In this article, we will provide a list of common body parts and their translations in Jamaican Patois. The names of the body parts in Jamaican Patois are some of the most basic and useful words a beginner/intermediate speaker can learn.
Whether you are at the doctor’s office, in a clothing store, or at a beach in Jamaica, various parts of the body can come up in conversation more often than you think. Knowing these terms can be useful for anyone traveling to Jamaica or communicating with Jamaican speakers.
Body parts in Patois: Head
- Crown — Head top/Ed tap
- Back of the head — Head back / Ed bak
- Side of head — Head side/Ed side
- Forehead — Farrid
- Ear — Aiz
- Ear canal — Aiz ole
Body parts in Patois: Eye
- Eye — Yeye /yai
- Tears — Yeye wata
- Eyelid — Yeye lid
- Eyelashes — Yeye lash
- Eyebrows — Yeye brow
Body parts in Patois: Nose
- Nostril — Nose ole
- Nasal discharge — Nose naat
- Nasal discharge (dried) — Bugu
Beginner's Guide to Speaking Jamaican Patois
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- Learn correct word pronunciation
- Understand grammar and structure
- Handy everyday phrases
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Body parts in Patois: Mouth
- Mouth — Mout
- Drool — Mout wata
- Throat — Choat/choat ole
- tongue — Tong
- tooth — Teet (singular or pural)
- Inside of cheek — Jaw cawna
Body parts in Patois: Neck & Torso
- Organ — Aagan
- Heart — Aart
- stomach — Tomuk (may refer to the chest or abdomen. Often never refers to the actual stomach organ.)
- Liver — Liva
- Intestines — Tripe
- Skin — Kin
- Backbone — Bak bone
- Back — Bak
- Shoulder — Shoulda
- Navel — Nable
- Umbilical cord — Nable tring
- Belly button – Belly cork
- Abdomen — Belly
- Lower abdomen — Belly battam
Body parts in Patois: Arm & Hand
- Arm — Han
- Forearm — Han
- Elbow — Elbo
- Hand — Han
- Palm — Han miggle
- Finger — Finga
- Fingernail — Finganail
Body parts in Patois: Legs & Feet
- Buttocks — Batty
- Butt cheek — Batty jaw
- Crotch — Crachiz
- kneecap— Knee cup
- Calf — Foot back
- Sole of foot — Foot battam
- Heel — Heel back
- Scrotum/testicles — Seed bag