Are you visiting Jamaica soon or have Jamaican friends? Do you know how to Speak Jamaican Patois? These 80 Jamaican patois sentences cover most of what you will need to get by on your visit to Jamaica or in conversations with your Jamaican friends.

“A fe mi cyar.”
Translation: “It’s my car.”

“Mi ah guh lef tiday.”
Translation: “I am leaving today.”

“Im too haad eaize.”
Translation: “He/She is too stubborn.”

“Axe har de question.”
Translation: “Ask her the question.”

“Im badda dan dem.” “Nuh bodda mi.”
Translation: “He is worse than they are.” “Don’t bother me.”

“Bare dog dung inna dat yard.”
Translation: “There are only dogs in that yard.”

“No bodda bawl im soon cum bak.”
Translation: “Don’t bother crying he’ll soon be back.”

“Sell mi wan bokkle a iyl.”
Translation: “Sell me a bottle of oil.”

“Dat a mi bredda.”
Translation: “That is my brother.”

“Ah who bruk de bokkle a iyl?”
Translation: “Who broke the bottle of oil?”

“Coodeh, yuh see de big bud eena de tree?”
Translation: “Look at the big bird in the tree.”

“Bwaay! Mi did tink de test wudda eazy.”
Translation: “Boy! I though that test would have been easy.

“The parson sey de marriage cerfitikit soon cum inna de mail.”
Translation: “The pastor said that the marriage certificate will be coming soon in the mail.”

“Mi love chaklit cake with nuff icenin.”
Translation: “I love chocolate cake with plenty of icing.”

“Mi a go bak a wuk pan Chewsday.”
Translation: “I am going back to work on Tuesday.”

“Di chuck want tree new tyres.”
Translation: “The truck will need three new tires.”

“Cuyah, she gwan lak she nice eee?”
Translation: “Look at that, she acts like she is so nice.”

“Chobble nuh nice.” “Yuh inna big chobble.”
Translation: “Trouble is not nice.” “You are in big trouble.”

“Mi cyan ‘elp yuh wit dat problem.”
Translation : “I cannot help you with that problem.”

“Mi like yuh cris cyar.”
Translation :”I like your new car.”

“Yuh did see dat?” “A who dat?”
Translation: “Did you see that?” “Who is that?”

“Dat dawta pretty lakka money.” “A fi mi dawta.”
Translation: “That daughter is pretty like money.” “Is my daughter.”

“Mista Brown dawg bite mi.”
Translation: “Mr. Brown’s dog bit me.”

“De bwoy dem teif di bleach outta de wata.”
Translation: “The boys stole the bleach out of the water.”

“Dem a wan no good bunch.”
Translation: “They are a no good bunch.”

“Mi did de deh pan Chewsday.”
Translation: “I was there on Tuesday.”

“Dis cyar ah fi mi own.”
Translation: “This car is mine.”

“Yuh nuh dun yet?”
Translation: “You have not finished yet?”

“A di dutty duppy man dweet.”
Translation: “The dirty ghost did it.”

“Ef yuh chobble ‘im, me a guh bax yuh”.
Translation”If you trouble him, I am going to hit you.”

“Ello, mi can help yuh wid sumting?”
Translation: “Hello, can I help you with something?”

“Di whola dem a mi fambly.”
Translation: “All of them are my family.”

“Yuh tuh fass and facety.”
Translation: “You are too inquisitive and fresh.”

“Yuh ‘ave any flim lef inna de camera?”
Translation: “Do you have any film left in the camera?”

“She ah mi bess bess fren.”
Translation: “She is my best friend.”

“Galang bout yuh business.”
Translation: “Go along about your business.”

“Gimme wan tall glass a wata please.”
Translation: “Give me a tall glass of water please.”

“Mass Garden ah plant flowas inna de gordon.”
Translation: “Mr. Gordon is planting flowers in the garden.”

“Ah who hab mi watch?”
Translation: “Who has my watch?”

“Mi bak a hat mi.”
Translation: “My back is hurting me.”

