South African English: English Vocabulary List

(South African) a drink, especially alcoholic

"He had a dop of wine."

"He ordered a dop of brandy to calm his nerves before the job interview."

(South African) a close friend or brother

"The boet helped him fix the car."

"Hey boet can you help me lift this he asked his younger brother in an Afrikaans accent."

(South African) completely fed up or very upset

"I am gatvol."

"I am gatvol of your constant complaining and I need you to stop right now."

(South African) a sandwich

"He ate a cheese sarmie."

"She packed a cheese sarmie in his lunchbox along with an apple and a juice box."

(South African) a severe hangover

"He has a bad babalaas today."

"The hangover was a serious babalaas after drinking too much cheap wine at the party."

(South African) great, excellent, or very good

"That is bakgat!"

"The chef prepared a truly bakgat meal that impressed all the guests with its exquisite flavors."

(South African) a wealthy man who supports a younger female companion, often in exchange for favors

"He is a blesser."

"The young woman was criticized for her relationship with the older man, who was known to be a generous blesser."

(South African) to eat

"Let's chow down on some pizza."

"Let's chow down on this delicious pizza before it gets cold."

(South African) used to say thank someone

"Dankie! Thank you very much."

"Dankie! Thank you very much for your kindness and generosity towards me and my family."

(South African) to beat up or thrash someone

"They donnered him."

"The bullies decided to donner the new student after he refused to give them his lunch money."

(South African) a cigarette

"He lit an entjie."

"He asked his friend if he had an entjie to spare for a quick smoke break."

(South African) a cigarette

"He asked for a gwaai."

"After a long day at work, he desperately needed a gwaai to relax."

(South African) an expression of surprise, shock, or disbelief

"Haibo! That is very surprising."

"Haibo! That is very surprising. I did not expect to see that happen at all today."

(South African) used to affirm or agree

"Ja, yes, I agree with you."

"Ja, yes, I agree with you completely because I think you are absolutely right about this matter."

(South African) a party or social gathering

"The party was a good jol."

"The party was a great jol with good music dancing and plenty of drinks for everyone."

(South African) to strike, hit, or smack someone or something

"He klapped the ball into the net."

"He klapped the ball into the net for the winning goal in the final minute of the match."

(South African) great, fantastic, cool, or excellent

"That party was kwaai!"

"The band played a kwaai set that had everyone on the dance floor all night long."

(South African) a casual greeting

"Heita! Hello. How are you doing?"

"Heita! Hello. How are you doing today? I have not seen you in such a long time."

(South African) a young person or youth, especially a boy

"The laaitie helped carry the shopping."

"The laaitie was a young boy who ran errands for the older men in the neighborhood."

(South African) a smart, well-off, or stylish person

"The laanie drove an expensive car."

"The laanie dressed in expensive clothes and spoke with a posh accent that marked him as upper class."

(South African) a friend, buddy, or companion

"My maat how are you?"

"Thanks maat he said to his close friend using the Afrikaans term for a mate or buddy."

(South African) someone who behaves in a foolish or ridiculous way

"He acted like a mampara."

"The mampara tried to impress the crowd by juggling flaming torches, but ended up setting his hair on fire."

(South African) weak or lacking substance

"The soup was pap."

"His argument for the new policy was pap and lacked any convincing evidence or logical reasoning."

(South African) someone who engages in minor criminal or antisocial behavior

"The skollie stole the wallet."

"The police were on the lookout for the skollie who had been harassing local shopkeepers."

(South African) a cigarette

"He lit a skyf."

"He carefully rolled a skyf with one hand while waiting for the bus to arrive."

(South African) to like someone or something

"I smaak this new music style."

"I really smaak this new restaurant because the food is delicious and the service is excellent."

(South African) a girlfriend or female romantic partner

"He met his stukkie."

"He was excited to introduce his new stukkie to his family at the upcoming holiday gathering."

(South African) money

"He had no zak."

"After losing his job, he was worried about how he would pay his bills without any zak."

(South African) a casual or sports shoe

"His tackies are old and worn."

"He wore his old tackies to the gym because they were comfortable and already dirty from previous workouts."

(South African) foul, disgusting, or unpleasant

"That is sif."

"That haircut is sif and you should go back to the barber to get it fixed."