The word goy (גוי) is Hebrew for “nation.” In contemporary parlance, it refers to non-Jews, who are members of a nation other than ours. In its original context, however, it could refer to any nation—including the Jewish nation, whom G‑d refers to as goy kadosh, a “holy nation.”1

How to Use This Word

  • The term is not a pejorative when spoken by native Yiddish (and Yinglish) speakers and need not be interpreted as such.
  • The plural of this word is goyim, which means “nations.”
  • A “Shabbos goy” is a non-Jew who performs certain tasks that Jews may themselves not perform on Shabbat.
  • In Yiddish, something that is not Jewish can be referred to as goyish, and non-Jewish culture can be called goyishkeit.
  • If you are not Jewish, there is no need to refer to yourself as a goy. “Non-Jew” works just fine.