Browse African Slang

Mtihani wa muda (Continuous Assessment Test)

Mtihani wa mwisho wa muda (Final continuous assessment tests)

Mkahawa (Cafeteria)

Tukio la kupiga kambi (Camping adventure)

Mzee wa plot (Caretaker)

Wahusika (Cast)

Mtu maarufu (Celebrity)

Mchezo wa wasichana (Girls' game)

Ngoma ya wamijikenda (Mijikenda dance)

Chakula chetu cha kitamaduni (Our traditional food)

Chakula kwa Kimijikenda (Food in Mijikenda)

Swahili for boyfriend (lit. 'guy'). Often 'dem na chali' means girl and her guy. In Sheng, chali is just a boy or man, b...

Kikundi cha akina mama (Women's group)

Jambo kwa Kikalenjin (Hello in Kalenjin)

A minibus taxi, the common public transport van

An older slang for money, still understood (from Hindi/Gujarati 'chap' for stamp, implying stamped coin). Now mostly rep...

Short for chapati, but slang-wise it appears in idioms: achana na hizo chapo ('leave those issues alone') or anapiga cha...

Chapati na maharagwe (Chapati with beans)

Chapati (Chapati)

A humorous modern term for the personal growth that comes from heartbreak or tough romantic experiences. Popular in Keny...

Money

“Check” or “look.” Used to draw attention.

Mwanamke kwa Kipokot (Woman in Pokot)

Cheza inavyokufaa (Play your way)

Mkutano wa chifu (Chief's meeting)

Chakula kwa Kiluo (Food in Luo)

Chips (French fries)

Msichana wa kulala naye mara moja (One night stand girl)

Chipsi za pilipili (Spiced chips)

Mtoto wa mitaani (Street kid)

Grilled meat

Makini (Alert / sharp)

Vizuri kwa Kimijikenda (Fine in Mijikenda)

Literally “eat metal,” means to endure hardship (like having a tough stomach).

A phrase (from a popular song) meaning take/use up my money (often playfully).

Umoja wa Wakristo (Christian Union)

Hisia za Krismasi (Christmas vibes)

Pombe ya Chrome (Chrome vodka)

Another term for 50 shillings (a half of a 'soc'), popular in Nairobi Sheng. From 'hamsini' via unknown etymology or the...

Mchango wa kanisa (Church fundraising)

Slang for 1000 shillings, from the portrait of Mzee Jomo Kenyatta on the note (Kenya's first president nicknamed Churchi...

Fifty cents

Ya filamu (Cinematic)

Citizen TV

Kiongozi wa darasa (Class representative)

Wazi (Clear)

Mahali pa kuweka vitu (Cloakroom)

Muda wa kufunga (Closing time)

Kuzunguka club nyingi (Moving between clubs)

Short for 'colonial,' it's used to describe anything old-school or from older generations. For example, an old style coa...