Six slang words you’ll only hear in South Africa

 

 

While English is the official language of South Africa, we have kind of made it our own. Check out our six favourite words that give our language a very unique twang.

 

1. Lekker

This is a Saffie favourite – and everything can be “lekker”: the weather, weekend plans, and your emotional state of being, or an ice-cold beer. Unlike German, this word is not only restricted to describing food but it can be used for pretty much everything under the sun. It can be used as a substitute for “kiff”.

 

2. Ag

Oh, South Africans love filler words. Ag — pronounced as “Ach” — is a filler word. It expresses that deep human emotion of empathy in two simple letters. If you also enjoy using “shame”, then just mix it in for a splash of colour.

 

3. Shame

This term can be used in almost all social situations. If you’ve run out of things to say just combine “shame” with “ag” or “oh”…and et voilà! For extra confusion, this phrase can be used as a response when someone tells you their dog died, or when someone shows you a photo of their cute baby.

 

4. Kiff

Sprinkle this word into your everyday conversation. The word can also be spelled as “kief” or “kif” but it means all the same. It’s a suitable replacement for “lekker” and as a good, old classic it’s the perfect adjective for a multitude of situations.

 

5. Izit?

Place this word at the end of a sentence and make sure voice rises on the last syllable. Alternatively, it can be pronounced monotonously when agreeing with your chommie (friend). Best used when you have no idea what someone is talking about.

 

6. Just now

Forget punctuality — most Saffas pride themselves on having a loose understanding of time. We affectionately call it as African Time. “Just now” can refer to a few minutes, hours, or well, never. When a South African says, “I’ll be there just now”… you might want to double-check what time that is.

 

Photo by: flickr.com/ Jimmy Baikovicius
Illustrations by: Andisiwe Juta