שיכּור
shiker/ˈʃɪkəʁ/
The Yiddish word for drunk is שיכּור (shiker). Wiktionary also lists באַטרונקען (batrunken).
Meaning: intoxicated after drinking too much alcohol (adj)
Ways to say it
| Yiddish | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| שיכּור | shiker | /ˈʃɪkəʁ/ |
| באַטרונקען | batrunken |
The word שיכּור is used to describe someone who is intoxicated after drinking too much alcohol. Additionally, it functions as a noun to describe a habitual drinker or a drunkard.
Which one should you use?
While שיכּור is the standard adjective for being drunk, באַטרונקען is a more colloquial or informal way to describe the state of being intoxicated.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When using the adjective to describe a female person, you must add the feminine suffix –ע to the word, resulting in שיכּורע.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is shiker and the IPA is /ˈʃɪkəʁ/.
Did you know?
- In many Yiddish-speaking communities, using the more formal שיכּור to describe someone might be seen as a way to mock them with high-flown, 'holy' language.
- The word שיכּור comes from the Hebrew root related to intoxication, which is used in the Bible to describe the aftermath of Noah's vineyard.
- If you want to describe someone who is 'drunk on life' or overly enthusiastic, Yiddish occasionally uses metaphors of intoxication that go beyond literal alcohol.
Examples in context
- ער איז טויט שיכּור.He's shit-faced drunk.This sentence shows the use of שיכּור to describe someone who is extremely intoxicated.Tatoeba #12394940 by rul, translation #2152206 by rul
- ער איז נישט שיכּור.He isn't drunk.This sentence demonstrates the negation of the adjective שיכּור.Tatoeba #12747785 by rul, translation #12747957 by rul
- ער איז שיכּור ווי לוט.He's as drunk as a fiddler.This sentence illustrates a common idiomatic comparison using שיכּור.Tatoeba #9817003 by shekitten, translation #1472638 by Dejo
- 36 more sentences on Tatoeba
Sources
- Wiktionary, “drunk” translations and entries שיכּור, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries שיכּור, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
