Braai - A barbeque but also a social gathering around a fire. Don't expect to eat before 11pm.
Bru/Boet - Brother/friend. Similar to 'bro' but cooler.
Eish - a slang word used to indicate surprise, sudden disapproval, exasperation or regret. For example, “Eish, I forgot my tent poles!”
Eina! - Meaning "Ouch!" Used when expressing immediate pain or sympathizing with someone else who is experiencing pain or got hurt in some way.
Gees - Afrikaans word for “spirit” but is often used to describe a great vibe in Afrikaans.
Hectic - Meaning crazy, used when expressing amazement. For example, “That R355 is pretty hectic bru…”
Howzit - (9 out of 10 times the person is from Joburg) It means "Hello and how are you?"
Izit - An expression frequently used in conversation and shortened version of "Is it?" which is equivalent to “Really?”
Jol - Meaning to go partying, clubbing or to just have fun in general. For example, “We had a jol last night at AfrikaBurn."
Kak- Not Lekker (see Lekker). Unless it's really lekker, then it's kak lekker.:) Can also mean "sh*t".
Lekker - Nice, good, great and also means ‘tasty’ in Afrikaans.
Mal - Crazy or mad in Afrikaans. Example: "The people were going mal at that jol last night!"
Moerse - Means "really big" or numerous in Afrikaans.
Nca - (n!aah) Meaning everything is cool or things are good. For example, “The food was nca, my friend.”
"Now" - The phrases "now", "now now", "just now" and "right now" all mean different things in terms of immediacy and differs from person to person. You may need a follow up question to determine the timeframe. Good luck with this one!
Shebeen - A tavern or bar in South Africa especially in the townships.For example, “Let’s go visit the Shebeen in the township this weekend.”
Stompie - A cigarette butt.... please keep these off the desert floor!
Yebo - Means "Yes" in Zulu.
- Words via the Afrikaburn Rangers and Khaya:-)
