South Africanisms
A list of Slang words used in South Africa
South Africanisms are slang words 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 African parlance
AAP– Monkey, a person who behaves similarly to an ape or an idiot
AIKONA– No not on your life
BABBELAS– A hangover
BILTONG– any person who behaves similarly to an ape or an idiot
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 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 (Grill meat) on an open fire
CHOMMIE– 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
DOMKOP- Like German Dummkopf lit. Dumbhead anyone who appears to be stupid.
DAGGA– South Africanism for marijuana
DICE– Refers to amateur motor racing, often Illegal Street racing
DOF-Slow or 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
EINA– ”Ouch” originally from Afrikaans
EISH– ”Wow” an expression of surprise from the Khoi language
ENTJIE-Cigarette
GOGGO– Bug from Khoe xoxo creeping thing. The g is pronounced like the ch in Loch
GATVOL-extremely annoyed, and had enough. Lit; Full hole The g is pronounced like the ch in Loch
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)
KLAP– smack
KOEKSISTER– A sweet fried plaited pastry that has been dipped in a sugary syrup.
KREEF– Crayfish
LEEKER-Afrikaans for sweet, used to describe anything good.
LOKSHIEN– From location, a black township
MAL– Crazy, from French
MIELIE-Corn on the cob
MOEGOE– Stupid, weak or cowardly
MOFFIE-Male homosexual (derogatory)
MOOLA– Money
MUTI- Typically traditional African medicine (from Nguni umuthi)
NOGAL- Afrikaans, 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 English man. 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
SHEBEEN-A bar where alcohol is sold, often an illegal establishment.
SHONGOLOLO– Millipede
SIES-Expression of disgust
SKELM or SKEBENGA– Zulu for a crook, bad person.
SKINDER– Gossip
SLAP CHIPS, French fries, usually soft and fat-fried potato chips
SPAZA-Informal trading stall, usually found in townships
STOMPIE– Cigarette butt
SWAK– Afrikaans for weak
TAKKIES-Sports shoes
TSOTSIE-Gangster, no good person
UBUNTU-Kindness and compassion
UMLUNGU-White person
VELLIES– Veld skoene. Traditional outdoor shoes made of hide
VOETSEK -impolite way to say get lost, go away, from Dutch voertsek. Voort se ek “go I say”
VROT- Bad, putrid, rotting
YEBO– Zulu for Yes
ZEBRA CROSSING– Pedestrian crossing
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.
.
