Jamaican Patois Dictionary
198 words and phrases with meanings, pronunciation, example sentences and origins. Free to use and always growing.
greetings (15) expressions (25) rasta (23) food (21) dancehall (20) love (12) slang (40) proverb (12) people (20) places (10)
A
B
- Baby fadda The father of a woman's child or children, particularly one she is no longer with romantic…
- Baby madda The mother of a man's child or children, especially one he is no longer romantically invol…
- Babylon The oppressive establishment — Western colonial and capitalist society, its institutions, …
- Bad man A tough, fearless man — depending on tone, either a genuine gangster figure or, in the fli…
- Bagga mout A person who talks a great deal but does little to back it up; all talk and no action. It …
- Bammy A flat, round flatbread made from grated cassava that is pressed, dried and fried or steam…
- Bandooloo Fraud, hustling, or illegal and dishonest dealings; also used adjectivally for anything cr…
- Bashy Excellent, exciting, or top quality, especially something flashy, energetic, or that gener…
- Belly full The state of being satisfied and full after eating; more broadly, having enough to eat, co…
- Big man An adult male seen as mature, self-reliant and to be taken seriously; also a man of status…
- Big tings a gwaan Literally 'big things are happening', used to announce that good progress, success, or imp…
- Big up To praise, celebrate or publicly give respect to someone. Used as a verb (to big up a pers…
- Binghi Short for Nyabinghi — the oldest and most traditional order of Rastafari, and the name of …
- Bless up A greeting or parting expression conveying goodwill, roughly 'blessings to you' or 'stay b…
- Blessed A greeting, farewell and blessing all at once, wishing the favour of Jah on someone. It al…
- Bly A break, chance, or lenient reprieve; an opportunity given to someone who might not otherw…
- Boasy Showy, proud, and eager to flaunt what one has — describing a person who dresses flashy, b…
- Boonoonoonoos A term for someone or something precious, adorable and deeply cherished; carries a warmth …
- Box food A takeaway meal served in a foam or cardboard box, typically rice with meat and vegetables…
- Bredda Brother, whether a literal male sibling or, more commonly in address, a fellow man treated…
- Bredren A close male friend, or a group of close friends — brothers by bond rather than by blood. …
- Bruk To break, but also broadly to be broke financially, to break something down, or to move lo…
- Bruk out To let go and dance freely and wildly, holding nothing back; also, more broadly, to break …
- Bulla A round, dense, flat cake sweetened with molasses or brown sugar and spiced with ginger an…
- Bun an cheese The pairing of Jamaican Easter bun, a dark, spiced fruit loaf, with slices of firm process…
- Bunununu Deeply loved, treasured, or adored; used to describe a sweetheart or precious person. It e…
- Bush Wild, uncultivated land — thick vegetation, the deep countryside, or overgrown ground. 'Bu…
- Buss To burst, break open, or make a sudden explosive movement; also extended to mean achieving…
- Buss a wine To break into a hip-rolling dance — literally to 'burst' a whine. It is an invitation or a…
- Bwoy Literally 'boy', but frequently used as an exclamatory filler expressing emphasis, surpris…
C
- Callaloo A leafy green vegetable (in Jamaica usually amaranth, sometimes taro leaf elsewhere) cooke…
- Chalice A water pipe used by Rastafari to smoke the herb ritually during reasoning and meditation.…
- Chat bare foolishness To talk pure nonsense or rubbish; to say things that are stupid, baseless, or not worth li…
- Chicken merry, hawk deh near When you are carelessly happy and off your guard, danger may be close by. A caution not to…
- Cho An exclamation of dismissal, mild annoyance, impatience or disbelief — roughly 'come on', …
- Clash A musical battle between two or more sound systems, or between deejays, where each side tr…
- Cockroach nuh business inna fowl fight Stay out of quarrels that don't concern you, or you'll get hurt. Just as a cockroach would…
- Cook up To prepare a meal, especially a hearty, generous or improvised one thrown together from wh…
- Cotch To rest, perch, or prop something temporarily; also to stay somewhere briefly or lodge on …
- Country The rural areas of Jamaica, away from Kingston and the coastal towns — the countryside whe…
- Craven Greedy, grasping, or excessively covetous; wanting far more than one needs, often to one's…
- Criss Describes something that is fresh, clean, brand new, or looking sharp and impressive. Beyo…
- Cyaan live widout yuh A declaration of deep romantic dependence, meaning one cannot go on or be happy without th…
D
- Deejay In Jamaica, the performer who chats or toasts rhythmically over a riddim — closer to what …
- Di corner The street corner where friends gather to talk, play games and pass the time — the informa…
