Tsuris means “problems” in Yiddish. It is a direct adaptation of the plural form of the Hebrew word for “narrow” or “constriction,” tsar. When a person is beset by troubles you can say that they are af tsuris, “on troubles.” And when they are getting a real walloping, you can describe their situation is gehakte tsuris, “chopped troubles.”

The Evolution of a Yiddish Word Tsar is Hebrew for narrow. An example is found in the story of Balaam and Balak , where the angel of G‑d stands before Balam’s donkey “in a narrow (tsar) place, where there is no way to turn either right or left.” This term is often expanded to include situations where a person is constricted, confined, or troubled. For example, Jephthah complains to the elders who request his help after scorning him: “You hate me and you chased me away from my father’s home. Why do you come to me now when it is difficult (tsar) for you?” Tsaros (or tsarot in Modern Hebrew) is the plural form of tsar “troubles,” as used by King David in Psalms, “The troubles (tsaros) of my heart have increased; deliver me from my straits.” Like English speakers, when talking quickly Yiddish speakers contract the “os” at the end of the word into “is.” Depending on the provenance of said speaker, tsuris is thus pronounced TZOOR-iss, or TZOR-iss.