Browse African Slang

Three-wheeler

Add strength

Cent dollars (Hundred dollars) - slang

Très gros investisseur (Very big investor) - metaphor

Literally “stray bullet,” slang for a loose girl or someone who’s “for the streets.”. Usage: Oyo balle perdue – ozela te...

What do they say?

Bambara nuts

Enfants bandits (Child bandits) - Lingala

Children upon children

Children of peace

School desk

Insufficient desks

Eux/elles (They/them) - Lingala

Don't let them defeat

Ancestors

Banque (Bank) - French

Group baptism

Route (Road) - Swahili

BBQ party

Street hawker

They're hitting

Call me

Library

Pen

Red pen (failing)

Oil container

A “cheater” (in academics), basically someone with crib notes (from “bidon” meaning fake). Usage: Ye bidonka ya cours – ...

Gros poisson (Big fish) - English slang

Corn cakes

Bilan (Balance sheet) - French

I-account yekudla (Food account)

Things of the world

Wild yams

Vous (You plural) - Lingala

Nous (We/us) - Lingala

All of us

A truant student (one who skips class).

Amaranth leaves

Snails

Protection renforcée (Reinforced protection) - slang

Blogger

Redwood

Ancestors said

Our ancestors

(Lingala) The word for 'love' in Lingala, a language spoken in D.R. Congo. It's often heard in Lingala love songs. For e...

True love

Slang for “punch” (sound of hitting, like “boli”). Usage: Nabétaki ye bolíth moko, atikalaki nzube – I landed a punch on...

Kill it (succeed)

Be patient

Tue-le (Kill him) - Lingala, rendu célèbre par Ali