Meaning
An emphatic assertion that one is telling the truth — equal to 'I swear' or 'I promise'. Dropped into or after a statement, 'mi swear' underscores sincerity, urgency, or frustration ('mi swear mi neva know'), pressing the listener to believe you. It can also stand alone as strong agreement with what someone else has just said, meaning 'absolutely, it's true'. Common and forceful in everyday talk, it puts the speaker's word on the line to vouch for the truth of the matter.
Examples
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Mi swear mi neva tek it.
I swear I never took it.
Used to protest innocence; 'neva' negates the past.
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Di food good, mi swear!
The food is good, I swear!
Emphasises genuineness of praise; note no copula before 'good'.
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Mi swear pon mi madda dat a true.
I swear on my mother that it's true.
'pon mi madda' intensifies the oath considerably.
Origin
From English 'I swear', with the Patois pronoun 'mi' replacing 'I'. The reduced form drops the verb 'do' entirely for emphasis.
How it’s used
Informal and very common among younger speakers. 'Mi swear pon...' raises the stakes of the oath. Overuse can weaken its force. Not appropriate in formal or legal contexts where a literal oath is meant.