- Don A powerful, respected man who commands authority within a community or garrison, often a l…
- Downpression Oppression — reworked so the word itself reflects what it describes. Rastafari reason that…
- Downtown The old commercial heart of Kingston near the waterfront — busy markets, street vending an…
- Dreadlocks Hair grown and matted into rope-like strands, worn by Rastafari as a spiritual commitment …
- Dubplate An exclusive, custom recording made for one sound system, in which an artist re-sings a hi…
- Dumplin A dense ball or flattened disc of fried or boiled flour dough eaten as a starch alongside …
- Duppy A ghost or malevolent spirit of the dead, believed in folk tradition to linger and cause h…
- Duppy know who fi frighten Bullies and troublemakers pick on those they know won't fight back. Just as a ghost is sai…
E
- Empress A term of honour for a woman, especially a wife or partner, used within Rastafari culture …
- Ends One's home area, neighbourhood, or the local streets where a person is from and known. It …
- Endz a road Out on the streets, in the local area, hanging around the block. It emphasises being physi…
- Escovitch Fried fish dressed with a tangy, spiced vinegar sauce loaded with sliced onion, carrot, ch…
- Every mikkle mek a mukkle Every little bit adds up to a lot — small amounts saved or gathered steadily become someth…
- Everyting criss A phrase confirming that everything is fine, sorted, or looking good. Stronger and more st…
F
- Facety Describes someone rude, impertinent or cheeky, especially a person who speaks out of turn …
- Farrin Abroad — any country outside Jamaica, especially the United States, United Kingdom or Cana…
- Farrin mind A mindset preoccupied with going abroad or with foreign ways, sometimes to the point of lo…
- Fenke fenke Weak, frail, sickly, or flimsy; describing something or someone lacking strength, substanc…
- Festival A slightly sweet, elongated fried dumpling made from flour, cornmeal and sugar, crisp outs…
- Fi real Means 'for real', 'truly', or 'genuinely'. Used both to affirm the seriousness of a statem…
- Fish deh a sea, dem nuh know seh water hot Those in the middle of a situation may not realise how serious or dangerous it is. Like fi…
- Fluffy A softened, often affectionate or self-affirming way of describing a person, usually a wom…
- Forward To go, move on, or make one's way to a place; also to progress or advance. Unlike standard…
- Fren A friend, but the sense stretches beyond the English word; depending on context it can mea…
G
- Galang To go along, go away, or carry on; used both as a dismissal telling someone to leave and a…
- Ganja Cannabis. To Rastafari it is 'the herb', a sacrament used in reasoning and meditation to o…
- Ginnal A cunning trickster or con artist who survives by outsmarting and swindling others; someon…
- Granny One's grandmother, and often the family elder who raises children while parents work or mi…
- Groundation A Rastafari holy gathering marked by drumming, chanting, reasoning and dancing that can la…
- Gud maanin The morning greeting, equivalent to English 'good morning' but pronounced with the vowel f…
- Gully A drainage gully or ditch, and by extension the poor inner-city neighbourhoods that grow u…
- Gwaan bad To be doing extremely well, excelling, or thriving — 'bad' here is an intensifier meaning …
- Gwaan so Literally 'go on so' or 'goes on so,' used to affirm that something is correct, is how thi…
- Gweh A dismissive command telling someone to go away, get lost, or stop talking nonsense. It ca…
H
I
- I and I A Rastafari pronoun that can mean 'I', 'me', 'we' or 'us', but always carries the idea tha…
- Idren Fellow members of the Rastafari community regarded as spiritual kin; brethren bound togeth…
- If yuh cyaan ketch Quaco, yuh ketch him shut If you can't get at the person themselves, you take satisfaction on something connected to…
- Iman 'I' or 'me', spoken by a Rastafari to refer to himself while affirming the divine 'I' with…
- Inna di morrows A casual way of saying goodbye that means roughly 'see you tomorrow' or 'catch you later',…
- Irie Good, pleasing, or at peace — a state of everything being right. It describes both a feeli…
- Irie ites An expression of the highest good vibes, peace, and positive spiritual feeling. It goes be…
- Ises Praises given to Jah — thanks, worship and honour. The word is used both for the act of pr…
- Ital Natural, pure and unprocessed — used above all for the Rastafari way of eating: food prepa…
- Iyaric The deliberately modified language of Rastafari, also called Dread Talk or I-talk — Jamaic…
J
K
L
- Labrish Idle chatter, gossip, or lively casual talk about other people's business; can also be use…
- Lang time An exclamation used on meeting someone you haven't seen in a while, roughly 'long time no …
- Lawd have mercy An exclamation of shock, distress, exasperation, or sometimes awe. It calls on God for mer…
