שלח־מנות
/ʃ(a)ɫaχˈmɔnəs/humble, masculine, neuter
The English word gossip can be translated into Yiddish as שלח־מנות or שמועה.
Meaning: idle talk (noun)
Ways to say it
| Yiddish | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| שלח־מנות | /ʃ(a)ɫaχˈmɔnəs/ | humble, masculine, neuter | |
| שמועה | shmue | feminine |
This term refers to idle talk.
Which one should you use?
The masculine and neuter form שלח־מנות is used for the concept of idle talk, while the feminine form שמועה specifically refers to news.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form שמועה is a feminine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/ʃ(a)ɫaχˈmɔnəs/
Did you know?
- The term שלח־מנות is an alteration of the Hebrew phrase משלוח מנות, which actually refers to the custom of sending food gifts to friends and neighbors during the holiday of Purim.
- In Yiddish culture, the act of gossiping is often linked to לשון הרע or 'the evil tongue'. While שמועה is a neutral term for news, talking about others can be seen as a serious moral transgression in Jewish law.
- While שמועה means news or gossip, the Yiddish word קוואַטש refers to the act of mindless chatting. This distinguishes the content of the talk from the social habit of talking too much.
Example sentences for Yiddish are not verified yet.
Example conversation
Yitzhak and Sarah are chatting in a kitchen.
- יצחק Yitzchakהאָסטו געהערט דעם לעצטן שלח־מנות?Hostu gehert dem letstn shlak-mones?Have you heard the latest gossip?
- שרה Saraניין, וואָס פאַסירט?Neyn, vos pasirt?No, what's happening?
- יצחק Yitzchakדער שכנה גייט אַוועג פֿון דער שטעט.Der shkhene geyt aveg fun der shtet.The neighbor is leaving town.
- שרה Saraאיך גלייב נישט דעם שלח־מנות.Ikh glayb nisht dem shlak-mones.I don't believe the gossip.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “gossip” translations and entries שלח־מנות, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries שלח־מנות, CC BY-SA 4.0.
