94 Jamaican Patois Phrases (With Meanings & Examples)
These 94 lines are headwords from the Jamaican Patois dictionary. Each meaning is that entry's gloss, and each example is the sentence already stored with it. Where the dictionary also stored an English line, that line is shown too.
For a birthday, the dictionary has no separate sentence. The congratulation it records is big up: to acknowledge someone or give a shout-out. The example is "Mi haffi big up mi madda," translated there as "I have to acknowledge my mother." Parties, praise, and other occasions are in the Celebrations section.
Full sentences belong in the Jamaican Patois translator. Slang and swear words are gathered on their own page.
Greetings
These are greeting and farewell headwords from the Patwa dictionary. Wah gwaan is recorded as a casual greeting among friends. Likkle more is the recorded way to say you will see someone in a little while.
What's going on?
Patois: "Wah gwaan, bredda?"
English: "What's up, brother?"
Goodbye / Greeting
Patois: "Alright bredda, bless up."
English: "Alright brother, take care."
Greetings / Heights / Colors
Patois: "Ites, mi bredda."
English: "Greetings, my brother."
See you later
Patois: "Alright bredda, likkle more."
English: "Alright brother, see you later."
Understood / Agreed
Patois: "We a leave at 5, seen?"
English: "We are leaving at 5, understood?"
Friend / Bro
Patois: "Wha gwaan, star?"
English: "What's up, man?"
Youth / Young person
Patois: "Wha gwaan, yute?"
English: "What's up, youth?"
Boy
Patois: "Wha gwaan, bwoy?"
English: "What's up, boy?"
Greet
Patois: "Hail up yuh bredrin."
English: "Greet your brother."
Leader / Respected man
Patois: "Respect, general."
English: "Respect, boss."
Good / Pleasing
Patois: "Everything irie, man."
English: "Everything is good, man."
You see me / Understand?
Patois: "Mi tired, zimi?"
English: "I'm tired, you understand?"
Sorry / Sympathy
Patois: "Hush yuh self, it soon better."
English: "I am sorry, it will get better soon."
Much respect
Patois: "Nuff-respect to di general."
God
Patois: "Jah bless yuh."
English: "God bless you."
Common Expressions
Everyday reactions and small grammar words from the same dictionary: frustration, worry, surprise, and how to say where someone is.
Kiss teeth / Frustration
Patois: "Cho, mi tired a dis."
English: "Ugh, I'm tired of this."
Worry
Patois: "Nuh fret, everything a go be alright."
English: "Don't worry, everything is going to be alright."
Angry / Upset
Patois: "Make him gwaan, mi nuh vex."
English: "Let him do what he wants, I am not angry."
Wow / Gosh
Patois: "To raatid! Di house burn down."
English: "Wow! The house burned down."
Wow / My goodness
Patois: "Kiss mi neck, yuh see dat?"
English: "Wow, did you see that?"
Thing / Situation
Patois: "How di ting set?"
English: "How is the situation looking?"
Have to / Must
Patois: "Mi haffi go work."
English: "I have to go to work."
Not / No
Patois: "Mi naw do dat."
English: "I am not doing that."
Unlucky
Patois: "Mi really salt today."
English: "I am really unlucky today."
You (plural)
Patois: "Wha oonu a do?"
English: "What are you all doing?"
Is (Location) / There
Patois: "Weh yuh deh?"
English: "Where are you?"
Go along / Go on
Patois: "Galang bout yuh business."
English: "Go on about your business."
Go away
Patois: "Gweh from ya!"
English: "Go away from here!"
You
Patois: "Wha yuh a say?"
English: "What are you saying?"
Isn't it true?
Patois: "It cold today, nuh-true?"
Food & Dining
Food headwords from the dictionary, including nyam (to eat), market selling, and dishes such as janga soup and curry goat.
To eat
Patois: "Di pickney nyam all di food."
English: "The child ate all the food."
Food
Patois: "Mi want some nyam-nyam."
English: "I want some food."
Natural / Pure
Patois: "Mi only eat I-tal food."
English: "I only eat natural/pure food."
Root vegetables
Patois: "We eating fish and ground provision."
English: "We are eating fish and root vegetables."
Shrimp / Crayfish
Patois: "Mi making janga soup."
English: "I am making crayfish soup."
Young coconut
Patois: "Buy a jelly fi quench yuh thirst."
English: "Buy a young coconut to quench your thirst."
Done / Finished
Patois: "Di food dun."
English: "The food is finished."
Greedy
Patois: "Stop being so big-eye."
English: "Stop being so greedy."
Greedy
Patois: "Yuh too craven, leave some."
English: "You are too greedy, leave some."
Freeloader
Patois: "Dat lick-skillet always a beg food."
English: "That freeloader is always begging for food."
Street vendor
Patois: "Di higgler a sell yam inna market."
English: "The vendor is selling yams in the market."
Tiny amount
Patois: "Just a kemps a sugar mi want."
English: "I just want a tiny bit of sugar."
Little / Small
Patois: "Mi want a lickle bit a sugar."
English: "I want a little bit of sugar."
Foul-smelling / Disrespectful
Patois: "Dat meat smell renk."
English: "That meat smells foul."
Curried goat dish
Patois: "No party complete without curry-goat."
Slang / Youth Talk
Street and dancehall slang already tagged in the dictionary. Meanings and examples are the dictionary's own, not new coinages.
