Browse African Slang

Zùn (Forêt/Forest)

Vendedora ambulante (Street vendor - female)

Small change

ዙሪያ/ልብስ (Traditional outfit)

Indrisy / Shoot

Exclamation légère (Light exclamation)

Dia/sol em ndau (Day/sun in Ndau)

Jalousie (Jealousy)

زوارة (Zuwara)

Shona for “it’s gone/it has passed” – slang for *“too late, what’s done is done.”*

Things are tough financially

Shona phrase roughly “to that extent?” – used rhetorically to express *surprise that something is so extreme*.

Literally “everything in the belt.” Slang for all-inclusive or all in one package.

Shona for “things are firing,” meaning things are lit or happening (very exciting or trending). Often said as a positive...

Money

Shona for “it’s there/it exists” – used to say *it’s all good or it’s fine*.

Prends ta figure, dégage (Take your face, get out)

Handsome/nice (m)

Slang for “beautiful” or “good.” Doubling it (zwin zwin) adds emphasis like “really good.”. Usage: Had l’auto zwin bzaf,...

Beautiful (masculine/feminine)

Means a very attractive girl (literally “beautiful of a woman”). Usage: His new girlfriend, mashallah, zwina dyal mra, h...

Pretty/nice (f)

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

Nuit (Night)

Hier (Yesterday)

Nuit (Night)

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'

Type de bœuf (Type of beef)

Zébu fort (Strong zebu)

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

Sans défaut (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)

Petit frère en Gouro (Little brother in Gouro)

Hôpital en Dioula (Hospital in Dioula)

Zĩ-n-taaba (Sitting together)

Zĩ-peelem n tõe (Sitting together unites)

Zĩnde (To sit down)