The official language of Jamaica is actually English, but due to Jamaica being a large mix of nationalities over the years, mainly Spanish and British, the traditional American English has become a bit lost in translation and thus the Jamaican Patois has become the unofficial language of Jamaica.
This can be somewhat difficult to understand at first, and to many it may seem like either complete gibberish or just plain laziness, but it’s not. This is how Jamaicans throughout the years have been brought up to speak, to them it’s just normal.
Perhaps a good place to start when beginning to learn the Jamaican patois is to actually visit the island and listen to many of the locals have a conversation. Write down anything that you hear that doesn’t make sense to you, and see if you can figure out what it means when it’s written on the paper. If not, there are a number of places online you can check that will allow you to figure out what any words mean that you don’t understand. One of the best courses you can take for learning a new language is to listen to it in action. You also shouldn’t be scared to ask locals to clarify what they mean if they’re talking to you – not only will this let you understand what certain words mean, but it’s also a good way to get to know people, which could be valuable in the future.
If, however, you would prefer to learn some of the language before you visits Jamaica, there are a number of things you can do to prepare yourself. There are a good few books available that will help you on your way, as well as a number of website built by Jamaican locals that will help you immensely.
You could also check myreviewsnow and look for other people in the same situation, looking to learn the Jamaican patois. You’ll probably be surprised to find just how many people are looking to become a part of this almost secretive language and community and the best way to start off is to know how to communicate in Jamaica.
If you look hard enough you may be able to find teachers in your local city that could help you learn this lucrative language. Failing that, you can have a look on the web and do some online shopping. There are plenty of sites on the internet based around the Jamaican patois and how words are said as opposed to American English. There are many self-published books, e-books and sites available.
Some of the most popular words/phrases are:
Bait up- To cause disappointment and/or embarrassment
Balance – Calm down, take it easy
Ben – Upset/angry
Deh pon a endz- Gone out (somewhere nice)
Do yu ting- Go ahead (do your thing)
Goodup goodup- Real, genuine
Happen – Fabulous
Inna di morrows – See you tomorrow
Memba mi tell yuh – Listen up, take note
Nuh seh nuttin – Don’t say anything, don’t mention it
Learning Jamaican patois can seem like quite a difficult task, but with some online shopping or a look at myreviewsnow, you’ll be chatting with the locals in no time!
Travelling to Jamaica? You’ll need to know the local language and how to respond to others, so make sure you have a look and check out online shopping
