Yiddish is a language that grew up among Jewish people in central and eastern Europe. Most of it is built on old German, so a German speaker can catch quite a lot of it, but it is written in Hebrew letters and holds many words from Hebrew and from Slavic languages such as Polish and Russian. Before the Second World War millions spoke it every day; the Holocaust killed most of those speakers, and today it is mainly kept alive by older people, by scholars, and by strictly religious Jewish communities in places like New York and Israel, where children still grow up speaking it.

Yiddish「意第緒語」 is是 a language一種語言 that grew up在...發展出來的 among Jewish people in central and eastern Europe中歐和東歐的猶太人之間。Most of it它大部分 is built on以古德語為基礎 old German，so所以 a German speaker一個講德語的人 can catch quite a lot of it能聽懂不少，but但是 it它 is written用希伯來字母書寫 in Hebrew letters，and而 holds many words帶有很多字 from Hebrew and from Slavic languages such as Polish and Russian來自希伯來語、以及波蘭語、俄語這類斯拉夫語言。Before the Second World War二戰之前，millions數百萬人 spoke it every day每天都在用它，the Holocaust大屠殺 killed殺害了 most of those speakers大部分講這語言的人，and而 today現在 it它 is mainly kept alive主要靠...維繫著 by older people, by scholars, and by strictly religious Jewish communities in places like New York and Israel老一輩的人、學者、以及紐約和以色列這類地方嚴格遵守宗教的猶太社群，where那些地方的 children小孩 still grow up speaking it還是從小就講這個語言長大。

It is also used as a describing word: Yiddish literature, a Yiddish theatre, Yiddish songs. English itself has quietly borrowed a lot from Yiddish through New York, so words you may already know — bagel, klutz, schmuck, glitch, chutzpah, "I should worry" patterns of sentence — come from it.

It它 is also used也被當作 as a describing word形容詞用：Yiddish literature意第緒文學、a Yiddish theatre一個意第緒劇場、Yiddish songs意第緒歌曲。English英文本身 itself has quietly borrowed a lot悄悄借了很多字 from Yiddish through New York透過紐約從意第緒語借來，so所以 words you may already know你可能早就知道的字 — bagel「bagel」（貝果）、klutz「klutz」（笨手笨腳的人）、schmuck「schmuck」（討厭鬼）、glitch「glitch」（小故障）、chutzpah「chutzpah」（厚臉皮）、"I should worry" patterns of sentence像「I should worry」這種句型 — come from it都是從這裡來的。

Two things worth keeping straight. Yiddish is not Hebrew: Hebrew is the ancient language of the Bible and the everyday language of Israel today, and the two are not related in family, only in alphabet and in shared words. And Yiddish is not slang or "broken German", though people used to call it that unkindly; it is a full language with its own grammar, newspapers and Nobel-prize-winning writers.

Two things兩件事 worth keeping straight值得搞清楚。Yiddish「意第緒語」 is not並不是 Hebrew「希伯來語」：Hebrew「希伯來語」 is是 the ancient language of the Bible聖經裡的古老語言 and和 the everyday language of Israel today今天以色列的日常語言，and而 the two這兩個語言 are not related in family在語言家族上並沒有親屬關係，only只是 in alphabet and in shared words字母相同、也有共用的詞彙而已。And而且 Yiddish「意第緒語」 is not slang or "broken German"不是俚語、也不是「破爛的德語」，though雖然 people used to call it that unkindly以前有人不客氣地這樣叫它；it它 is是 a full language一個完整的語言 with its own grammar, newspapers and Nobel-prize-winning writers有自己的文法、報紙、和得過諾貝爾獎的作家。