- Likkle Little or small in size, amount, or degree; often carries an affectionate or diminishing t…
- Likkle more A parting expression meaning 'see you later' or 'catch you in a bit', literally 'a little …
- Link To meet up or connect with someone, often with romantic or flirtatious intent; in the love…
- Link up To meet up with someone, make contact, or connect socially. It stresses the arranging and …
- Lion of Judah A central Rastafari symbol standing for Emperor Haile Selassie I, Ethiopia, and the streng…
- Livity The Rastafari concept of righteous living — the whole way a person conducts their life, in…
- Lyrics Beyond song words, in Jamaican slang 'lyrics' means smooth talk or a chat-up line — the ch…
M
- Maga Thin, skinny, or scrawny; lacking flesh or, by extension, lacking substance. Applied to pe…
- Mannish water A thick, spicy goat soup made from the head, feet, tripe and offal of a goat, often cooked…
- Mash up To destroy, ruin, wreck or break something badly; also, as a noun or adjective, something …
- Mash up di place To give a thrilling performance that sends the crowd into a frenzy — to 'tear up' the venu…
- Massive A crowd, crew, or collective of people, especially fans, supporters, or a community group …
- Mek up mi face To screw up or contort one's face in displeasure, disgust, or annoyance — a facial scowl t…
- Mi cyaan bada Means 'I can't be bothered' or 'I can't deal with it', expressing weariness, reluctance, o…
- Mi dawta An affectionate term for a girlfriend, wife, or a woman held in warm regard; literally 'my…
- Mi deh pon it Means 'I am on it' or 'I'm handling it right now' — an assurance that a task is actively b…
- Mi deh yah Literally "I am here" — the standard reply to a greeting, meaning roughly "I'm alright", "…
- Mi gone A departure phrase announcing that the speaker is leaving now, literally 'I'm gone', but f…
- Mi heart A tender term of address meaning 'my love' or 'my darling', literally 'my heart', used to …
- Mi love yuh The direct declaration of love, 'I love you'. Structurally it uses 'mi' for the subject 'I…
- Mi miss yuh Means 'I miss you', expressing longing for someone who is absent. Patois uses the same bas…
- Mi nah lie An emphatic assertion of truthfulness, roughly 'I'm not lying' or 'honestly', used to unde…
- Mi nuh know A statement of not knowing something, equivalent to 'I don't know'. Beyond literal ignoran…
- Mi one an only A declaration that someone is one's sole and exclusive love; stresses faithfulness and uni…
- Mi seh Literally 'I say', but chiefly used as an emphatic discourse opener to introduce a stateme…
- Mi swear An emphatic assertion that one is telling the truth, equal to 'I swear' or 'I promise'. It…
- Mind yuh business A sharp instruction to stop meddling in someone else's affairs; carries the same meaning a…
- Mumma An affectionate term for one's mother or, more broadly, for any woman viewed as a maternal…
N
- Neighba A neighbour; someone living close by, often used with warmth to reflect the tight-knit yar…
- Nice up di dance To liven up the party and make the vibe sweet — to bring good energy so everyone enjoys th…
- Nuh badda A directive meaning 'don't bother' or 'don't even try it', used to warn someone off an act…
- Nuh mek mi vex A warning telling someone to stop pushing you before you lose your temper; stronger and mo…
- Nuh true A tag question or agreement-seeker meaning 'isn't that so?' or 'right?'. It invites the li…
- Nyam To eat, especially to eat heartily, hungrily, or greedily; more vivid and earthy than the …
- Nyam off To eat up completely, to devour or finish off food entirely, often quickly or greedily so …
O
- One love An expression of unity and shared humanity, used both as a principle — that all people are…
- One one coco full basket Little by little, the task gets done — a basket is filled one coco at a time. It counsels …
- Overstand To understand — but recast so the word affirms rising rather than being beneath. Rastafari…
P
- Patty A savoury baked pastry with a flaky, turmeric-tinted crust folded around a seasoned fillin…
- Pickney A child, whether one's own or any young person. Unlike the neutral English 'child', it is …
- Provisions A collective term for starchy root vegetables and ground crops eaten as the heavy carbohyd…
- Pull up To stop a song abruptly and restart it, at the crowd's demand, because a track is hitting …
- Puppa An affectionate word for one's father, or for an older man regarded with respect and fondn…
- Puss an dog nuh have di same luck Different people meet different fortunes; what works out for one may not for another. A re…
R
- Rastafari The Jamaican spiritual movement, born in the 1930s, that reveres Emperor Haile Selassie I …
- Reach To arrive at a destination or to get somewhere. In Patois it is the standard word for arri…
- Reasoning A discussion, especially a deep or spiritual one — a session where Rastafari gather to tal…
