Browse African Slang

To talk or chat; yarn can also mean the story one tells

To talk nonsense or lie.

Yarse (Trader class)

Expression of disbelief/impressed.

Excited yes (often elongated “yaaaas”)" ("Modern urban slang")

Sauce citronnée (Lemon sauce)

Ee ntate / Yes sir

ياس - Yasss

Means “bravo” or “more power to you” (literally “may it give you health”).

Literally 'she threw a bucket.' Means she rejected him (turned him down). A common phrase when someone's advances fail

Tornade (Tornado)

Expression of surprise (Oran)

Pidgin for trouble or mess-up. Often used when things go wrong financially. Yawa don gas means 'a problem has happened.'...

Embarrassment or failure.

Trouble has escalated (Problem has intensified)

Expression for “what a shame” or “how embarrassing.”

Elder sibling

Style de jeu (Playing style)

Oui oui (Yes yes)

Ayi kwambiri / Kukana (No very / refuse)

Fine or okay.

Climat sec (Dry climate)

An exclamation roughly meaning “Oh, how I miss that…!” or “Alas!” Expresses nostalgia or pity.

يبرد (Cools)

يدوم (Lasts / continues)

Aiwa (Yes - in Bari)

Oignon (Onion)

የልጅ ጨዋታ/የልጅ ጨዋታ (Ye lij chewata) - children's games

የአበሻ ምግብ/የአበሻ ምግብ (Ethiopian food)

يعاكس (Catcall / flirt)

يعطيك (Gives you)

يحميك (Protects you)

يقطع (Cuts / chops)

يقلي (Fries)

يقرا (Reads / studies)

Yeah (Yeah)

Mokete oa ho qetela selemo / End year party (Year end party)

Year of return - 2019 diaspora return initiative

Bug informatique (Y2K bug)

Fin d'année (Year end)

Toute l'année (Year round)

Annuel (Yearly)

يبقى كده - So be it

Savoir, connaître (To know)

Means “he’s full of himself” (like swelled). Usage: Now that he has 10k Insta followers, ke honu yebesse, doesn’t even t...

Yes.

Means 'yes' or an emphatic 'yeah!' Often used in greetings like yebo, howzit! It shows Namibia's Zulu influence

Yebo (Yes)

Emphatic yes / victory chant.

Ngiyavuma / Kulungile (I agree / Alright)