South Africanisms
A list of Slang words used in South Africa
South Africanisms are slang words and other common parlance specific to South Africa. Because South Africa is a melting pot of people and cultures, these words are collected from various languages, including Afrikaans, English, and many vernacular black languages. The following words are commonly used in South Africa.
AAP–
Monkey, a person who behaves similarly to an ape or an idiot
Ag –
An expression of irritation or resignation the G is guttural as in Loch
AIKONA–
No, not on your life
Aitsa / Aitha –
Impressive
Aweh / Awê
Hello / Yes / What’s up?
Ayoba
A word of approval that’s cooler than cool and better than great! It could also be a greeting if you’re having a lekker day.
BABBELAS
A hangover
Brah / Bra / Bru / Boet / My boy
Dude / Bro / Friend/brother
BILTONG
Dried spiced meat
BUNNY CHOW
A South African Indian food, which is curry served in a hollowed-out half loaf of white bread
BAKKIE
A pick-up truck, also a small bowl (usually plastic)
BLIKSEM
smack or punch, sometimes used to express surprise, comes from Dutch for lightning.
BOER
Farmer in Afrikaans “Boer maak ‘n plan” – farmer makes a plan, used to refer to an often low-cost, creative, innovative solution. This name is one of the South Africanisms that many people worldwide know, mostly because of the Boer War
BOEREWORS
Farmers’ sausage, a mixed meat spiced sausage
BOSSIES
Crazy. Refers to the bush war, Young men often returned shell-shocked
BRAK
Mongrel dog
BROEKIE
Panties or ladies’ underwear
BRAAI–
Barbeque comes from braaivleis (grilled meat) on an open fire
CHOMMIE–chomma / chomza –
Friend/bestie/buddy Friend as in English chum
CHOP-CHOP
– Quickly
COCONUT
Sometimes, racist refers to a black person who behaves like a white person i.e., black outside and white within.
COZZIE
Swimsuit, swimming costume
DAGGA
South Africanism for marijuana
Dala what you must
Do what you must do
DICE
Refers to amateur motor racing, often Illegal Street racing
DOF
Slow or stupid
DOMKOP-
Like German Dummkopf, lit. Dumbhead anyone who appears to be stupid
DONGA
– ditch, from Zulu for “wall”-is now a mainstream word for this geographical feature.
DOP
Alcohol, or to drink alcohol
DOSS–
a nap or sleep.
DROEWORS
Dried sausage, similar to bratwurst or mettwurst
Duidelik
Cool / Awesome/great / hip/dope
Dyt
Food ( Cape Flats parlance)
EINA
-”Ouch” originally from Afrikaans
Ek sê / Eksê
Afrikaans for ‘I say.’ Used either at the beginning or end of a statement
EISH
”Wow, an expression of surprise from the Khoi language, describes anything from shock to awe or disapproval
ENTJIE
Cigarette
Gees
An Afrikaans word for “spirit” is often used to describe a great vibe
GOGGO
Bug, from Khoe xoxo, a creeping thing. The g is pronounced like the ch in Loch
GATVOL
extremely annoyed, and have had enough. Lit; Full hole. The g is pronounced like the ch in Loch
Gaatjie
The person employed to open the doors and lean out of the taxi window to shout the destination to potential passengers. He also collects the fares.
HAYIBO
Zulu for definitely not
HAMBA KAHLE
– Zulu. Go carefully.
HAIKONA
Aikona) Emphatic refusal, No, no.
HOWZIT
Hi, how are you?
INDABA
Meeting of the community, from Nguni, (conference)
Ja (yaah)
Afrikaans for ‘yes’
Jas
Crazy / Mad / Epic
Ja-nee (yah-near)
Afrikaans for yes-no / Meaning ‘Sure!’ / ‘That’s a fact!’ / Usually used in agreement with a statement
Jislaaik
(Yislaaik) An expression of astonishment
Jol
J as in jolly, A party / having a great time
hhayi-bo (isiZulu) / hayibo (isiXhosa) (haai-boh)
An interjection meaning ‘hey,’ ‘no way’
Is it?
