chas v'chalila

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Pronunciations

chas v'chalila (khas vih-khah-LEE-lah) listen

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Definitions

  • interj. "Heaven forbid" (Steinmetz's Yiddish and English dictionary).

Example Sentences

  • "She might fail her bar exam." "Chas v'cholile."

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Languages of Origin

  • Textual Hebrew
  • Yiddish

Etymology

  • חס וחלילה

      • Who Uses This

      • Orthodox: Jews who identify as Orthodox and observe halacha (Jewish law)
      • Israel: Diaspora Jews who feel connected to Israel and have spent time there

      Regions

      • North America
      • Great Britain
      • South Africa
      • Australia / New Zealand

      Dictionaries

      • Yiddish and English: A Century of Yiddish in America, by Sol Steinmetz (Tuscaloosa, 1986).

      Alternative Spellings

      khas v'kholileh, khas v'kholile, khas v'kholilah, khas v'kholila, khas v'khalileh, khas v'khalile, khas v'khalilah, khas v'khalila, khas vekholileh, khas vekholile, khas vekholilah, khas vekholila, khas vekhalileh, khas vekhalile, khas vekhalilah, khas vekhalila, chas v'cholileh, chas v'cholile, chas v'cholilah, chas v'cholila, chas v'chalileh, chas v'chalile, chas v'chalilah, chas vecholileh, chas vecholile, chas vecholilah, chas vecholila, chas vechalileh, chas vechalile, chas vechalilah, chas vechalila

Notes

  • See also chas v'sholom. In some Jewish cultures, "poo poo poo" or "tfu tfu tfu" is used in a similar way.

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