ראָץ
rotsmasculine
The English word "snot" translates to Yiddish as ראָץ (rots). Wiktionary also lists סמאָרקעכץ (smorkekhts) and שנאָדער (shnoder).
Meaning: mucus (noun)
Ways to say it
| Yiddish | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| ראָץ | rots | masculine |
| סמאָרקעכץ | smorkekhts | neuter |
| שנאָדער | shnoder | masculine |
| סמאָרק | smork | masculine |
The terms in this pack all refer to mucus.
Which one should you use?
The forms ראָץ, סמאָרק and סמאָרקעכץ refer to the physical substance of snot. In contrast, the colloquial term שנאָדער is often used to refer to a runny nose or the state of having a cold.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form סמאָרקעכץ is a neuter noun, meaning it takes neuter adjectives and pronouns.
How do you pronounce it?
rots
Did you know?
- The term ראָץ is often used in Yiddish idioms to describe something disgusting or contemptible, extending far beyond a medical description.
- In Yiddish, adding the suffix ־עכץ to a word can sometimes change its emotional tone, turning a harsh noun into something that sounds more colloquial or even slightly humorous.
- The word ראָץ is a cognate of the German word 'Rotz', and both trace back to the Proto-West Germanic root *hrott.
Example sentences for Yiddish are not verified yet.
Example conversation
A mother notices her son has a cold.
- רייזל Reizelיצחק, דו האָסט ראָץ אויף דיין פֿיס!Yitshok, du host rots oyf dayn fis!Yitzhak, you have snot on your face!
- יצחק Yitzchakאיך קען נישט פֿינען קיין טוך.Ikh ken nisht finen keyn tukh.I can't find a handkerchief.
- רייזל Reizelקומ איבער דאָ און איך וועל דיר העלפֿן.Kum iber do un ikh vel dir helfn.Come over here and I will help you.
- יצחק Yitzchakאַ דאַנק, מאַמע.A dank, mame.Thank you, mother.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “snot” translations and entries ראָץ, סמאָרקעכץ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries סמאָרקעכץ, ראָץ, CC BY-SA 4.0.
