| Ag
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| Pronounced like the ach in German, but with a 'g' on the end. Roll that 'g'! "Ag, no man" - sign of irritation. Many purposes.
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| Aikona
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| Never, not on your life.
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| Aita! ('ai-tah')
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| A greeting: "Aita brah!" - Originated in the townships among the youth, and is still used.
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| Babbelas ('Bub-be-las')
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| A hangover. Normally a pretty damn bad hangover!
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| Baff
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| Fart
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| Baggies
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| Certainly not "swimming trunks" or even worse: "bathing suit!!", but means the same.
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| Bakkie('Buk-ky')
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| Pickup truck
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| Ballas
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| Balls (ie: privates..)
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| Barnie
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| Fight, punch-up.
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| Befok, befuck
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| Wild, crazy, excellent, great! This is used two ways: "he went befok" (he lost it completely!) or "that's befuck!" (that's awesome!)
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| Bergie
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| A hobo who hangs out on the streets of Cape Town. The term Bergie originates from the Berg (Mountain), and has connotations, according to prejudice, that Bergies are members of inbred hillbilly clans. This is not really so. It has more to do with alcoholism and tragic social circumstances such as poverty and homelessness.
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| Biltong
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| Jerky in the US, only much better!. This is specially prepared dried raw meat, made from beef, venison or ostrich.
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| Biscuit
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| Cookie in the US. In America, a biscuit is a scone with no sugar. In South Africa, it's a cookie. Some favourites are Marie Biscuits, Romany Creams, and Eet Sum Mor.
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| Bliksem
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| Strike, hit, punch: "I'm going to bliksem you!" Can also be used as follows: "Bliksem! (Damn!) That was a befokde game of rugby!"
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| Boere
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| Term that refers to the police - "Die foken boere se moer, man!".
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| Boerewors
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| Farmstyle sausage or "wors". (Literally, "Farmers Sausage"). It is consumed in vast quantities on braais all over the country.
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| Bok
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| To be keen.
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| Bokkie
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| Used mostly in the Afrikaans circles - a young, pretty lady; or girlfriend.
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| Bos
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| The bush; a term that became especially popular during the period of "bush-warefare" during the Angolan war.
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| Bossies or Bosbefok
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| Going totally whacko, going bush crazy - "He went bossies after spending 3 months in Angola".
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| Boykie
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| Little boy, or can be used as in: "He's quite a boykie" - (he's quite the guy!)"
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| Braai
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| Barbecue (US) or Barbie (Aus). Extremely popular SA occupation. Men take great pride in preparing this event; and is probably the only time the average South African does something around the house!
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| Brah
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| Buddy, associate, peer, colleague, friend, etc... Most often used amongst the "rookers" (pot-smokers) - "Hoesit, my brah!"
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| Catch a Tan
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| To suntan.
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| Check
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| Nothing to do with money! Look, do you see? - "You check?" or "Check this, china!!" - Look at this, dude!.
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| Chick
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| Yet another typically South African sexist term for a woman!
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| China
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| A friend, buddy, mate. Very popular term, mostly in Cape Town area and Durban. Can also be used aggressively, as in: "Are you tuning me kak, China? - are you giving me shit, mate?".
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| Chips
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| Means 'look out!' A warning.
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| Chuck
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| Depart, leave, go
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| Crash
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| Go to sleep - "Do you want to crash out at my place? - Do you want sleep over at my place?"
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| Dagga ('Dag-gah')
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| Marijuana, dope - the South African word for dope.
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| Dankie
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| Thank you
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| Dinges ('Din-gus')
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| Thingamabob, a wotzit or a whatchamacallit.
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| Dit ruk
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| It's happening!.
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| Doff
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| Stupid, idiot. It can also be used as a noun. "You doffie" - you stupid dumbass!
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| Dop
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| Alcohol, or to fail school.
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| Drol
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| Shit.
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| Duidelik
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| Means it's cool. Eg: Hoesit my brah. Naai, is duidelik!!!
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| Durban Poison
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| Dagga - marijuana - grown in KwaZulu Natal - apparently of excellent vintage!
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| Dwaal
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| The blank, state a person gets into sometimes, walking around like a zombie.
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| Eina(aynah)
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| Ouch! Widely used. Derived from Afrikaans.
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| Flip
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| (Expletive) "Flip!" (Oh no! or Shit!)
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| Gatgabba
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| Moffie
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| Gesuip ('Ge-sayp')
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| Drunk
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| Graunch
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| Make out - "during the film, my boyfriend and I graunched in the back row" - during the movie we french kissed, rubbed, etc....
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| Graze
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| Unfortunately a pretty common word that means to "eat"!. "Let's go get something to graze".
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| Half-jack
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| A half-bottle of spirits.
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| Hap('Hup')
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| A bite - this Afrikaans word is commonly used by English speakers. "Do you want a hap of my biscuit?".
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| Hey
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| Used for emphasis. "So let's graunch, hey?"
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| Howzit (also hoesit")
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| The famous, and one of the most typical, South African greeting. Short for "How is it?"
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| How's your mind?
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| "Are you mad?!"
