meaning: low and/or reduced in price (adj)
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective takes the feminine suffix –ע (e) to agree with feminine nouns, creating ביליקע. For comparisons, you can use the suffix –ער (er) to create the comparative form ביליקער (cheaper) or the suffix –סט (st) to create the superlative form ביליקסט (cheapest).
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /ˈbɪɫɪk/.
Did you know?
- The ancient Proto-West Germanic root of ביליק is related to being 'merciful', 'kind' or 'fair'.
- While English uses 'cheap' to mean both 'low price' and 'low quality', in many Yiddish contexts, calling something ביליק focuses purely on the price and does not necessarily insult the item's quality.
- If you were to use the comparative form ביליקער to describe a person's behavior, you would be moving far away from the concept of price and into the realm of something being 'appropriate' or 'proper'.
Examples in context
- דאָס איז נישט ביליק.That's not cheap.This sentence is useful for stating that something is not cheap using ביליק.Tatoeba #10025720 by shekitten, translation #2251149 by CK
- אַלץ איז אזוי ביליק.Everything's so cheap.This sentence is useful for describing everything as being very cheap using ביליק.Tatoeba #12573996 by rul, translation #2245484 by CK
- דאָס יופּע איז ביליק.This skirt is cheap.This sentence is useful for describing a specific item, such as a skirt, as being cheap using ביליק.Tatoeba #11655588 by shekitten, translation #8771126 by shekitten
- 10 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hannah and Itzhak are shopping for clothes together.
- חנה Chanaזע דאָס קלייד! עס איז זייער ביליק.ze dos kleyd! es iz zeyer bilik.Look at this dress! It is very cheap.
- יצחק Yitzchakאָבער עס זעט נישט גוט אויס.ober es zet nisht gut oys.But it doesn't look good.
- חנה Chanaאיז עס נישט ביליק גענוג פֿאַר דיר?iz es nisht bilik genug far dir?Is it not cheap enough for you?
- יצחק Yitzchakניין, איך וויל עפּעס בעסער.neyn, ikh vil epes beser.No, I want something better.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cheap” translations and entries ביליק, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ביליק, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