“Is which wan a oonu nyam mi hegg?”
Translation: “Which one of you ate my egg?”

“Im sey yuh fi bring di ting.”
Translation: “He or She said you were to bring the thing.”

“A wan irie likkle place.”
Translation: “It’s a very nice place.”

“Mi need sum iyl fi fry de fish.”
Translation: “I need some oil to fry the fish.”

“Mi len out de money an noh mi inna wan jam.”
Translation: “I lent out some money and now I am in some trouble.”

“Jesum Peeze, a cyan bileeve dat mi lose de game.”
Translation: “Oh my Gosh or Wow a can’t believe I lost that game.”

“Ah yuh cawz de accident.”
Translation: “You are the one that caused the accident.”

“Yuh can cyarri dis cow pan yuh chuck?”
Translation: “Can you carry this cow on your truck?”

“An a jus lass nite mi di deh.”
Translation: “And it was just last night I was there.”

“A lang time mi dey inna dis yah lang line.”
Translation: “Its been a long time since I have been in this long line.”

“Lawd ‘ave mercy pan Miss Percy.”
Translation: “Lord have mercy on Miss Percy.”

“Lef mi nuh.”
Translation: “Leave me alone.”

“De bwoy a de biggest liad.”
Translation: “The boy is a big liar.”

“Im get wan big lick fram de teacha.”
Translation: “He got a big hit from the teacher.”

“Beg a likkle bokkle ah milk.”
Translation: “I asking for a little bottle of milk.”

“Mi madda sey yuh fi lef mi.”
Translation: “My mother said that you are to leave me alone.”

“Ole still, mi si wan big maskitta pan yuh foot.”
Translation: “Hold still, I see a big mosquito on your foot.”

“Im mek up im mind areddy.”
Translation: “He made up his mind already.”

“Tek de neegle an sew de peeca clawt.”
Translation: “Take the needle and sew the piece of cloth.”

“De nex time mi will buy.”
Translation: “The next time I will buy.”

“How yuh nyam summuch?”
Translation: “How do you eat so much?”

“Put de bag unda de seat.”
Translation: “Put de bag under the seat.”

“Mi ah de ongle one dat did stay till it dun.”
Translation: “I was the only one that stayed till it was finished.”

“Is dat ooman deh did tek mi money.”
Translation: “That is the woman that took my money.”

“Ooo goes dere?”
Translation: “Who goes there?”

“Yuh ave any callaloo?”
Translation: “Do you have any callaloo?”

“Is Mista Garden pickney dem.”
Translation: “It is Mr. Gordon’s children.”

“Mi wud radda yuh nuh chat to mi.”
Translation: “I would rather you not talk to me.”

“See yuh pan Satday.”
Translation: “See you on Saturday.”

“Put de sinting inna de bag.”
Translation: “Put the something in the bag.”

“Smaddy tell mi sey yuh did a chat bout mi.”
Translation: “Somebody told me you were talking about me.”

“Sell mi tree poun ah swimps.”
Translation: “Sell me three pounds of shrimps.”

“Tan deh tink sey im a guh ‘elp yu.”
Translation: “Stand there thinking he is going to help you.”

“Tanks fe de glass a ice wata.”
Translation: “Thanks for the glass of ice water.”

“Tek yuh time an mine it bruk.”
Translation: “Take your time, you might break it.”

“Mista Brown mi see tree bwoy inna yu mango tree.”
Translation:” Mr. Brown I saw three boys up in your mango tree.”

“Oonu can cum wid mi.”
Translation: “You all can come with me.”

“Wattagwan wid John?”
Translation:” What’s going on with John?”

“De wata dutty so nuh play inna it.”
Translation: “The water is dirty so don’t play in it.”

“Im jook mi inna mi yeye.”
Translation: “He poked me in the eye.”

Sources: Compiled by X. Murphy & Simrete McLean from personal experience as Jamaicans. Special acknowledgments to Miss M. Daley and Miss A. Gentiles. Books – “How to Speak Jamaican”. Various documents from the Institute of Jamaica and the Jamaican National Library. Photo by Deposit Photos