גרויס
groys/ɡrɔɪ̯s/
The English word 'great' is translated into Yiddish as גרויס (groys).
גרויס is used to describe things that are great in terms of scale, importance or size. It can refer to physical dimensions or abstract concepts of greatness.
Meaning: very good (adj)
What does it mean word for word?
The word גרויס literally means 'big' or 'large'.
Which one should you use?
While גרויס is used for scale and importance, the specific adjective גרויסאַרטיק is used when you mean 'great' in the sense of 'wonderful' or 'excellent'.
How does it change in a sentence?
When using גרויס as an adjective before a noun, the form changes based on the noun's gender and number. Use גרויסער before a masculine singular noun and גרויסע before a feminine or plural noun.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is groys and the IPA is /ɡrɔɪ̯s/.
Did you know?
- Even though they look and sound different, the Yiddish גרויס and the English 'great' share the exact same ancient ancestor, a Proto-Germanic word.
- While גרויס describes scale, a Yiddish speaker might use the word פֿאַנטיסטיש to express that something is 'great' in a way that is exciting or unbelievable.
- If you want to say someone is a 'great' person in terms of kindness, you are more likely to use גוט meaning 'good' rather than גרויס.
Examples in context
- ר׳איז אַ גרויסער מחבר.He's a great author.This sentence shows the masculine singular form of גרויס used before a noun.Tatoeba #13995129 by rul, translation #13054714 by rul
- דער תּשמיש איז גרויסאַרטיק.Sex is great.This sentence uses the form גרויסאַרטיק to express that something is great or wonderful.Tatoeba #12082536 by shekitten, translation #12082438 by shekitten
- אַ גרויסער נס איז דאָ געשען.A great miracle happened here.This sentence shows how to describe a great miracle.Tatoeba #13767333 by rul, translation #13746698 by rul
- 17 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Berel and Chana are discussing a meal.
- בערל Berelוואָס מיינסטו פֿון דעם מאכל?Vos maynstu fun dem makhul?What do you think of this food?
- חנה Chanaעס איז גרויס!Es iz groys!It is great!
- בערל Berelאיך בין גלעקיג אַז דיר געפעלט.Ikh bin glekig az dir gefelt.I am happy that you like it.
- חנה Chanaדאַנק דיר, בערל.Dank dir, Berel.Thank you, Berel.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry גרויס, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries גרויס, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
