Browse African Slang

شيرنق (Sharing)

اقتصاد المشاركة - Sharing economy

مشاركة الموارد (Sharing resources)

Samak kbir (Catfish)

شرمولة (Marinade)

Samak baladi (Local catfish)

Go sharp (All good/okay)

Sharp (Smart/quick)

Means 'OK' or 'cool.' Often repeated: 'Sharp sharp!' as a friendly sign-off or agreement.

Mkali/mwerevu (Sharp/clever)

Sharp brain - Very intelligent

Sharp mouth (Talkative)

Sharp sharp (Very sharp/quick)

Means 'all good' or an affirmative like 'sure thing.' Repeating sharp emphasizes you're very fine or that you agree comp...

Means 'all good' or an affirmative like 'sure thing.' Repeating sharp emphasizes you're very fine or that you agree comp...

Punctual/On time (Exact time)

A combo of two slang terms used in a greeting exchange. "Sharp" means all good/okay, and "fede" (from Sotho/Tswana "How ...

Goodbye, okay, or everything is great; often doubled for emphasis

شرقاوي - From Sharqiya

شر - Evil

Literally a bidet sprayer, but youth joke about “taking a shatafa” meaning taking a quick refreshing shower or break. Us...

Weled zaki (Smart/clever boy)

Smart/clever

Shati/nguo ya kufunika (Shirt/covering clothing)

Shati (Shirt)

New shirt

Beach/shore

Shatta Wale fans/Empire (Artist movement)

Shave (To shave)

Middle Eastern wrap (Meat wrap)

شاورما - Shawarma

شاي - شاي (Tea)

شي بزاف، كثير جداً (Too much)

Ho otla / Ho betha (To hit / To beat)

Alcohol or partying (from “shine your eyes” or Yoruba for liquor).

Slang for alcohol or to drink alcohol/party. From Yoruba shayo (to be happy/drunk). People say I wan shayo meaning 'I wa...

Shayo (Alcohol)

Shazam (Shazam)

شيء - Thing

شطارة (Cleverness / street smarts)

Natural moisturizer/Local cream (Traditional lotion)

Northern beauty items (Shea-based goods)

Ho sheba butle / To sheba butle

Window

An informal bar or club, often unlicensed, usually in a township. Youth go to shebeens for cheap drinks and music

A township tavern or informal bar, often unlicensed

Female bar owner (Woman tavern owner)

شد حيلك (Pull yourself together)

A fun, nonsensical phrase from a song that Nigerians jokingly use to refer to plenty money scattered around. It's like s...

Story/chat (Somali)