African Slang Words Starting With "K"

Prison (slang shorthand).

A prisoner (someone who’s in jail).

Sankolo fin, nuage (Sky cloth, cloud)

Ka ta...la, depuis (Since, from)

Kamalennin cogoya, fashion kura (Youth style, new fashion)

Muso caman ta, ka namara kɛ ni bɛɛ ye (Taking many women, flirting with all)

Lakɔli, kalanden kɛli (School, becoming educated)

Kalan kɛ kan, langue étude (Study language, language of instruction)

Kalan kɛlen, lettré (Educated one, literate)

Kalan kuntigi, maître (Study master, teacher)

Bolo kalaw siri, ongles mettre (Nail put, manicure)

Vote kɛ, voter (Do vote, to vote)

Denmisɛnya, jeunesse (Youth-ness, being young)

Dusu sabatilen, confiant (Heart settled, confident)

Kan suguya caman mɔ, plusieurs langues (Many language types know, multilingual)

Kan ko, langue affaire (Language matter, language issue)

Kanuya, yɛrɛ di mɔgɔ ye (Love, giving yourself to someone)

Kanu kɛla, aimeur (Love doer, lover)

Kalan kɛla, kalanden (Teacher, educated person)

Kurane kalan yɔrɔ, école coranique (Quran study place, Quranic school)

Ka bɛn, ka sɔrɔ kelen kan (Unity, being on the same page)

Kokura, nouvelles (New things, news)

Foyi tɛ, hali dɔ (Nothing, not even a bit)

Kɔrɔ min kura ye, ancien nouveau (Old that's new, renewed)

Yɛrɛ saniya, se laver (Self cleaning, to wash)

Furumuso kelen kɔnɔma, enceinte (Married woman's inside, pregnant)

Jeli ka fɔlifɛn, ju mugan ni kelen (Griot's instrument, twenty-one strings)

Sunkalo laban seli, Eid (End of fasting holiday, Eid)

Abada, jamais (Never, ever)

Bamananw ka tulonkɛ, kumaba (Bambara performance, theater)

Dugumafini, patalon surun (Shorts, short pants)

Kuma min man di, min bɛ mɔgɔ tɔɔrɔ (Words that aren't nice, that hurt someone)

Kuma min ka gɛlɛn, min ka di ka mɛn (Hard talk, difficult to hear)

Kuma kɛ cogo, façon parler (Talk do way, way of speaking)

Ka kunbɛn, ka bɛn siniɲɛsigi la (To meet, to meet unexpectedly)

Lajɛ ba, grande réunion (Big meeting, large gathering)

Kundimi, farigan (Headache, sickness)

Kun belebeleba, hakili ɲuman (Big head, good mind)

Yɔrɔ min tɛ ɲɛ, sigida min gansan don (Place that's not nice, neighborhood that's dangerous)

Kun jɔlen, surun (Head up, pride)

Kibaro, ko kura (Information, news)

Mɔgɔ min bɛ kunnafoni di, journaliste (Someone who gives information, journalist)

Kun si mugu tigɛ, tête cheveux couper (Head hair cut, haircut)

Kunu, tɛmɛnen don (Yesterday, past day)

Traditional drink made from millet (Origin: Bambara/Malian)

Tulonkɛ ton, kamalennin ka ton (Youth group, young people's association)

Police or gendarmes (another nickname).

Fancy or high-class (from French “coco” like chic).

Nakɔji kumun, sel (Bitter vegetable water, salt)

Kunnafoniba, kibaro ba (Big news, important information)