The phrase wha gwan (whaa gwaan) means what’s going on in Jamaican Patois. The spelling varies but the meaning does not change. This phrase is frequently used as a greeting. It is most often used in informal settings or between friends. It can be used to greet people at any time of day and, as stated earlier, it is most often used between people who know each other.

In order to speak Jamaican you should first be looking into learning Jamaican Patwa. Do some research to find out your options and what is available to help you learn to speak Jamaican. This is an important step because before you can speak Jamaican you have to learn Jamaican.

When learning to speak Jamaican, you should pay close attention to your pronunciation. The Jamaican Patwa dialect has its own vocabulary and its own set of rules for pronunciation. You should also keep in mind that Patwa is mostly spoken so one Jamaican will write and spell a word one way while a different Jamaican will write and spell the same word in another way; but both Jamaicans will pronounce the same word the same way. As stated, this is because Patois is mainly spoken and is not written as often as it is spoken. Therefore, a person studying Patois should keep this in mind. He or she should also remember that the Patois word that he or she is reading is not necessarily pronounced as it is written. This is where having access to a native speaker or audio material will play an important role. From such sources, such as audio material or a native speaker, you are able to better learn to speak Jamaican and learn the correct pronunciation of words.

Learning to speak Jamaican is not difficult, especially with the many resources available such as media and the internet. But as in all things, time has to be spent learning and the effort has to be made.

Another good way to learn is to travel to the country of Jamaica and spend time there learning to speak Jamaican.

Speaking Patwa comes naturally to those who were born and lived in Jamaica. Jamaican babies absorb the Jamaican language because they are surrounded by it. It is spoken by their mothers. They hear it when the radio is turned on. They hear people speaking Patwa when the television plays or when the neighbors visit. Their ears become immersed in the sounds of Patois. Likewise, if someone wants to begin speaking Patwa or begin learning Patois or any foreign language, for that matter, he/she too should surround himself with the language. Learning a language is often accomplished through repetition and frequent use. In other words, Jamaican Patois is a language skill which can be learned through continued use, practice and by speaking it.

If you travel abroad to Canada, the United States, or to the United Kingdom there are not many cities, within those countries, where you will not hear Jamaican Patois being spoken. There are over a million Jamaicans living abroad. Subsequently, many of those Jamaicans have settled down and have had children; so there are now many thousands of first generation and second generation descendants of those Jamaicans born in those foreign countries. The influence and awareness of Jamaican culture and language has begun and has continued to increase as a result. In many of these cities abroad you can now find radio stations, restaurants, social events and even television programs which cater to Jamaican tastes and where speaking Patwa is the norm.

Renk wid – to have a bad attitude with

get salt – having some problems / having back luck / experiencing difficulty

lohw wi – allow us / leave us alone

tek aff lakka lightning – disappeared very quickly

skin teet – to show a fake smile

deggeh deggeh – not much of something

Learn to speak Jamaican using the audio Lessons at LearnJamaican.com

Let’s Review Some Jamaican Words:

deh bout – to be present; to be around

fi unno – for you (plural)

callaloo – a vegetable similar to spinach

bly – to give someone a chance

yuh cris? – are you okay?
cassava – an underground root which is baked or cooked
puhpalik – to somersault; to flip over (used when referring to people)

Learn to speak Jamaican using the audio Lessons at LearnJamaican.com

More Jamaican Patois Words:

scootchy – the give a check mark (tick mark)

smaddy – someone

sakeah – just because

nyami nyami – greedy

pone – a type of pudding

chaka – untidy

Learn to speak Jamaican Patois using audio at LearnJamaican.com

There are thousands upon thousands of patois phrases. Everyday phrases such as “cho mon ah whe yuh a duh” or “eem bay kno” are repeated each day in Jamaica. Phrases are used in just about every situation. There are phrases used to express happiness and joy. There are phrases used to express surprise. There are phrases used in the innumerable situations people encounter in their everyday lives. There are no limits to the phrases and the situations in which particular phrases can be used.

Let’s discuss this further and then look at some examples.

