In Jamaica, as with any other country, knowing how to greet someone is very important. In this lesson, I’ll introduce you to the different ways of greeting people like a Jamaican. The type of greetings used may vary with age or social status. But unless I’ve indicated otherwise, those listed below can be used in almost any situation. As I had stated before, Jamaicans do in fact speak English, so a simple “Hello” or “How are you doing” is ok and will easily be understood. However, greeting a Jamaican in Jamaican Patois will usually make your conversation a lot smoother.
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- “Wah gwaan „
- English Translation: What’s going on or What’s up
- Definition Pronounced as “waa gwaan”, the literal translation is “what’s going on” but when used as a greeting, it can also mean “What’s up”. Different variation of “Wah gwaan” may be used but they all have the same meaning. These include; wah deh gwaan, whatta gwaan or waguan (pronounced wa-goo-ahn).
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Example Sentences
(Patois) Wah gwaan wid yuh todeh?
(English) What’s going on with you today?
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- “ Whap'am „
- English Translation: What’s happening or what happened
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Example Sentences
(Patois) Whap’am, everything irie?
(English) What’s happening, is everything ok?
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- “ Wadup „
- English Translation: What’s up?
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Example Sentences
(Patois) Wadup wid yuh bredda todeh?
(English) What’s up with your brother today?
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- “ Everyting criss? „
- English Translation: Is everything ok?
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Example Sentences
(Patois) Wah gwaan, everything criss?
(English) What’s going on, is everything ok?
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- “ Weh yuh ah deal wid „
- English Translation: What are you up to?
- Definition The literal translation is “what are you dealing with” but when used as a greeting, it means “what are you up to?”. The shorter version of “weh yuh ah deal wid” is “weh yaw deal wid”.
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Example Sentences
(Patois) Weh yuh a deal wid? Mi waah touch di road likkle more; yuh deh cum?
(English) What are you up to? I want to go out later; are you coming?
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- “ Weh yuh ah seh „
- English Translation: How are you doing?
- Definition The literal translation is “what are you saying” but when used as a greeting, it means “how are you doing?”. The shorter version of “weh yuh ah seh” is “weh yaw seh”.
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Example Sentences
(Patois)Weh yuh a seh? Mi neva si yuh yestideh
(English) How are you doing? I didn’t see you yesterday
- Learn correct word pronunciation
- Understand grammar and structure
- Handy everyday phrases
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- “ Weh yuh deh pan „
- English Translation: What are you up to?
- Definition The literal translation is “what are you on” but when used as a greeting, it means “what are you up to?”.
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Example Sentences
(Patois) Mi borin, wah yuh deh pan todeh?
(English) I’m bored, what are you up to today?
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- “ How yuh stay? „
- English Translation: How are you?
- Definition The literal translation is “what’s your status” but when used as a greeting, it means “how are you?”.
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Example Sentences
(Patois) How yuh stay? Mi haven seen yuh in a while
(English) How are you? I haven’t seen you in a while
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- “ Yow „
- English Translation: Hey
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Example Sentences
(Patois) Yow, wah time yuh did seh yuh a cum?
(English) Hey, what time did you say you were coming?
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- “ Yuh Gud? „
- English Translation: Are you good / Are you ok
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Example Sentences
(Patois) Yuh Gud? Mi deh call yuh fram chewsday
(English) Are you ok? I’ve been calling you from Tuesday
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- “ Hail up „
- English Translation: Hi or Hello
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Example Sentences
(Patois) Wah mek yuh neva hail up Mark wen yuh pass him?
(English) Why didn’t you say hi to Mark when you passed him?
Beginner's Guide to Speaking Jamaican Patois
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