Ladino phrasebook

language derived from Medieval Spanish spoken by Sephardic Jews

Ladino (גֿודֿיאו-איספאנייול / judeo-español / Ђудео-Еспањол in the Hebrew, Latin and Cyrillic scripts) is a Romance language spoken by the Sephardic Jews.

It is also spoken by minor Jewish communities in Turkey, Israel, the Netherlands, Greece, the United Kingdom, and the United States. For most of its speakers, today, Ladino is the second language.

A Western Romance language, Ladino is closely related to and mutually intelligible with Spanish. However, there are many loan words from Hebrew, Portuguese, Arabic, and Turkish.

Pronunciation guide

Ladino spelling, like Spanish, has the pleasant characteristic of being very phonetic, with only a few clearly-defined exceptions. This means that if you know how to pronounce the letters of a word, it's relatively easy to sound out the word itself.

Vowels

a
like 'a' in "father".
e
like 'e' in "met", although often taught as 'a' in "spain".
i
like 'ee' in "see".
o
like 'o' in "score", especially when stressed.
u
like 'oo' in "hoop".
y
like 'ee' in "see". Very rarely used at the middle or ending of words.

Consonants

b
like 'b' in "bed"
c
'c' is solely used in combination as 'ch'.
ch
like 'ch' in "touch": muncho
d
like 'd' in "dog"
dj
like 'j' in John. Djudezmo
f
like 'f' in "fine": faro
g
like 'g' in "good": ganyar
h
like 'h' in "hit": haham
j
like 's' in the "pleasure":judyo
k
like 'k' in "kid": kilo
l
like 'l' in "love": malo
m
like 'm' in "mother": mano
n
like 'n' in "nice": noche, ancla
p
like 'p' in "pig": Pesah
r
is pronounced as 'r' in Spanish: persona
s
like 'ss' in "hiss": sopa
sh
like 'sh' in "shining": yanashear
t
like 't' in "top": Tora
v
like 'v' in "valid": bever
y
like 'y' in "yes": yuvyar.
z
like 'z' in "zoo"

Accents and stress

Phrase list

Basics

Hello/Hi
Shalom (Shah-lom)
How are you? (informal)
Ke haber? (KEH HA-bear)
How are you? (formal)
Komo estash? (KOH-mo ehs-TASH?)
Very well, thank you
Muy byen, grasyas. (MOOEY BYEHN, GRAH-syahs)
What is your name? (informal)
Komo te yamas? (KOH-moh TEH YAH-mahs?)
What is your name? (formal)
Komo vos yamash? (KOH-moh VOS YAH-mash)
Who are you? (informal)
Ken [eres/sos]? (KEN EH-rehs?)
My name is ______
Me yamo ______ (MEH YAH-moh _____ )
I am ______
Yo so ______ (YO SO ______)
Nice to meet you
Enkantado/a (ehn-kahn-TAH-doh/ehn-kahn-TAH-dah)
It's a pleasure to meet you
Muncho plazer. (MOON-choh plah-zehr)
Please
Por favor (POHR fah-vOHR)
Thank you
Grasyas (GRAH-syahs)
You're welcome
De nada (DEH NAH-dhah)
Yes
Si (SEE)
No
No (NOH)
Excuse me! (begging pardon)
[Pardon/Perdon]! (pahr-DOHN/per-DOHN)
I'm sorry
Lo syento (LOH SYEHN-toh)
Goodbye
Adyo (ah-DYOH)
I can't speak Ladino (well)
No (f)avlo (byen) ladino. (NOH (F)AV-loh (BYEHN) la-dee-noh)
Do you speak English? (informal)
(F)Avlas inglez? ((F)AH-vlahs een-GLEHZ?)
Do you speak English? (formal)
(F)Avlates inglez? ((F)AH-blah-tes oos-TEHD een-GLEHZ?)
Is there someone here who speaks English?
Ay alguno ke (f)avla inglez? (I AHL-goo-noh KEH (F)AH-Vlah een-GLEHZ?)
Help!
Ayuda! (ah-YOO-dah!)
Good morning
Buenos diyas (BWEH-nohs DEE-ahs)
Good afternoon / Good evening
Buenas tardes (BWEH-nahs TAR-dehs)
Good evening / Good night
Buenas noches (BWEH-nahss NOH-chehss)
I don't understand
No entyendo (NOH ehn-TYEHN-doh)
Where is the toilet?
Ande esta el banyo? (AHN-deh ehss-TAH EHL BAH-nyoh?)

Problems

Leave me alone.
Deshame en paz. (DEH-shah-meh ehn PAHS)
Don't touch me!
No me tokes! (noh meh TOH-kehs!)
Police!
Polis! (poh-lees!)

Numbers

½ - medio

0 - zero

1 - uno

2 - dos

3 - trez

4 - kuatro

5 - sinko

6 - sesh

7 - syete

8 - ocho

9 - mueve

10 - dyez


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