אױ גאָט
Oy Got
Oh my god in Yiddish is expressed as אױ גאָט (Oy Got).
אױ גאָט is used to express various intense emotions such as shock, surprise, dismay or even exasperation.
Meaning: excitement or shock (intj)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is a literal translation of "Oh God", where אױ (oy) is an interjection and גאָט (got) means "God".
How do you pronounce it?
Oy Got
When do people say it?
The phrase Oy vey! is a common informal way to convey Oh My God.
Did you know?
- The exclamation אױ (oy) is so iconic that it was officially added to the Oxford English Dictionary, though it remains a core building block of the Yiddish אױ גאָט.
- In many Yiddish-speaking communities, saying the name of God in vain is avoided, so people might swap אױ גאָט for אױ גאָט פֿאַרבאַסן or use much more secular interjections instead.
- While אױ גאָט expresses shock, many Yiddish speakers use the similar-sounding אױ גאָט אינדער וועלט to mean 'Oh my God in the world!', adding extra weight to their exclamation.
Examples in context
- אױ גאָט, וואָס אַ גרויסע בשורה!oy got, vos a groyse bshure!Oh my god, what great news!
- אױ גאָט, עס איז שוין צייט.oy got, es iz shoyn tsayt.Oh my god, it is already time.
Example conversation
Sarah and Isaac see a huge cake on the table.
- שרה Saraאױ גאָט, זעט די קוקע!Oy got, zet di kuke!Oh my god, look at the cake!
- יצחק Yitzchakזי איז גאַנץ ריזיק!Zi iz gants rizik!It is absolutely huge!
- שרה Saraווער האָט עס געמאכט?Ver hot es gemakht?Who made it?
- יצחק Yitzchakמיין מאמע האָט עס געבאקען.Mayn mame hot es gebaken.My mother baked it.