Party / Excellent
Patois: "We a go a bashment tonight."
English: "We are going to a party tonight."
Ladies' man / Player
Patois: "Him a real gyalis."
English: "He is a real ladies' man."
Excellent / Very good
Patois: "Dat song deh bad!"
English: "That song is excellent!"
Money
Patois: "Mi need some duns fi buy food."
English: "I need some money to buy food."
Scammer / Hustler
Patois: "Him buy a Benz, must be a choppa."
English: "He bought a Benz, he must be a scammer."
Fake / Counterfeit
Patois: "Dat a bandulu passport."
English: "That is a fake passport."
Bandwagon fan
Patois: "Him a real waggonist, only cheer when dem win."
English: "He's a bandwagon fan, only cheering when they win."
Examine / Observe
Patois: "Why yuh a pree mi?"
English: "Why are you staring at me?"
Trickster / Con artist
Patois: "Nuh trust him, him a ginnal."
English: "Don't trust him, he's a trickster."
Bother / Cheat
Patois: "Nuh try sheg mi wid di change."
English: "Don't try to cheat me with the change."
Arrogant / Flashy
Patois: "Him too hype since him get money."
English: "He is too arrogant since he got money."
Somebody / Someone
Patois: "Yuh tink yuh a smaddy?"
English: "Do you think you are somebody important?"
Vulgarity / Immorality
Patois: "Di DJ only play slackness."
English: "The DJ only plays vulgar music."
Rhythm / Instrumental beat
Patois: "Dat riddim bad!"
English: "That beat is great!"
Proverbs & Wisdom
The dictionary marks one-one cocoa full basket as a proverb, and it records do-good and water-more-than-flour as proverbial headwords. Tallawah is the recorded line for someone small but strong.
Gradually / One by one
Patois: "One-one cocoa full basket."
English: "Every little bit adds up (Proverb)."
Strong / Sturdy
Patois: "She likkle but she tallawah."
English: "She is small but she is mighty."
Kindness / Behave
Patois: "Do-good and good will follow yuh."
Hard times / Imbalance
Patois: "Right now, water more than flour fi mi."
Love & Relationships
Affection and relationship headwords from the dictionary. Luv is defined simply as love, with the example One luv. Putus is the recorded word for a sweetheart.
Sweetheart
Patois: "Come here, mi putus."
English: "Come here, my sweetheart."
Love
Patois: "One luv."
Wink / Flirt
Patois: "Him give her the sweet-eye."
Lover / Caretaker
Patois: "Mi need mi night-nurse."
Mother
Patois: "Mi love mi muma."
Burn / Betrayal
Patois: "She gi him bun."
English: "She cheated on him."
Mistress / Other woman
Patois: "Him wife fight di matey."
English: "His wife fought the mistress."
Sisters / Female friends
Patois: "Mi and mi sistren a go out."
English: "My female friends and I are going out."
Travel & Practical
Getting around, as the dictionary records it: soon come, the iron bird for an airplane, yard for home or Jamaica, and a few lines about the road.
Coming soon (flexible)
Patois: "Mi a go shop, mi soon come."
English: "I'm going to the store, I'll be back eventually."
Airplane
Patois: "Him fly out pan di iron bird."
English: "He flew out on the airplane."
Home / Jamaica
Patois: "Mi a go back a yard."
English: "I am going back home (or to Jamaica)."
Arrive / Come
Patois: "What time yuh a forward?"
English: "What time are you arriving?"
Peaceful journey / All is well
Patois: "Alright bredda, cool-runnings."
Foreign / Abroad
Patois: "Him travel to farin."
Reckless driving
Patois: "Di taxi man bad-drive mi."
Full
Patois: "Di bus full-up."
A short distance
Patois: "Di shop is just a piece-a-way down the road."
On foot / Walk
Patois: "Mi hit di road on ten-toes."
Weave / Ride
Patois: "Watch him dally down di road."
English: "Watch him weaving down the road."
Out of / Outside
Patois: "Get outa mi yard."
English: "Get out of my yard."
I / We
Patois: "I-and-I a go to di country."
English: "We are going to the country."
Celebrations
The dictionary has no headword and no example for happy birthday. The congratulation it does record is big up: to acknowledge someone or give a shout-out. The other lines here are parties, praise, Christmas sorrel, and the nine-night wake.
Acknowledge / Praise
Patois: "Mi haffi big up mi madda."
English: "I have to acknowledge my mother."
Let go / Wild
Patois: "Make we leggo tonight."
English: "Let's party wildly tonight."
Dance
Patois: "Him really drop legs at di party."
English: "He really danced well at the party."
Hang out / Party
Patois: "We just a jam down di street."
English: "We are just hanging out down the street."
Crowd / Group
Patois: "Big up the entire massive."
English: "Shout out to the whole crowd."
Free giveaway
Patois: "Jamaicans love freeness."
English: "Jamaicans love getting things for free."
Party
Patois: "We a go to a fete tonight."
Christmas drink
Patois: "Mi want a glass of sorrel and rum."
Give thanks
Patois: "Satta-massagana to the most high."
Traditional wake
Patois: "Dem having a big nine-night for her grandmother."
Use a phrase in a full sentence
Paste an example from this page into the translator to see it in a longer line.
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Resources
Explore Phrases in Other Languages
More curated phrase guides for other West African and Caribbean creole variants are on the way.