Browse African Slang

ካባ/ካባ (Cloak)

ቃተኛ/ቃተኛ (Spiced bread)

Slang for the local flip-flop sandals, used to symbolize being super casual or broke. Usage: He showed up in shorts and ...

ቀበሌ/ቀበሌ (Kebele) - local administration

Means “respect,” but youth use it as “props” or “credit.”. Usage: Keber new, you finished that marathon! I couldn’t do t...

ከበሮ/ከበሮ (Drum)

ክፉ/ክፉ (Kefu) - bad/evil

Slang meaning “liar” (literally “one who denies”).

Means “to brag” (literally “to proclaim”). Used when someone won’t shut up about their achievements. Usage: Ever since h...

ቀለማት/ቀለማት (Kelemat) - decoration

ከመይ/እንዴት (How - Tigrinya)

ቀሚስ/ቀሚስ (Dress)

ቀነኒሳ/ቀነኒሳ በቀለ (Kenenisa Bekele)

ቀነጦ/ቀነጦ (Keneto) - non-alcoholic tej

ቀነጦ/ቀነጦ (Non-alcoholic tej)

ቀረፋ/ቀረፋ (Cinnamon)

ቀሪቦ/ቀሪቦ (Holy water drink)

ከሰለጡ/ከሰለጡ (Keseletu) - afternoon

ቀጥ/ቀጥ (Kets) - woodwork

ማፍያ/ማፍያ (Mafiya) - kettle

ቀይ/ቀይ (Key) - red

“Eat later,” meaning procrastinate or push something off.

From Arabic “kazeb” meaning liar, used to call out someone jokingly for exaggeration. Usage: You caught a fish “this big...

ቅቤ/ቅቤ (Kibe) - butter (for hair/skin)

ኪክባክ/ዘና ያለ ስብሰባ (Kickback/chill gathering)

ኪዳን/ኪዳን (Kidan) - covenant

ቅዳሴ/ቅዳሴ (Kidase) - liturgy/mass

ቅዱስ/ቅዱስ (Holy/saint)

ክሊኒክ/ክሊኒክ (Kilinik) - clinic

ቅንጬ/ቅንጬ (Cracked wheat)

መዋዕለ ሕፃናት/መዋዕለ ሕፃናት (Mewaele hitsanat) - kindergarten

ኪዮስክ/ኪዮስክ (Kiosk) - kiosk

ክራር/ክራር (Kirar) - traditional string instrument

ክረምት/ክረምት (Rainy season)

ክትፎ/ጥሬ ስጋ (Raw meat dish)

ክትፎ ቤት/ክትፎ ቤት (Kitfo bet) - raw meat restaurant

ኮከብ/ኮከብ (Star)

ቆሎ/ቆሎ (Kollo) - roasted barley

ቆንጆ/ውብ (Beautiful/pretty)

ቆረፌ/ቆረፌ (Breakfast drink)

ቆርቆሮ/ቆርቆሮ (Korkoro) - bargaining

ቆሻሻ/ቆሻሻ (Koshasha) - messy/dirty

ቆጠቤ/ቆጠቤ (Kotebe)

ክራር/ክራር (Traditional lyre)

ክራር ተጫዋች/ክራር ተጫዋች (Krar techawach) - krar player

ኩኩሉ/ኩኩሉ (Kukulu) - hide and seek

ቁርጥ/ጥሬ ስጋ (Raw meat)

ቁጣ/ከፊል ቀሚስ (Half dress)

ኳስ/ኳስ (Kwas) - ball