זון
zun/zʊn/masculine
The English word 'son' is translated into Yiddish as זון (zun).
זון is a masculine noun used to describe a male person in relation to his parents. When using the phrase מיין זון (mayn zun) to mean 'my son', the expression carries an affectionate and parental tone.
Meaning: a male person in relation to his parents (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
The word is romanized as zun and pronounced /zʊn/.
Did you know?
- Because Yiddish blends Germanic and Hebrew influences, a speaker might use the Germanic זון for a child but use a Hebrew-derived term for 'son' when discussing religious lineage or legal inheritance.
- In traditional Yiddish culture, the relationship between a father and his זון was often framed through the concept of 'learning', where the son's primary role was to preserve and transmit the father's scholarship.
- In many Yiddish-speaking communities, calling someone זון is not just a biological descriptor but can be used as a term of endearment by much older individuals towards younger men.
Examples in context
- ער איז מײַן זון.He's my son.This sentence is useful for stating that someone is your זון.Tatoeba #10557639 by shekitten, translation #4703087 by CH
- ער איז דײַן זון?Is he your son?This sentence is useful for asking if someone is your זון.Tatoeba #12153273 by shekitten, translation #12153256 by shekitten
- וווּ איז מײַן זון?Where is my son?This sentence is useful for asking about the location of your זון.Tatoeba #11481951 by shekitten, translation #2093443 by gleki
- בן, זייַ אַרײַן!Son, come in!
- 60 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Menachem and Reizel are talking about their family.
- מנחם Menahemאיז דיין זון דאָ?iz dayn zun do?Is your son here?
- רייזל Reizelניין, ער איז אין שולע.neyn, er iz in shule.No, he is at school.
- מנחם Menahemווען קומט ער צוריק?ven kumt er tsurik?When is he coming back?
- רייזל Reizelמײַן זון קומט אָהיים בּײַ דרײַ.mayn zun kumt oheim bay dray.My son comes home at three.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “son” translations and entries זון, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
