"Mazel tov" or "mazal tov" (Hebrew/Yiddish: "מזל טוב", Hebrew: "mazal tov"; Yiddish: "mazel tov"; lit. "good luck") is a phrase used to express congratulations for a happy and significant occasion or event.
Contents |
The expression comes from the Mishnaic Hebrew mazzāl, meaning "constellation" or "destiny" (compare English "one's (lucky) stars"). The Mishnaic word derives from Biblical Hebrew mazalot (2 Kings 23:5).[1]
While the words mazal (or mazel in Yiddish; "luck" or "fortune") and tov ("good") are Hebrew in origin, the phrase is of Yiddish origin, and was later incorporated into Modern Hebrew.
While the Yiddish pronunciation of mazel has the stress on the first syllable, the modern Hebrew word has the stress on the second syllable, as is standard in modern Hebrew.
The phrase "mazel tov" is recorded as entering into English from Yiddish in 1862.[2][1]
Similarly the Yiddish שלימזל, transliterated as shlimazl ("misfortune"), also made its way into US English (as shlemozzle, schlimazel) in the 20th century.
The same words were also loaned into German, as Massel ("luck"), and also as the verb vermasseln ("to ruin, screw up") and Schlamassel ("misfortune, disaster").
In Polish, the word ślamazara, also derived from Yiddish shlimazl, denotes a person who is slow, sluggish, or lifeless.
Although mazel tov literally translates to "good luck," the phrase is not used in the way that the expression "good luck" is typically used in English (i.e. "I wish you good luck"). It rather means "good luck has occurred" or "your fortune has been good" and is an acknowledgement of this fact. The phrase "mazel tov!" parallels the use of the phrase "congratulations!" and conveys roughly that "I am pleased this good thing has happened to you!"
The phrase for wishing good luck to occur in Hebrew, in the way "good luck" does in English, is b'hatzlacha (בהצלחה), literally meaning "with success."[3]
In the diaspora, "mazel tov!" is a common Jewish phrase, such as after a bar or bat mitzvah or a wedding, the congregation may be inclined to shout "Mazel Tov!" For instance, at a Jewish wedding, after the groom breaks the glass everyone yells "Mazel Tov!" In addition it is one of the most well known cultural references that non-Jews know regarding Jews.[4]
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 military service. Another common use is to acknowledge a bad event or experience being over—for example, after a very hard test.