Patois Jamaican

Jamaica's official language is English, but that doesn't stop millions of native Jamaicans from speaking patois Jamaican. This colorful island dialect is a unique blend of English words, words brought over from Africa, and words borrowed from other languages.

Standard English is spoken by government officials and used on the radio, in business, in printed materials like magazines and newspapers, and in schools, but you'll hear patois spoken on the streets and in Jamaican homes more often than English.

This means you might want to understand at least a little Jamaican patois. Don't worry, though, because it's easy, mon!To help you out, here are some examples of patois, along with English "translations:" 

Common Verbs:
gi - to give
dem gi eh - they gave it
lef - to leave
dem lef - they left

 

For Indicating Location:
eh deh - it is
deh deh - to be
nuh deh - it is not
she deh deh - she is there

 

For Greeting People:
wah gwan - what's going on
nutten nah gwan - nothing's going on
suh wah pun - so what's up
yes eyeyah - yes sir (very informal)

 

Various Expressions and Words:
cho nuh dweet - don't do it!
Chaparita - wrist bracelet
cho - an exclamation
cris - pretty, looks good
boops - a person with money

It took hundreds of years for Jamaican patois to evolve into its current state. During this period, patois was strongly influenced by English due to Jamaica being a British colony, but the language also incorporated words brought to the island by slaves transported there from Africa.

Not surprisingly, despite not existing in standard English, many patois words are pronounced with a British slant.

Some people think Jamaican patois is merely an accent, but it's much more than that. You decide whether you think it's actually a language, but patois does have its own rules for pronunciation, and correct verb usage and placement are important. It also adopts new words from other languages and cultures.

Jamaican patois is still evolving, and new words are being "coined" or borrowed from other languages continuously. Today's youth culture, and especially the tendency of young people to use the Internet frequently, is also facilitating the evolution of patois.

Patois has always been a spoken language and only rarely written down, but now young people are using a written form in Internet chat rooms. As a result, new patois words are being created and spellings of existing words are becoming more standardized.

Jamaican patois is the vibrant, highly expressive language that draws islanders from different backgrounds together and allows them to communicate. If you've ever listened to reggae, you've had a taste of this colorful island language.

Jamaicans would be happy to hear you speak a little patois, but you don't really need to. Remember, English is the country's official language, and all Jamaicans are perfectly able to speak and understand it. 

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