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| Hum
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| 1) Busy - "The disco was humming, there were chicks everywhere, and they were lekker on their pluck!" - the disco was a blast; there were girls everywhere and they were pretty drunk! 2) Stink - "Damn, it hums in here! Who baffed?"
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| Isit? (Izzit?)
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| This conversational word is used widely and in response to just about anything. Used in place of "really??"
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| Jammie
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| A car
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| Jawl - Jorl
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| The word jawl is a generic South African - it refers to having a good time and can be used in any context. "I am going on a jawl (party) - I am having a jawl (good time)...".
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| Just now
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| A immense source of amusement for foreigners - it means "very soon", "eventually"; or "never". If someone says he will do something "just now" it could be in 10 minutes or tomorrow. Or maybe he won't do it at all.
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| Kak ('Kuk')
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| Shit... and used in the same way.... "Don't talk kak - Don't give me kak".
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| Kief
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| Cool, or something that's very nice.
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| Klap('klup')
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| Slap - "Give him a snot-klap if he gives you kak".
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| Kus
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| Exhausted or tired
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| Lank
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| A lot - "There are lank people at this jawl tonight, hey China??!!"
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| Larney
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| Fancy, designer clothes, snob - A number of variations on a word denoting someone who is well-dressed, or designer clothes, or a well-to-do function. The person can be larney, or clothes.
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| Lekker
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| An Afrikaans word meaning nice, this word is used by all language groups to express approval.
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| Lightey
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| Youngster.
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| Lights out
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| Unconscious - "After being klapped for calling him a 'rock spider', little Johnny was completely lights out"
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| Lomp
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| Lethargic.
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| Lummie
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| A welt - A lummie is a particular kind of welt caused by hitting someone with the middle knuckle of your middle finger. School kids give each other lummies, usually on the forearm. A proper lummie becomes a bump immediately.
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| Mampara
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| A fool
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| Moffie
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| Wimp, pansie, naff, weakling
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| Nooit('Noy-t')
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| No way - Another way of saying no, but also a sign of incredulous response.
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| Nought
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| No - Used in similar situations to nooit.
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| Oke (ou)
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| Guy, chap, bloke.
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| Padkos
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| Food for a car, for a trip; on the road.
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| Park off
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| To chill out - sit down and relax - "Let's go park off at the beach tonight. Maybe we can graunch a little!"
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| Pavement
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| In South Africa this is the sidewalk.
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| Pikkie
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| A small child.
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| Pluck
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| Can only be explained in an example: "What's your pluck, china?? You looking for kak? Don't make be befok; I'll klap you hard!" - what's you problem...etc..
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| Robot
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| Yes, it's a traffic light!
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| Rock Up
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| To arrive - "What time should we rock up for the jawl? Should be bring any dop?"
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| Rock Spider
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| An english speaking South African term for an Afrikaner - Hey, you rock spider! Who you calling a 'soutpiel'? Come here and I'll klap your lights out!"
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| Rooineck
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| Afrikaner name for an Englishman, or an english speaking South African.
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| Snot-klap
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| To hit someone hard.
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| Soutpiel, or soutie
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| Another Afrikaner name for an english speaking South African - comes from the image of the "English" having one foot in South Africa, the other in England, with something hanging in the middle (in the water)! - "Hê soutie, who you calling a 'rock spider'? Come here and I'll skop your ballas in!'
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| Scale
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| To scale something is to steal it.
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| Shame
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| Very typical South African expression; also found amusing by foreigners. "Ag shame, look how cute that baby is!", or "Shame, stop making kak with the chick, man, she's lekker", and "Shame, that's really sad".
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| Sif
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| Description of a disgusting thing.
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| Skeef
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| Crooked; provocative. A classic saying heard in bars around South Africa is "Are you checking me skeef, China?" - Are you looking at me funny, brah?
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| Skelm
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| A crook or thief. A street-wise operator who deals in petty crime.
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| Skinner
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| Gossip.
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| Skolly - ('skaw-lly')
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| Ruffian. Can be used almost affectionately when talking about a roguish friend.
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| Skop
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| Kick.
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| Skrik
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| A fright.
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| Slap chips
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| When French Fries are thick and long and don't go crispy in the oil - they are soft and stodgy
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| Spook and diesel
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| Cane spirits and coke - A favorite mixture of a pale liquor and dark Coca-Cola.
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| Stoep
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| Verandah
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| Stroppy
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| Cheeky
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| Stukkie
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| Sexist term for a woman.
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| Takkies
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| Sneakers, trainers, running shoes.
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| Tokoloshe
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| Evil spirit
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| The moer in - (roll the r)
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| Very angry - "You make me the fokken moer in!".
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| Tune ('Choon')
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| To tell, to talk, to provoke - "Don't tune me grief, ou; or I'll (yes, again!!..) klap the kak out of you!"
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| Vasbyt
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| Hang in there, be tough - "Vasbyt, china; it kak will soon be over!"
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| Voetsek
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| Get lost, buzz off..."Voetsek, jou sleg moer!"
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| Vry
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| Similar to graunch - to kiss, pet, court..
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