Browse African Slang

Respectful address for an older woman (Ma) or man (Pa)

Highway/Major street (Primary road)

Main girlfriend/Wife (Primary partner)

Means to figure something out or manage it somehow. Often said when you'll find a way around a problem.

Do agriculture/Plant (Farm work)

Succeed/Achieve wealth (Become successful)

Create success (Make it happen)

Means 'watch out'. 'I making my eye on you' = I'm watching you carefully.

Create opportunity (Find time)

To irritate or provoke (make someone angry)

Honor family (Please parents)

Vendors/Traders (Market traders)

Female vendor (Market woman)

Coordinate/Pair (Match it)

Animal flesh/Protein (Meat)

Charm pouch/Protection (Amulet)

My person/Exclamation (Man/Emphasis)

Intuition says/Gut feeling (Inner voice)

Health consciousness (Watch health)

Combine/Blend (Mix it)

Minibus/Van (Public transport)

Broke/No funds (Money gone)

Difficult to earn (Money scarce)

Financial issues (Money matters)

Financial trouble (Money problems)

Money is good (Money nice)

Money matters/Financial discussion (Money speaks)

One person works, another takes the benefit

A saying: 'Monkey works and baboon draws (gets the reward)', meaning one person does the work and another benefits. Used...

Capital city/Town (Monrovia)

Dance wildly/Jump (Mosh)

Progress/Advance (Go ahead)

Relocate/Hurry (Move it)

Go forward/Advance (Move up)

Film actor/Actress (Movie star)

Various earnings (Multiple streams)

Famous singer (Music star)

Must come you (Expression)

My love/Sweetheart (My darling)

My friend/Sister (My lady)

My love/Sweetheart (Darling)

Casual address to a male friend (even if speaking to a female sometimes). Similar to 'buddy.'

My family/Friends (My folks/Crew)

Hometown/Origin (My homeland)

A quirky Liberian habit is to answer 'How are you?' with 'Myself fine.' It means 'I'm fine,' using 'myself' for emphasis...