African Slang Words Starting With "Z"

Pretty/nice (f)

Means “extra” or “excessive.” Used when someone overdoes something. Usage: Four types of sauce on one sandwich? That’s z...

True/truth (Tonga)

Nuit (Night)

Hier (Yesterday)

Nuit (Night)

Fille, copine en Nouchi (Girl, girlfriend in Nouchi)

Fille, copine en Nouchi (Girl, girlfriend in Nouchi)

Ardeur (Zeal)

Means 'very/too much.' Youth mix it into French: 'il est zé bête' (he's very stupid). From Hausa intensifier 'ze'

Bœuf à bosse (Humped cattle)

Type de bœuf (Type of beef)

Zébu fort (Strong zebu)

Jeu de hasard (Game of chance)

Jeu de hasard (Game of chance)

Moto-taxi (Motorcycle taxi)

Point le plus haut (Highest point)

Brise légère (Light breeze)

Tsy misy fako / Zero waste

Perfection (Zero defect)

Parfait (Perfect)

0-8, grosse défaite (0-8, big defeat)

Échec total (Total failure)

0-6, défaite humiliante (0-6, humiliating defeat)

0-1, défaite minimale (0-1, minimal defeat)

Rien du tout (Nothing at all)

Poisson d'eau douce (Freshwater fish)

Mal prononcer (Lisp)

Bébé, enfant (Baby, child)

Bébé, enfant (Baby, child)

Hôpital en Dioula (Hospital in Dioula)

Zĩ-n-taaba (Sitting together)

Zĩ-peelem n tõe (Sitting together unites)

Zĩnde (To sit down)

Zũ-noy (Head/leader - Mooré)

Marcher (To walk)

Marche (Walk)

Saison sèche (Dry season)

Payer (Pay)

Divid eria → Divide area

Zẽ-sõngre (Sit well - comfortable)

Deliberately tacky yet cool in a uniquely South African way.

Zhizha (Summer)

Zimdancehall (Zimbabwean dancehall music)

Zunde ramambo (Chief's field)

Vendedor ambulante no trânsito (Traffic vendor)

Zuva (Sun/day)

Zuva rabuda (The sun is out)

Zveblack market (Black market activities)

Zvinhu zvemahara (Free things)