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A Topical Guide to Jamaican Patois

Believe

Lord have mercy on them for the don’t know what they are doing: Lwad a-masi pan dem faar dem nuh nuo wa dem a du

They believe in one God the Almighty: Dem biliib pan wan Jah di Aalmaiti.

Love

They love us: Dem lob wi.

She is my sweetheart: Im a mi tetes.

I love my wife so much: Mi lob fi-mi waif kyaan-don.

Your husband told me that you love him so much: Fi-yu hozban tel mi se yu lob im somoch.

Hate

Nowadays those boys up there really hate him: Nou-a-diez dem-de bwoy op de hiet im fitruu.

They speak ill of him whenever they meet: Dem siitful pan im wen dem miit.

The girls are not speaking with each other: Di gyal-dem a kip malis wid awan hada.

You are a gossiper, I don’t like how you behave: Yu a labrisha, mi nuh laik hou yu gwaan.

It’s because that man gossip that’s why many people do have a grudge with im: A labrish dat man labrish mek nof piipl kip malis wid im.

They are envious neighbors: Dem a grojful nieba.

Cheating and Stealing

She is a con woman: Im a jinnal.

He is a thief: Im a tiif.

They stole my money: Dem tiif mi moni.

The boys have become thieves and trickster: Di bwoy-dem ton scuffler anh jinnal.

Corruption

The police are really corrupt people: Di babilan a korrup smadi fitruu.

Bless the right leaders and curse the corrupt ones in the establishment: Bles di rait liida-dem anh kos di babylon wan dem.

We are suffering because of the corrupt government: Wi a suffer bikaaz aff di korrup gobament.

Politics

They are politicians: Dem a politrickers.

The politics of our nation doesn’t help the poor: Di politricks fiwi nieshan naa help di sufferer.

Christine has become a politician, she is a district council member: Kristin a ton politricker, im a distrik kongsil memba.

Suffering

Many young people are suffering in this country: Nof yong piipl a suffer eena dis kontri.

This government like raising taxes and do not care about people suffering: Dis gobament laik fi riez taks anh nuh kya bout piipl sufferieshan.

They are in a poor state, they done have money to buy food and clothes: Dem a mashop, dem nuh hab moni fi bai fuud and klaat.

Music and Party

Reggae music is in their bones, did you know that?: Reggae myuuzik eena fidem buon. yunuo se ?

Come for the dance party tonight: Kom fi di brokinz paati tinait.

They are going to the show tonight to see how those girls dance: Dem gwain a shuo tinait fi si hou dem-de gyal wain.

It’s a fake show going on in the theatre: A papishuo a gwaan nou eena di tiyata.

Naming

Variou naming of people and positions in societies in Jamaican patois are similar in sound to English although the spelling differs(Table 1a and 1b).

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