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Jamaican Patois · Greetings

One love

Unity, love and respect

Computer-generated pronunciation guide, not a native-speaker recording.

Say itwun LUV

What “One love” means

One love expresses unity, love and respect between people. It's often used as a farewell, a bit like "peace", and it carries the idea that everyone is connected.

Examples

One love

Peace / Goodbye

One love, mi bredda.

Peace, my brother.

How to use it

Said when parting or to close a conversation on a warm note. It's friendly and sincere rather than slangy, and visitors can use it comfortably.

Cultural context

The phrase was made famous worldwide by Bob Marley, and reggae spread its message of unity far beyond Jamaica.