Mazal tov

Mazal tov

Mazal tov ( _he. מזל טוב) literally means "good fortune" in Hebrew. This phrase has been incorporated into Yiddish as "mazel tov," and is now used in Modern Hebrew and English as well. It is often used to mean "congratulations."

The expression comes from the Mishnaic Hebrew "mazzāl", meaning "constellation" or "destiny." This in turn is thought to have derived from the Akkadian language "manzaltu, mazzaztum,"In Israel, "Mazal Tov" is used for all sorts of happy occasions, whether they be a new driver's license, a birthday, or the end of an IDF service. Another common use is to acknowledge a bad event or experience being over - for example, after a very hard test.

Note that although "mazal" means "luck" in Modern Hebrew, "good luck" is an incorrect translation of the true meaning of the phrase. This term is not used in the way that the expression "good luck" is used in English (typically as "I wish you good luck"). It is more often an acknowledgment that good fortune has already occurred; the sayer means, "I am pleased this good thing has happened to you." The phrase for wishing good luck is in Hebrew "B'hatzlacha" (בהצלחה), literally meaning "with success".

ee also

*List of English words of Yiddish origin
*Mazel (disambiguation)


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем решить контрольную работу

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Mazal tov —  Pour l’article homonyme, voir Mazel Tov ou le Mariage.  « Mazal Tov ! » ou « Mazel tov ! » est une interjection hébraïque (מזל טוב!‏) incorporée au yiddish, qui est souvent employée au sein de la… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Mazal Tov — o Mazel Tov (hebreo [מזל טוב] / Yidis [מזל טוב]), es una locución que significa literalmente buena suerte . Es utilizada en hebreo moderno, y en otros idiomas occidentales. Frecuentemente se la asocia a felicidades . Procede del idioma hebreo… …   Wikipedia Español

  • mazal tov — variant of mazel tov * * * /mah zeuhl tawv , tawf , tohv /. See mazel tov. * * * mazal tov var. mazel tov …   Useful english dictionary

  • Mazal Tov —  Pour l’article homonyme, voir Mazel Tov ou le Mariage.  « Mazal Tov ! » ou « Mazel tov ! » est une interjection hébraïque (מזל טוב!‏) incorporée au yiddish, qui est souvent employée au sein de la… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • mazal tov — /mah zeuhl tawv , tawf , tohv /. See mazel tov. * * * …   Universalium

  • Mazal Tov — (from Hebrew) congratulations!, best wishes on this happy day …   English contemporary dictionary

  • Mazal bueno — is a Judaeo Spanish expression meaning “good luck” and is used for all occasions. This expression is the Spanish Hebrew translation equivalent to the Yiddish expression “Mazel tov,” but the Yiddish expression is limited to luck that has already… …   Wikipedia

  • Mazel Tov — Mazal Tov  Pour l’article homonyme, voir Mazel Tov ou le Mariage.  « Mazal Tov ! » ou « Mazel tov ! » est une interjection hébraïque (מזל טוב!‏) incorporée au yiddish, qui est souvent employée au sein de la …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Mazel tov — Mazal Tov  Pour l’article homonyme, voir Mazel Tov ou le Mariage.  « Mazal Tov ! » ou « Mazel tov ! » est une interjection hébraïque (מזל טוב!‏) incorporée au yiddish, qui est souvent employée au sein de la …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Mazel tov — Mazel Tov! written on a wine glass Traditionally, after the groom breaks the …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”