- Renk Means insolent or disrespectful, but also literally foul-smelling or rancid; the two sense…
- Rice an peas A staple Sunday-dinner dish of rice cooked with kidney beans (or pigeon peas) in coconut m…
- Riddim The instrumental backing track of a reggae or dancehall song — the bass, drums and melody …
- Run dung A dish made by boiling down coconut milk until it reduces to an oily, custardy base ('the …
S
- Same way An expression of agreement or affirmation meaning 'exactly', 'likewise', or 'that's right'…
- Scotch bonnet A small, extremely hot chilli pepper with a wrinkled, lobed shape resembling a tam, centra…
- Screwface A sour, scowling facial expression showing displeasure, hostility, or a bad mood; by exten…
- Selecta The person who chooses and plays the records at a sound system dance or on radio. Distinct…
- Selector The person on a sound system who chooses and plays the records — the equivalent of what mu…
- Session A dancehall event or party where a sound system plays through the night. A session is the …
- Sistren A close female friend, or a group of women bound by friendship and mutual support — the fe…
- Skank To dance to ska, reggae or dancehall with a loose, bent-forward, arm-swinging step; also t…
- Sky juice A cheap street treat of shaved or crushed ice packed into a clear plastic bag and drenched…
- Small up yuhself A request to make room by shrinking your space, literally 'make yourself small', used when…
- Soon come An assurance that the speaker will return or arrive shortly, meaning 'I'll be right back' …
- Sorrel A deep-red drink brewed from the dried calyces (sepals) of the roselle hibiscus plant, ste…
- Sound system A mobile setup of powerful speakers, amplifiers, selectors and deejays that brings recorde…
- Stoosh Snobbish, upper-class, or putting on airs of refinement; describes someone who behaves as …
- Sweetheart A romantic partner or object of affection; while it mirrors the English word, in Jamaica i…
T
- Tallawah Strong, sturdy, fearless, and full of fortitude despite small size. It carries the specifi…
- Tek care a mi heart A plea or trusting request made to a romantic partner to be gentle with one's feelings and…
- Tek time An instruction to go slowly, be careful, or handle something gently; broader than English …
- Tek weh yuhself A blunt command telling someone to leave, clear off, or remove themselves from a place or …
- Time longer than rope Time stretches further than any rope — be patient, because things unfold and truth comes o…
- Toasting Chatting or half-singing rhythmically over a riddim — the Jamaican vocal style, dating fro…
- Town The city — most often Kingston, the capital, as opposed to the rural 'country'. To go 'a t…
- Trod To walk, journey or make one's way through life — used by Rastafari for the spiritual path…
- Trouble nuh set like rain Trouble gives no warning. Unlike rain, which announces itself with gathering clouds, hards…
- Tun up Lively, hyped and full of energy — used for a party, a tune or a person that is at full ex…
U
W
- Wah do yuh Means 'what's wrong with you?' or 'what's the matter with you?'. Depending on tone it rang…
- Wah gwaan The everyday Jamaican greeting, literally "what's going on?" It works as both a genuine qu…
- Wah mek An interrogative meaning 'why' or 'what makes it so', literally 'what makes'. Unlike the p…
- Wah yuh a seh Literally 'what are you saying', used as a friendly greeting equivalent to 'what's up' or …
- Walk good A parting blessing meaning "travel safely" or "take care of yourself" — a wish for the oth…
- Wanti wanti cyaan get it, getti getti nuh want it Those who badly want something can't get it, while those who already have it don't appreci…
- Weh yuh deh Literally 'where are you', but used both as a genuine request for someone's location and a…
- Wha sweet nanny goat a go run him belly What tastes sweet now can bring trouble later — short-term pleasure often leads to future …
- Wheel up To rewind and replay a song from the start because the crowd loves it. In dancehall a whee…
- Whine To dance by rolling and gyrating the hips and waist in slow circles — the signature moveme…
- Wifey An affectionate term for a serious, committed girlfriend or wife, marking her as the main,…
- Wutliss Describes a person who is lazy, irresponsible, and of no good use — especially someone who…
Y
- Yaad Home — whether one's house, one's community, or Jamaica itself. For Jamaicans abroad, 'yaa…
- Yard Home, one's house, or by extension Jamaica itself when spoken by Jamaicans living abroad. …
- Yuh good A casual check-in greeting meaning 'are you okay/are you doing alright', asked with rising…
- Yuh pretty bad A strong compliment meaning 'you are extremely beautiful'. Here 'bad' is an intensifier me…
- Yuh see mi A conversational tag meaning 'you understand me?' or 'you know what I mean?', used to seek…
- Yute A young person, especially a young man — but also used as a friendly term of address betwe…