Asking a question in Patois is simpler than in English: you put the question word first and keep the rest in plain statement order, with no "do", "does" or "are". Weh yuh a go? is literally "where you going?" For a yes/no question, you often say the statement with a rising voice: Dis taxi a go a town? ("Is this taxi going to town?").
The dialogues are adapted from two Story Mode scenarios in the Patois Pal app: Lost Inna Kingston, where a peanut vendor named Fitzy helps you find Half Way Tree, and Route to Negril, a long ride in Bigga's route taxi. A route taxi is a shared taxi that runs a fixed route and picks up passengers along the way.
The app's stories write "go" as guh; you'll see both spellings.
Dialogue 1: Lost in Kingston
Fitzy: Yow, mi fren. Yuh spin roun three time pon di same corner. Yuh look lost bad. Weh yuh a try guh? Hey, my friend. You've spun round three times on the same corner. You look really lost. Where are you trying to go?
You: Mi cyaan find mi way — mi a try reach Half Way Tree. I can't find my way — I'm trying to get to Half Way Tree.
Fitzy: Half Way Tree! Aright, listen good: guh straight dung dis road yah, pass di big church, den tun lef a di corna weh di juice man deh. Half Way Tree! Alright, listen carefully: go straight down this road, past the big church, then turn left at the corner where the juice man is.
You: Aright — guh straight dung di road, den tun lef a di corna? Alright — go straight down the road, then turn left at the corner?
Fitzy: Exactly suh! But pon foot it likkle bit far. Yuh see di white Corolla dem weh a line up? Route taxi. Exactly! But on foot it's a little bit far. You see the white Corollas lining up? Route taxis.
You: Good idea — how much di taxi fare cost? Good idea — how much does the taxi fare cost?
Fitzy: Bout two hundred, nuh more dan dat. Mek sure a di right route before yuh jump een! About two hundred, no more than that. Make sure it's the right route before you jump in!
You: Yow, driva! Dis taxi a guh a Half Way Tree? Hey, driver! Is this taxi going to Half Way Tree?
Dialogue 2: In the route taxi
Bigga: Negril! Negril! Yow, mi fren — yuh a guh a Negril? Jump een, one space lef! Negril! Negril! Hey, my friend — are you going to Negril? Jump in, one space left!
You: How much fi guh a Negril, boss? How much to go to Negril, boss?
Bigga: Fi yuh? Five hundred, special price! Ha! Mi a joke, four hundred like everybody else. For you? Five hundred, special price! Ha! I'm joking, four hundred like everyone else.
You: Negril far from yah so? Is Negril far from here?
Bigga: Far? Nooo man, it likkle bit far. Two hours… maybe three. Yuh hungry? Mi know one patty shop pon di way! Far? Nooo, it's a little bit far. Two hours… maybe three. Are you hungry? I know a patty shop on the way!
You: Yes man! Mi waan nyam some jerk chicken. Yes! I want to eat some jerk chicken.
Bigga: See it deh! Suh wah yuh a guh do a Negril? There it is! So what are you going to do in Negril?
You: Mi a guh a di beach, man. I'm going to the beach, man.
Key phrases
Question words
| Patois | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| wah | what | Wah yuh want? — What do you want? |
| weh | where | Weh yuh a go? — Where are you going? |
| weh… deh? | where is…? | Weh di bathroom deh? — Where is the bathroom? |
| a who | who | A who tell yuh dat? — Who told you that? |
| a who fah | whose | A who fah phone dis? — Whose phone is this? |
| how much | how much | How much dis? — How much is this? |
| how far | how far | How far Ochi deh from yah? — How far is Ocho Rios from here? |
| which paat / which way | where / which way | Which paat yuh deh? — Where are you? |
| wah time | what time | Wah time now? — What time is it? |
| fi wah | why | Fi wah? — Why? / What for? |
See the dictionary entries for Weh yuh deh?, Fi wah? and A wah? ("what is it?").
How the grammar works
- No inversion. Wah yuh a do? keeps statement order: "what you doing?" The a marks something in progress.
- Rising tone makes a yes/no question. Negril far from yah so? is the statement "Negril is far from here" asked with a rise. Yah so means "right here".
- Weh… deh frames location. Weh yuh madda deh? ("Where is your mother?"). Deh is the "be located" verb.
- Past questions use did: Weh yuh did deh? ("Where were you?").
- Tags ask for agreement or understanding: Di food good, nuh true? ("…isn't it?"), Di party did nice, ee? ("…wasn't it?"), Wi a lef early, zeen? ("…understood?"), Yuh zimi? ("do you get what I mean?").
Useful lines from the dialogues
- Mi cyaan find mi way — "I can't find my way". Cyaan = can't.
- Mi a try reach… — "I'm trying to get to…". Reach means arrive or get to.
- Guh straight dung di road / tun lef a di corna — "go straight down the road / turn left at the corner".
- How much fi guh a…? — "how much to go to…?" Ask before you get in.
Usage and etiquette
- Greet before you ask. Mawnin or Beg pardon ("excuse me") before a question to a stranger is basic courtesy. Firing a question at someone with no greeting can feel rude.
- Repeat directions back. The story rewards you for it, and it's what locals do too: it confirms you've understood and shows you were listening.
- Distances and times stretch. It likkle bit far can mean anything from five minutes to two hours, and soon come is famously flexible. Ask a follow-up if timing matters.
- Check the fare and the route. In a route taxi, ask the price and confirm where it's going before you sit down.
- Watch the tone of short questions. A bare Fi wah? or Wah do yuh? ("what's wrong with you?") can sound sharp or confrontational. Soften with a greeting, a smile or a longer sentence.
- A who…? questions can sound like you're assigning blame (A who nyam di lass piece a chicken?). Fine among family, but be gentle with strangers.
Try it
- You're lost. Tell someone you can't find your way and ask where the market is.
- A route taxi pulls up. Ask the driver if it's going to town and how much the fare is.
- Your friend's food is good. Say so and add a tag asking them to agree.
For the full grammar, read negation and questions in Patois, and for travel lines see Jamaican phrases for travellers.
Questions people ask
Why is there no 'do' or 'are' in Patois questions?
Patois doesn't flip the verb or add a helper word to make a question. Wah yuh want? is literally 'what you want?'. The question word at the front, or a rising tone on a plain statement, is enough.
How do I ask 'when' in Patois?
You'll commonly hear wen, as in Wen yuh a come? (When are you coming?). For clock time, people also ask Wah time? as in Wah time yuh a come fi mi?