Jamaican Patois
Learn Jamaican Patois, phrase by phrase
Every one of the 110 words and phrases JaLingo teaches, grouped by the parish you meet it in. Each one is taken from a conversation written for this course, and the meaning given is how that conversation uses it, not a literal word-for-word rendering. The Patwa is a draft still awaiting review by Jamaican speakers.
Patois — also written Patwa — is a full language with its own grammar, not a broken form of English. The JaLingo app puts these in conversation.
Kingston
- Wah gwaanWhat’s going on? / How are you?
- Mi deh yah.I’m here — I’m doing all right.
- Respect, boss.Respect — a greeting and a mark of regard.
- small up yuhselfmake room for someone else
- One stop, driva!One stop, driver!
- Seen.Understood / OK.
- Weh yuh a go?Where are you going?
- Walk goodTake care / safe travels
- Duppya ghost or returning spirit
St. Andrew
- Mawnin.Good morning.
- Mi ready.I’m ready.
- A wah dis a grow all bout?What is this growing everywhere?
- A who pick all a dis?Who picks all of this?
- Mi nah seh nutten.I won’t say anything.
- Down easygently, take it slow
- Look — di sun a come.Look — the sun is coming.
- Anybody ever live way up yah?Did anyone ever live right up here?
St. Thomas
Portland
- Di food sweet!The food tastes great!
- A wah kinda wood dat?What kind of wood is that?
- cyaancan’t / cannot
- Who did start cook so?Who started cooking like this?
- Nuh drink no waterDon’t drink water
- Talk to mi.Talk to me. (Tell me what you think.)
- Mi ready fi mi food now.I’m ready for my food now.
- Di price a di price.The price is the price.
St. Mary
- Weh di market deh?Where is the market?
- Soon comeit is going to come — don’t stress about exactly when
- Mi nuh inna nuh rush.I’m in no rush.
- Mi wi wait wid yuh.I’ll wait with you.
- Wah dis parish know fah?What is this parish known for?
- Gi mi di heavy one.Give me the heavy one.
- Yuh a carry nuff load.You’re carrying a heavy load.
St. Ann
Trelawny
- Nuh lef di trail.Don’t leave the trail.
- Wah mek?Why is that?
- Weh dis place name?What is this place called?
- Abeng.a cow horn used to send coded signals across the hills
- Dat heavy fi true.That is genuinely heavy.
- Big up yuhselfRespect to you
- Mi a follow yuh.I’m following you.
- Land of Look Behindthe historic nickname colonial soldiers gave the Cockpit Country frontier
St. James
Hanover
- Mi soon come.I’ll be back soon.
- wi soon leave!we’re leaving soon!
- Soon leave mean when?“Soon leave” means when?
- Nuh clock nah run dis busNo clock runs this bus
- See? Full. Wi gone.See? Full. We’re off.
- A wah dem a sell inna di bag dem?What are they selling in those bags?
- mi a go remember yuhI’ll remember you
- Lucea yama yam variety distinctly associated with Hanover
Westmoreland
- Di sunset nice.The sunset is beautiful.
- Yuh reach jus in time.You arrived just in time.
- Tek yuh picture, nuh problem.Take your picture, no problem.
- Mek mi get mi phone out.Let me get my phone out.
- Dat good or bad?Is that good or bad?
- Bwoy.Wow.
- Mi nah pretend seh mi have di answer.I won’t pretend I have the answer.
- Di work realThe work is real
St. Elizabeth
Manchester
Clarendon
- How much fi dis?How much is this?
- Wah yuh want?What do you want?
- Mawnin first, nuh?Good morning first, wouldn’t you?
- brawtaa small extra given as goodwill after a purchase
- Gi mi five hundred.Give me five hundred.
- Yuh a rob mi.You’re robbing me.
- nuh squeeze di Julie dem too harddon’t squeeze the Julie mangoes too hard
- Mango season sweet dis year.Mango season is excellent this year.
St. Catherine
- Mi nuh know.I don’t know.
- Yuh know weh wi deh?Do you know where we are?
- Yuh nuh from yah?You’re not from here?
- mek wi find out together.let’s find out together.
- Excuse mi sahExcuse me, sir
- Mi a listen.I’m listening.
- Keep it.Keep it (you don’t need it anymore).
- Mi madda never tell mi dat part.My mother never told me that part.
Parish photography and cultural sources are credited in the app. Get the JaLingo app