Phrases used to express happiness
Certain phrases are used in the Jamaican language to express surprise or happiness. A phrase which begins with the word “wuhyoi” may be used to express surprise, happiness or even grief. For example the phrase “wuhyoi, ah yuh bay fi gwaan” means “wow, it’s you who should have gone”. Depending on how the phrase is used it could be used to expresses the speakers surprise that the person he or she is speaking to did not go. Similarly, the same phrase could be used to express grief or sorrow that the person being spoken to did not go.

Phrases used to express surprise
A word which often precedes an expression of surprise is the word “jeezan”. For example the phrase “jeezan! Cooh deh” means “WOW! Look at that.” Here this word “jeezan” is used in the patois phrase to attract attention to someone or something. Those familiar with Jamaican patois would immediately realize that the speaker is either excited or surprised about something or surprised at someone because the word “jeezan” was used.

Phrases used in everyday situations
In Jamaican Patois there are invariably patois phrases which are used in everyday situations. For example: “nuh” is a word which when used at the end of a sentence can show that the speaker is being insistent or impatient. Here is an example of the word “nuh” used in an everyday patois phrase: “jus nyammi nuh.” This phrase means “just eat it, already” here we used the word “already” as a loose translation of the word “nuh” to show that the speaker is either being insistent or impatient with whoever he or she is speaking to because whoever he or she is speaking to “has not yet finished eating or has not yet started eating.”

The Jamaican dialect is a rich and expressive one containing thousands upon thousands of patois phrases and expressions.

The word for “man” in Jamaican Patwa is “mon.”

The word “mon” is commonly heard when Jamaicans say such phrases such as:

Yah mon – an expression often used to express agreement or to say of course (literally: yes man)

Dah mon deh – that man there

Cho mon – an expression which is often used to express dissatisfaction

Wait deh mon – Wait a minute / wait there

Cuh dah mon deh – Look at that man (there)

Unno know dem mon deh – you (plural) know those men (there)

The above examples show the word “mon” as it is commonly used in Jamaican Patois phrases.

If you want to learn how to pronounce the word “mon” with a Jamaican pronunciation then you should listen to Jamaican audio or ask a Jamaican to say the word for you.

To say the word “love” in Jamaican you would simply say: “Lhub.” Note that the “h” is mostly silent when pronouncing the word.

For example:

Mi lhub aff da oomon deh – I love that woman entirely

Mi lhub har aff – I love her entirely

Mi lhub eem aff – I have him entirely

In the example above the word “aff” is used. This phrase (lhub aff) is often used in Jamaican Patwa. It suggests that you are very much into the person. Also, note that when saying “I love him” or “I love her” the word for “him” and “her” are preceded by the word “aff.” This is seen in the above example

The phrase “lhub aff” can also be used when speaking about things.

For example:

mi lhub aff gungo soup – I love (eating) pigeon peas soup a lot.

mi lhub aff da kiyaar deh – I love that car a lot

The phrase “lhub aff” can be used to refer to your favorite food, school, person etc.

Here are some reasons to learn to speak Jamaican:
Learn to speak Jamaican and be able to partake in conversations with Jamaicans and understand much of what they say. Be able to talk to your spouse’s family or children and understand what they say. When you learn Jamaican you can take trips to Jamaica and be more confident when traveling in or around town because you know that you can understand what a shop keeper or a local on the street is saying. Being able to speak Jamaican means that you know the local terms used to describe people, places or things. When you learn to speak Jamaican your ears are trained and have become accustomed to the pronunciation and to the flow of the Jamaican language.

Being able to speak Jamaican Patois (Patois refers to the dialect spoken on the island) means that you are able to check out Jamaican movies and understand much of what is being said. Likewise, when you can converse in Jamaican or understand it, you can listen to dance hall reggae music, even those played at an up tempo pace, and you should be able to understand what is being said.

Learn to speak Jamaican Patois, and be a student of the language, so that you know and can understand the nuances of the language. Take action and begin learning to speak Jamaican; the sooner you start the sooner you’ll learn some new words.