Browse African Slang

Sharp (Smart/quick)

Quick/Smart (Fast)

Go sharp (All good/okay)

Mkali/mwerevu (Sharp/clever)

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

Sharp brain - Very intelligent

Quick wit/Sarcastic (Sharp tongue)

Sharp sharp (Very sharp/quick)

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...

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 / bad)

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

Smart/clever

Shati (Shirt)

Shati/nguo ya kufunika (Shirt/covering clothing)

New shirt

Beach/shore

Shatta Wale fans/Empire (Artist movement)

Kunyoa (Shave)

Middle Eastern wrap (Meat wrap)

شاورما - Shawarma

Girl, shorty

شاي - Tea

شي بزاف، كثير جداً (Too much)

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

Shayo (Alcohol)

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

شباك (Window)

Unlicensed bar, often in a township.

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)

Long story/chat

Means a group of close friends (like “clique” or crew).

Damn, impressive

شيشة - Hookah