To hang out in Patois you need three things: a way to make plans (Mek wi link up, Weh yuh deh pon later?), a way to bring the energy (Mi ready long time!), and enough slang to follow the banter. Jamaican friends tease, boast and talk loud, especially over a game. This guide shows how it sounds and where the lines are.
Both dialogues are adapted from Story Mode scenarios in the Patois Pal app: Beach Day Lime, a day out with your friend Rohan, and Dominoes Night Wid Di Cousins, where Cousin Andre has been waiting all week to beat you.
Dialogue 1: Beach day
Rohan: Wake up, wake up! Beach day! Sky blue, sea flat, an mi have di cooler pack aready. Yuh ready or yuh a guh waste mi mawnin? Wake up, wake up! Beach day! The sky's blue, the sea's flat, and I've packed the cooler already. Are you ready or are you going to waste my morning?
You: Di sun hot today eeh — mi ready long time! The sun is hot today — I've been ready for ages!
Rohan: Yes iyah! … An wi reach! Yuh a come een or yuh a guh siddung pon di sand like tourist? Yes! … And we're here! Are you coming in or are you going to sit on the sand like a tourist?
You: Di water nice an warm — come een, man! The water's nice and warm — come in, man!
Rohan: Some yute dem a set up one football match pon di sand. Dem a ask if wi waan play. Wah yuh a seh? Some guys are setting up a football match on the sand. They're asking if we want to play. What do you say?
You: Mek wi play — but mi can ball bad enuh! Let's play — but I'm really good at football, you know!
Rohan: Two goal?! Mi nah lie, yuh surprise mi. Yuh smell dat? Fish fry a gwaan dung di beach. Two goals?! I won't lie, you surprised me. You smell that? There's a fish fry going on down the beach.
You: Mi waan nyam some fry fish an festival! I want to eat some fried fish and festival!
Rohan: Mi tell yuh, nuh weh nuh betta dan yard. Same ting next week? I'm telling you, nowhere is better than home. Same thing next week?
You: Best beach day ever — same time next week, nuh miss it! Best beach day ever — same time next week, don't miss it!
Dialogue 2: Dominoes night
Andre: Yuh hear dat? A suh domino fi sound! Siddung, cousin. Mi hope yuh practice, cause tonight yuh a guh get a proper beating! You hear that? That's how a domino should sound! Sit down, cousin. I hope you've practised, because tonight you're getting a proper beating!
You: Beat who? Tonight mi a guh teach YUH a lesson, cousin! Beat who? Tonight I'm going to teach YOU a lesson, cousin!
Andre: Ooooh, big chat! Yuh know bout six love, right? Six game straight an yuh cyaan win none. Ooooh, big talk! You know about six love, right? Six games straight and you can't win any.
You: Six love? Nuh me, cousin — mi born a play dominoes! Six love? Not me, cousin — I was born playing dominoes!
Andre: Wah happen, teacher? School dismiss early?! Talk up nuh! What happened, teacher? School let out early?! Speak up!
You: Cool yuhself, cousin — di night young, watch mi now. Calm down, cousin — the night is young, watch me now.
Andre: Wait — Aunty a come thru wid a tray. Fry fish an festival reach di table! Manners before war, cousin. Wait — Aunty's coming through with a tray. Fried fish and festival have reached the table! Manners before war, cousin.
You: Tanks, Aunty — di food smell good bad! Thanks, Aunty — the food smells really good!
Andre: Real talk, cousin — yuh a di best match mi have inna years. Same time next Friday? Real talk, cousin — you're the best match I've had in years. Same time next Friday?
You: Win or lose — nutten nuh beat family time. Mi deh yah next Friday! Win or lose — nothing beats family time. I'll be here next Friday!
Key phrases
Making plans
- Mek wi link up — "let's meet up". Mek wi = "let's".
- Weh yuh deh pon later? — "what are you up to later?"
- Yuh a come wid wi? — "are you coming with us?"
- Come check mi a yard — "come visit me at home". Yaad (also spelled yard) is home, and abroad it can mean Jamaica itself.
- Mi a step — "I'm heading out".
Bringing the energy
- Mi ready long time — "I've been ready for ages".
- Yes iyah! — an enthusiastic "yes!" between friends.
- Can ball bad — "really good at football". Ball is to play football, and bad is the intensifier.
- Di vibes dem nice yah so — "the vibes are nice here". Irie, tun up ("turned all the way up") and sweet all praise a good time.
- Di place ram — "the place is packed". Ram jam is the full version.
Table talk
- Big chat — "big talk", boasting. Chat means talk, often too much.
- Six love — in Jamaican dominoes, losing six games in a row without winning one. Being given six love is a famous humiliation.
- Cool yuhself — "calm down". Composure after a loss is respected.
- Manners before war — Andre's line: whatever the score, you thank Aunty for the food.
Who's who
- Bredrin and sistren — close friends, male and female.
- Yute — a young person; di yute dem = the young people, or just "some guys".
- Lime — a hangout; fish fry — a seaside gathering with fried fish, often with music from a sound system.
Usage and etiquette
- Trash talk stays at the table. Dominoes banter is loud and expected, and slapping a tile down is part of the game. Boast about the game, not about someone's family, looks or money, and let it go when the game ends. You can practise against AI opponents who talk trash in Patois in the app's Jamaican Dominoes mode.
- Take it as well as you give it. Being teased means you're included. Laughing along (Yuh gi mi joke!) wins more respect than sulking. See Jamaican humour.
- Contribute. Bring something, buy a round, help carry the cooler. Next round deh pon mi goes a long way.
- Elders are still elders. Even mid-game, Aunty gets a thank-you. Manners before war.
- Time is flexible, but not endless. Mi soon come can stretch, but if you agree a time with Seen, try to keep it.
- Party slang varies. Words like bashment and bruk out come from dance and dancehall culture and shift quickly. Use the ones you hear your friends use.
Try it
- Your friend texts Yuh ready? on beach day. Tell them you've been ready for ages.
- Your cousin says you'll get six love tonight. Answer with confidence.
- You've just lost a game. What do you say to stay cool and promise a comeback?
Questions people ask
What is a lime?
A lime is a relaxed hangout with friends, like a beach day or an evening on the verandah. The word is widely used across the English-speaking Caribbean; in Jamaica you'll also hear link or link up for meeting friends.
Is trash talk at dominoes rude?
Not at the table, among people who know each other. Loud boasting and slapping down tiles are part of the game. Keep it about the game, take it as well as you give it, and drop it when the game ends.