Used as an acknowledgement of a statement, but not to ask a question – as one might assume / Most closely related to the English word ‘really’
Kancane
– Stop
Kiff
Cool
KLAP
smack
KOEKSISTER
A sweet fried plaited pastry that has been dipped in a sugary syrup.
KREEF
Crayfish
Kwaai
Cool
LEkKER
-Afrikaans for sweet, used to describe anything good.
LOKSHIEN
From location,/ a black township
MAL
Crazy, from French for bad
Motjie
Girlfriend / Wife
MIELIE
Corn on the cob
MOEGOE
Stupid, weak or cowardly
MOFFIE
Male homosexual (derogatory)
Mooi
Beautiful / pretty
MOOLA
Money
Motjie
Girlfriend / Wife
MUTI
Typically, traditional African medicine (from Nguni umuthi)
My Lief/ My Liefie
Pronounced ‘leaf” My Love
Mzansi
isiXhosa word for “south,” Adopted as an unofficial name for South Africa
Now now
A South African unit of time that can mean anything from right now, just now, in a while, depending on context
NOGAL
Afrikaans, as well, and on top of all that
NOOIT
Afrikaans, never
OOM
lit Uncle in Afrikaans. To call an older man Oom is a sign of respect.
OUTOPPIE
Old man
OUSIE
An older black woman, the way they refer to each other.
PADKOS
Food that you take with you to eat along the way. lit. Road food.
PAP
Porridge, usually maize meal
PLAAS
Farm
PLATTELAND
lit Flat land, usually outlying areas, and farmlands
POTJIEKOS
Stew made from meat and vegetables and cooked in a three-legged pot over a fire.
ROBOT
South Africans call traffic lights robots.
ROOINEK
lit, Red neck. An Afrikaans derogatory name for an Englishman. From the 19th. The British were not used to the harsh sun and were sunburned on their necks. Also, the British army uniform had red collars.
SARMIE
Sandwich
Shisa Nyama
To braai or barbeque meat, or a place where you eat braaied meat and have lots of nice drinks
Siesa
Well done / Impressive
SHEBEEN
A bar where alcohol is sold, often an illegal establishment.
Shame / Shem
A much-used phrase to express all kinds of emotions like sympathy, empathy, tenderness, or regret
SHONGOLOLO
Millipede
SIES
Expression of disgust
Sisi (see-see)
Derived from both isiXhosa and isiZulu words for sister, usisi and osisi
SKELM or SKEBENGA
Zulu for a crook, bad person.
SKINDER
Gossip
SLAP CHIPS,
French fries, usually soft and fat-fried potato chips (pronounced “slup chips”)
SPAZA
-Informal trading stall, usually found in townships
STOMPIE
Cigarette butt
SWAK
Afrikaans for weak
Sisi (see-see) – Derived from both isiXhosa and isiZulu words for sister, usisi and osisi
TAKKIES
Sports shoes
TSOTSIE
Gangster, no good person
UBUNTU
Kindness and compassion. This word defines the diverse South African people, and literally translated means ” I am because we are”
UMLUNGU
White person
VELLIES
Veld skoene. Traditional outdoor shoes made of hide
VOETSEK –
An impolite way to say get lost, go away, from Dutch voertsek. Voort se ek “go I say”
’
VROT-
Bad, putrid, rotting also describes food that’s gone off or a state of being sick
Vuil dyt
Greasy / Junk Food
Wena
isiXhosa and isiZulu for ‘you
Wys
Show/tell/describe
YEBO
Zulu for Yes
Yoh
Wow / Exclamation
Zamalek
Carling Black Label (beer)
ZEBRA CROSSING
Pedestrian crossing
Zikiphani
What’s up?
Try using some of these South Africanisms next time you are in the country. The pronunciation is usually somewhat guttural, but people should understand what you mean.
A bit more -video-
South African slang
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