Greetings and small talk in Jamaican Patois

A Jamaican greeting usually has three parts: an opener (Mawnin, Wah gwaan?), a check-in (Yuh alright?, Everyting criss?) and a short reply (Mi deh yah). Small talk then runs on the weather, the day and what everyone is up to, and you close with a goodbye such as Walk good or Likkle more. This guide walks through both a polite greeting and a casual one.

Many of these lines come from the Island Conversations lesson in the Patois Pal app, and the opening of the Beach Day Lime story shows weather talk in action.

Dialogue 1: Morning with a neighbour

You're heading out early and your older neighbour, Miss Ivy, is at her gate.

Dialogue 2: Bumping into a friend

You run into Jermaine, a friend you haven't seen in a while.

Key phrases

Openers

• Mawnin and Evenin — "good morning" and "good evening". These are the safest openers with anyone, including elders.
• Wah gwaan? — "what's going on?", the classic casual hello. Wha appen? ("what's happening?") works the same way.
• Weh yuh a seh? — literally "what are you saying?", used as a casual greeting. The site's dictionary lists it as wah yuh a seh; the app's lesson writes it with weh. You'll hear and see both.
• Yow! — a loud "hey!" for getting a friend's attention. Fine with friends; too familiar for an elder.
• Long time mi nuh see yuh — "I haven't seen you in a long time". Note the word order: the time comes first, then mi nuh see yuh ("I don't see you").

Check-ins and replies

• Yuh alright? — "are you okay?" Polite and warm with anyone.
• Everyting criss? — "is everything good?" Criss means sharp, fresh or excellent.
• Mi deh yah — "I'm here", meaning "I'm doing okay" or "I'm holding on". It's modest on purpose: you don't need to say you're wonderful.
• Yeah man — "yes, of course". Used with everybody, not only men.

Small talk

• Di sun hot today eeh! — "the sun is hot today!" The tag eeh at the end adds emphasis and invites the other person to agree. Di day long eeh ("it's been a long day") works the same way.
• It hot bad — "it's really hot". Bad after an adjective means "very".
• Weh yuh deh pon? — "what are you up to?", often about plans: Weh yuh deh pon later?
• Mek wi reason later — "let's talk later". To reason is to have a proper conversation, not just a quick chat.
• Weh yuh did deh? — "where were you / where have you been?" Did marks the past.

Goodbyes

• Walk good — "go safely", a warm wish as someone leaves.
• Likkle more and More time — "see you later", casual.
• Inna di morrows — "see you tomorrow".
• Mi gone — "I'm off", announcing your own exit.
• Bless up and Blessings — positive greetings or farewells, wishing someone well.

Usage and etiquette

• Greeting is manners. Walking into a shop, a yard or a small office without saying good morning can come across as rude. Greet first, then ask for what you need.
• Elders get the polite version. With Miss Ivy you'd say Mawnin and Yuh alright?, not Yow, wah gwaan? Use Miss, Mr or Mrs plus their name.
• Keep the reply short. Wah gwaan? is a greeting, not a request for your life story. Mi deh yah or Mi good is plenty.
• Safe topics: the weather, the day, food, family in general terms, where you're headed. Avoid opening with money, someone's weight or looks, or anything that sounds like prying.
• Know the Rasta greetings before you use them. Yes I and One love have Rastafari associations. They're friendly, but sound odd from someone who doesn't know where they come from.
• Respect works as a hello, a thank-you and a goodbye. It's one of the most useful single words you can learn.

Try it

1. An older lady greets you with Mawnin! outside her house. What do you say back, and how do you ask if she's okay?
2. Your friend says Weh yuh deh pon later? Tell them "not much, let's talk later".
3. You're leaving and won't see them until tomorrow. Which goodbye fits?

For full lists, see how to say hello in Jamaican and how to say goodbye in Jamaican, or the greetings section of the dictionary.

Questions people ask