To meet someone in Jamaican Patois, greet them first, then swap names: Wah gwaan? … Mi name Sam. Weh yuh name? … Nice fi meet yuh. The words are simple. What makes a first meeting go well is the order: greet before you ask anything, greet everybody present, and match the other person's energy.
The first dialogue below is adapted from Meeting Di Crew, a Story Mode scenario in the Patois Pal app where you meet Shanice's sharp-tongued best friend, Toni-Ann. The second is a plainer introduction at a party.
Dialogue 1: Meeting the friends
Shanice has brought you out to meet her friends. Toni-Ann has appointed herself judge.
Toni-Ann: Well well well. Suh a yuh Shanice a hide from wi all dis time. Siddung, siddung — wi have questions. Well, well, well. So you're the one Shanice has been hiding from us all this time. Sit down, sit down — we have questions.
You: Wah gwaan, everybody? Nice fi finally meet unnu. What's up, everybody? Nice to finally meet you all.
Toni-Ann: Mmhm. Manners. Wi like dat. But answer mi dis — wah yuh intentions wid mi fren? An nuh gi mi nuh sweet-mout answer. Mmhm. Manners. We like that. But answer me this — what are your intentions with my friend? And don't give me any sweet-talk answer.
You: Mi rate Shanice bad — mi deh yah fi real. I think very highly of Shanice — I'm here for real.
Toni-Ann: Hm! Aright. Yuh survive round one. Waiter a come roun — an wi glasses look empty to yuh? Hm! Alright. You survived round one. The waiter is coming round — and do our glasses look empty to you?
You: Say nuh more — next round deh pon mi! Say no more — the next round is on me!
Toni-Ann: Yuh know wah… yuh alright still. Aright, mi wi allow it. But memba, wi a watch yuh! You know what… you're alright. Alright, I'll allow it. But remember, we're watching you!
You: Har fren dem a mi fren dem now — a one crew dis. Her friends are my friends now — we're one crew.
Toni-Ann: One crew! Next lime a next week Friday — an yuh betta deh deh! One crew! The next hangout is next Friday — and you'd better be there!
You: Tonight did irie — mi nah miss Friday fi nutten! Tonight was great — I wouldn't miss Friday for anything!
Dialogue 2: A simple introduction
You're at a party and someone you don't know comes over.
Kerry-Ann: Wah gwaan? Mi nuh tink mi know yuh. Hi, how's it going? I don't think I know you.
You: Mi deh yah. Mi name Sam — mi a Rohan bredrin. I'm good. My name's Sam — I'm Rohan's friend.
Kerry-Ann: Aright. Mi name Kerry-Ann. Weh yuh come from? Alright. My name's Kerry-Ann. Where are you from?
You: Mi come from Toronto, but mi madda a Jamaican. I'm from Toronto, but my mother is Jamaican.
Kerry-Ann: Fi true? Suh yuh know likkle Patois den. Really? So you know a little Patois, then.
You: Mi a learn. Mi nuh undastand everyting yet. I'm learning. I don't understand everything yet.
Kerry-Ann: Yuh a do good, man. Nice fi meet yuh. You're doing well. Nice to meet you.
You: Nice fi meet yuh too. Likkle more! Nice to meet you too. See you later!
Key phrases
Opening and answering
- Wah gwaan? — "What's going on?", used as "hi, how are you?". The app's story spells it Wha gwaan; both spellings are common. The usual answer is Mi deh yah, literally "I'm here", meaning "I'm doing okay".
- Unnu — "you all". Greeting a group with Nice fi meet unnu includes the whole table in one go. Yuh would address one person.
- Siddung — "sit down", blended into one word. Doubling it (siddung, siddung) makes it warmer and more insistent.
Names and where you're from
- Weh yuh name? — "What's your name?" Patois uses weh here, and there is no "is": the question keeps plain statement order.
- Mi name… — "My name is…". Mi covers I, me and my, and the "is" is simply left out before a noun phrase like this.
- Mi a Rohan bredrin — "I'm Rohan's friend". Possession can be shown just by putting the owner before the thing: Rohan bredrin, mi madda. A bredrin is a close friend; for a woman, sistren.
- Nice fi meet yuh — "nice to meet you". Fi does the work of English "to" before a verb.
Making a good impression
- Mi rate… — "I respect / value…". Mi rate Shanice bad means "I think very highly of her". Bad after a word is an intensifier meaning "very", not a criticism.
- Deh pon mi — "it's on me". Pon means "on", so next round deh pon mi is "the next round is on me".
- Yuh alright still — "you're alright, after all". Still at the end of a sentence softens or concedes, a bit like "though".
- Lime — a hangout. Toni-Ann's next lime is the next time the group gets together. Link or link up is the everyday verb for meeting up.
Usage and etiquette
- Greet before anything else. Launching straight into a question without a greeting can come across as abrupt. A Mawnin or Wah gwaan first costs nothing.
- Greet everybody. In the story, the feedback for Wah gwaan, everybody? praises you for greeting the whole table. Acknowledging only the person you came to see can look cold.
- Use titles for elders. Older people are often addressed as Miss plus a first name (Miss Cherry, Miss Pearl) or as Mr/Mrs. In the app you'll also meet Mas Desmond: Mas is an older, respectful title for a man that you'll hear more in rural areas and among older speakers. Don't call an elder by their bare first name unless they invite it.
- Match the register. Wah gwaan is fine with peers. With an older stranger, a shopkeeper or in a formal setting, Good morning or Mawnin is safer. Many Jamaicans move between English and Patois depending on who they're talking to; see how to speak Patois naturally.
- Be honest about your level. Mi a learn ("I'm learning") is a good line to have ready. People tend to be generous with a learner who is upfront.
- Avoid slang you can't explain, overdoing ya mon, and anything from the strong-language list. A first meeting is not the place to test a cuss word.
Try it
Answer these in your head, in Patois, before checking the dialogues.
- You walk up to a table of four people you've never met. What do you say to all of them at once?
- Someone asks Weh yuh name? Tell them your name and that you're a friend of Rohan's.
- Toni-Ann asks what your intentions are. How do you say you think highly of Shanice and you're here for real?
For more ways to open and close a conversation, see greetings and small talk and how to say hello in Jamaican.
Questions people ask
Is it rude to speak Patois to someone I've only just met?
Not if it is friendly and simple. A greeting like Wah gwaan or Mawnin is welcome almost anywhere. What can grate is a stranger performing a heavy, exaggerated Patois or slang they don't really know. Start small and follow the other person's lead.
What if a Jamaican answers me in English?
That is usually courtesy, not rejection. Many Jamaicans switch towards English for visitors so they are understood. Keep using the Patois you are comfortable with; people often switch back once they hear you can follow.