Trending Words on Jamaican Patwah

vexed / angry

Patois: Mi ben caw yuh deh run off yuh mouth bout tings weh yuh know nutten bout
English: I’m angry because you’ve been running your mouth about things that you know nothing about

Wander

To move around without direction

Patois: Di bwoy always a wanda off.
English: The boy is always wandering off.

Forgot

Patois: Mi figit mi fone a mi yaad.
English: I forgot my phone at home.

Weather

The atmospheric conditions, like rain, sun, or wind.

Patois: Di wedda nice today, wi fi guh beach.
English: The weather is nice today, we should go to the beach.

big and useless

Having little to no use or having poor quality, despite having a large size.

Patois: Every day yuh si dung inna di house and nah duh nutten, yuh jus big an suo suh
English: Every day you are sitting in the house doing nothing, you are just so big and useless

Ises

A form of worship involving spoken or sung praises to Jah (God), often accompanied by rhythmic clapping or drumming

Patois: Wi come together and offer ises to di Most High
English: We come together and offer ises to the Most High

behave well

Slang expression used to tell someone to behave well.

Patois: Di truth hah fi mek som ah dem balance
English: The truth is making some of them behave well

been

Patois: Mi neva bin ova deh
English: I’ve never been over there