יאָ
yo[jɔ]
The Yiddish word for "yes" is יאָ (yo).
יאָ is a particle used to indicate agreement or acceptance.
Meaning: word used to indicate agreement or acceptance (particle)
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is yo.
Did you know?
- In some contexts, a speaker might reply with יאָ, יאָ not to emphasize 'yes', but to imply 'yes, but…' or to suggest they are listening while actually disagreeing.
- Because Yiddish uses the Hebrew alphabet, the word יאָ is written using characters that were originally designed for a completely different linguistic family.
- While יאָ is standard, many Yiddish speakers use the Hebrew word כן (ken) to say 'yes' in religious or more formal contexts.
Examples in context
- יאָ, איך וווין דאָ.Yes, I live here.This sentence is useful for confirming a location with יאָ.Tatoeba #10018188 by shekitten, translation #10018183 by shekitten
- יאָ, זײַ אַזוי גוט.Yes, please.This sentence is useful for using יאָ when asking someone to be so kind.Tatoeba #11322928 by shekitten, translation #687874 by lukaszpp
- יאָ, דו ביסט גערעכט.Yes, you're right.This sentence is useful for agreeing with someone's correctness using יאָ.Tatoeba #11031117 by shekitten, translation #5422331 by CK
- 33 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chana and Avraham are deciding what to eat.
- חנה Chanaוועטסטו עסן אַ קוגעל?Vetstu esn a kugel?Will you eat a kugel?
- אברהם Avrahamיאָ, איך האָב הונגער.Yo, ikh hob hunger.Yes, I am hungry.
- חנה Chanaזאָל איך מאַכן מער?Zol ikh makhn mer?Should I make more?
- אברהם Avrahamיאָ, ביטע.Yo, bite.Yes, please.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “yes” translations and entries יאָ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
