Some words for “hello” in Jamaican patwa are:
whaa gwaan – what’s going on
ah wha yuh ah deal wid – what’s up / what’s the deal with you
yes sah ! – used to greet people
Here are examples of how the above phrases could be used in a conversation:
Whaa gwaan yaah mi breddah – what’s going on my brother
Whaa gwaan sah, whe yuh deh pon – how are you, what are you up to?
Ah wa yuh a deal wid, ah lang time wi nuh bukup – What’s up? It’s been a long time since we last met.
Wait deh, ah yuh dat. Ah wa yuh a deal wid – Wait a minute, is that you? What is the deal with you?
Yes sah! mi aappy fi si yuh – {greeting “literally: yes sir”} I’m happy to see you
Yes sah ! lang time – [greetings] it’s been a long time.
These are a few of the possible ways of greeting people in Jamaican.