African Slang Words Starting With "K"

Rire (Laugh)

Rire (To laugh) - Lingala

Se moquer (To mock)

Laugh hard

“To sit down” (slang, literally “to get seated”). Usage: Tia ba place, tosekama awa – Make space, let’s sit down here.

Demander, supplier (To ask, to beg)

Se réjouir, être content (To rejoice, to be happy)

Se réjouir (To rejoice) - Lingala

S'amuser/profiter (Have fun/enjoy)

Se réjouir beaucoup (To rejoice greatly)

Enjoy a lot

Mixed street dish; can mean mess.

كشري (Mixed rice dish)

كشري - طبق مصري شهير (Famous Egyptian dish)

ቆሻሻ/ቆሻሻ (Koshasha) - messy/dirty

Finir, terminer (To finish, to end)

Se fâcher (To get angry) - Lingala

Se fâcher, être en colère (To get angry)

Tenir, attraper (To hold, to catch)

“To make someone touch (the guilt),” meaning to blame or make someone feel guilty. Usage: Alingaki kosimbisa ngai touche...

كسكسي (Couscous)

Parler, discuter (To talk, to discuss)

Acheter (To buy) - Lingala

Acheter (To buy)

Acheter (Buy)

Faire les courses (To go shopping)

Acheter pas cher (To buy cheap)

Montrer, indiquer (To show, to point)

Verser, renverser (To spill)

Sortir ensemble (To go out together)

Nickname for a very dangerous area or hotspot (after the war-torn region). (Origin: Township slang)

Problème, souci (Problem, issue)

Quoi/Qu'est-ce que (What)

Beignets sucrés locaux (Local sweet fritters)

Mentir, raconter des mensonges (To lie, tell lies)

Born on Sunday (male name)

ኮሶ/ኮሶ (Traditional medicine)

Slang for a special girl or one’s girlfriend (used in urban youth slang; sometimes also “koso”).

Parti di trás (Parte de trás) (Back)

Kusti (Kosti)

Terminer (To finish) - Lingala

Laver (To wash) - Lingala

Pousser (To push) - Lingala

Aider (To help) - Lingala

S'entendre bien (To get along well)

S'entendre bien (To get along) - Lingala

Kosèbè (A lot - Dioula)

Abada, jamais (Never, ever)

Pesoa más velha (Pessoa mais velha) (Elder/older person)

Kota (Quarter loaf sandwich)