"I love you" in Jamaican Patois is mi love yuh, pronounced "mee luv yuh". It's the same order as English: mi (I), love, yuh (you). To stress that you mean it, add fi real: Mi love yuh, fi real ("I love you, truly"). It works for partners and for family.
The core phrases
Mi love yuh.
I love you.
Mi love yuh, fi real.
I love you, for real.
Mi miss yuh.
I miss you.
Mi like yuh bad.
I like you a lot.
Order matters, because Patois pronouns don't change form. Yuh love mi means "You love me". See Patois pronouns. To say it to a group, such as your whole family, use the plural unnu: Mi love unnu.
Bad after a verb or adjective is an intensifier, not an insult. Mi like yuh bad means "I really like you". Mi miss yuh has its own dictionary entry.
Sweet talk
Compliments and affectionate lines from the app's Dating & Linkups lessons:
Yuh deh pon mi mind whole day.
You're on my mind all day.
Mi did a tink bout yuh.
I was thinking about you.
Mi cyaan wait fi see yuh.
I can't wait to see you.
A yuh alone mi a look pon.
You're the only one I'm looking at.
Yuh smile pretty bad.
Your smile is really beautiful.
Yuh look criss.
You look really sharp.
An older, playful word of affection is boonoonoonoos ("lovely, special"): Yuh boonoonoonoos to mi. It's sweet and a little old-fashioned, so it often gets a smile.
The verb link (link) covers meeting up and dating: Mek wi link up dis weekend ("Let's meet up this weekend").
Talking about relationships
- deh wid: to be in a relationship with. Yuh deh wid smaddy? ("Are you seeing anybody?")
- sweet: lovely, enjoyable, and sweet-natured. Aww, yuh sweet!
- lyrics: smooth talk or chat-up lines. Someone with "nuff lyrics" can talk their way into anything, which isn't always a compliment.
Some relationship words aren't sweet at all, and it's worth recognizing them:
- gyallis: a man who chases many women; a womanizer.
- matey: the other woman, a rival for a man's affection. It's usually said with hostility.
- bun: literally "burn"; in relationships, to cheat on someone.
Love for family and friends
Mi love yuh isn't only romantic. You'll hear it said to grandmothers and aunties all the time:
Thanks Aunty, mi love yuh. Mi a come back next Sunday.
Thanks, Aunty, I love you. I'm coming back next Sunday.
Mi proud a yuh.
I'm proud of you.
Older relatives may use endearments like mi dear, as Granny does in one of the app's stories. Among friends, affection often shows through respect words instead: bredrin and sistren (close friends), or one love as a farewell.
When things go wrong
Yuh vex wid mi?
Are you upset with me?
Mi sorry, nuh get vex.
I'm sorry, don't be angry.
Nuh ramp wid mi feelings.
Don't play with my feelings.
Vex means angry or annoyed, and ramp means to play around.
Practice it in a story
Patois Pal's Story Mode includes "The First Link", a branching text conversation where you set up a first date with Shanice. You choose replies in Patois, and picking the wrong line has consequences.
Questions people ask
How do you say 'I love you too' in Patois?
Mi love yuh too. The word order is the same as English, and the pronouns don't change.
Does 'mi like yuh bad' mean something negative?
No. After a verb or adjective, bad intensifies: Mi like yuh bad means 'I like you a lot'. Yuh smile pretty bad means 'Your smile is really beautiful'.
How do you say 'I love you all' to family?
Use the plural you, unnu: Mi love unnu. Yuh is for one person only.