Trending Words on Jamaican Patwah

That's the problem with them.

An expression used to emphasize the bad habit of someone.

Patois: Dem pickney yah never like guh a skool, a dat wid them.
English: These kids never liked going to school, that's the problem with them.

Goody

A well liked female friend

Patois: Mi goodie a guh help
English: My goody is going to help

It's not the same day a leaf drops to the bottom of the water that it begins to rots

Success doesn't happen over night

Baby Mother

The mother of a child.

(patois) She a mi baby madda.
(english) She is my baby’s mother.

stupid

To be unintelligent or stupid, idiot etc.

Patois: Yuh a dunce bat, yuh cyaa duh nuttin.
English: Your stupid, you can't do nothing.

Informer

Someone who gives up incriminating evidence on another person(snitch), usually to the police

(patois) Dem a informah
(english) They are snitches

Up there

Patois: Yuh deh guh up suh likkle more?
English: Are you going up there later?

I'm going to

Patois: A gwine cum bak tomorrow
English: I'm going to come back tomorrow

This is how we do it

Patois: A suh wi dweet, wi clothes always tun up
English: This is how we do it, our clothes are always turnt up

Sunglasses

(patois) Sun too at, mi need a dahkahs
(english) The sun is too hot, I need a sunglass

Go down there

Patois: Nuh stop, go down there
English: Don't stop, go down there

Don't play with me

1. This is a sentence used by a person who tries to warn someone with a reckless behavior.

2. warning or trying to show someone that you don't like the way they tease or play with you.

Patois: Sistren, mi nuh like it. Nuh ramp wid mi,
English: Sister, I don't like it. Don't play with me