Browse African Slang

Hide anger

Hide truth

Réparer le cœur (To heal the heart) - Lingala

Changer (To change) - Lingala

First fruit ceremony

Perdre l'amour (To lose love) - Lingala

“To hide” (like go off and be born elsewhere, humorous for hiding). Usage: Kasi ye, soki problème eyí, akobátama! (But h...

Slang verbs meaning “to steal” (lit. “to hit” or a play on words for pickpocket).

Literally “to hit the book,” meaning to study.

Literally “to hold a meeting” / “to put ear,” both mean to chat someone up or spit game. Usage: Azali kotia ye litoyi ba...

Literally “to hit the hoof/football,” slang for abandoning or neglecting someone. Usage: Akomi kobéta sabot na fiancée n...

Literally “to break the pen,” meaning to drop out or quit school.

To dress up sharp (like going all out on style).

Slang for “to eat” (similar to damage).

Slang verbs meaning “to leave/to bounce.”

Both mean “to cheat in class” (kodonké as in sneaky, “doing looking”). Usage: Ba exam babandi, kasi bato bazali kosala l...

Ouvrir (To open) - Lingala

Ouvrir avec clé (To unlock) - Lingala

Literally “to gas someone,” meaning to tell someone off or scold them.

Prendre (To take) - Lingala

Bien comprendre (To understand well) - mixed

Attraper, arrêter (To catch, to arrest) - Lingala

Hold tight

Fermer à clé (To lock) - Lingala

To release/untie

Couper (To cut) - Lingala

Absolument aller (To absolutely go) - mixed

Aller ailleurs (To go elsewhere) - mixed

Aller après (To go after) - mixed

Automatiquement aller (To automatically go) - mixed

Aller bientôt (To go soon) - mixed

Certainement aller (To certainly go) - mixed

Aller chez (To go to) - mixed

Comment aller (How to go) - mixed

Aller d'abord (To go first) - mixed

Aller demain (To go tomorrow) - mixed

Aller directement (To go directly) - mixed

Aller doucement (To go gently) - mixed

Aller encore (To go again) - mixed

Enfin aller (To finally go) - mixed

Aller ensemble (To go together) - mixed

Finalement aller (To finally go) - mixed

Forcément aller (To necessarily go) - mixed

Aller fort (To go hard) - mixed

Aller frais (To go fresh) - slang

Ne jamais aller (To never go) - mixed

Aller jusqu'à (To go until) - mixed

Aller lentement (To go slowly) - mixed

Go abroad

Précéder (To go ahead) - Lingala