משוגע
meshuge
The Yiddish word for crazy is משוגע (meshuge).
משוגע means insane or demented. Similar to English, it is also used colloquially to describe someone as eccentric or wild rather than just clinically insane.
Meaning: insane, demented (adj)
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine singular form is משוגע (meshuge).
How do you pronounce it?
meshuge
Did you know?
- Although משוגע is Yiddish, its roots are purely Hebrew, coming from the ancient root meaning to wander or go astray.
- In many Jewish-American dialects, 'meshuga' has become an English adjective, meaning the word has migrated from the target language into the speaker's primary language.
- In many Yiddish-speaking communities, calling someone משוגע is often a term of endearment for a person who is uniquely spirited or 'out there' rather than a genuine insult.
Examples in context
- איך בין א ביסל משוגע.I am a bit crazy.This sentence shows how to use משוגע to say you are a bit crazy.Tatoeba #4306245 by negativeclock, translation #2989747 by CM
- ער מוז זיין משוגע פאר טוען אזוינען זאך.He must be crazy to do such a thing.This sentence shows how to use משוגע to describe someone's actions.Tatoeba #4325411 by negativeclock, translation #41617 by Swift
- דו ביסט אַ משוגענע.You're a crazy woman.This sentence uses the feminine form to call someone a crazy woman.Tatoeba #12589064 by rul, translation #3330905 by CK
- 71 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Menachem and Sarah are talking about a neighbor's strange behavior.
- מנחם Menahemהערסטו, דער Nachbar איז ממש משוגע!Herstu, der nachbar iz mamesh meshuge!Listen, the neighbor is really crazy!
- שרה Saraוואס האט ער געטון?Vos hot er getan?What did he do?
- מנחם Menahemער רעדט מיט זיין הונט.Er redt mit zayn hund.He is talking to his dog.
- שרה Saraדאס איז טאקע משוגע.Dos iz toke meshuge.That is indeed crazy.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries משוגע, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
