A Short Video Jamaican Patois Lesson



I’m not sure why so many tourists go to Jamaica, learn the term “Irie Mon”, then come home and think they learned to speak Jamaican LOL. There are SO many ways to have fun with Jamaicans and learning to speak their language. Then after you’ve been going for a while they ignore the fact that you’re not Jamaican and just speak full patois to you. SO….it’s in your best interest to take an interest in their lingo rather than your own. Why else would you go to a foreign country if not to LEARN something!

Here’s a hilarious (and much too short!) video we did on the spur of the moment one afternoon at Scotchies in Montego Bay. Barrington was such a willing participant in anything we wanted to do! I have a lot more video of him coming later. Fun guy. But for now take a look at our “translata” lessons. The object of the game was for him to say something to Irene in patois, she would say what she thinks it means and then I’m supposed to tell her what it really means. The whole thing just turned into way too much laughter.

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Comments

14 responses to “A Short Video Jamaican Patois Lesson”

  1. Loved this post. It reminds me of myself. My friends take it easy on me but they always end of translating for me when we are around others. Most of the time they tell me to keep my mouth shut so that I don’t get ripped off. Now that I am making a permanent move I have to learn patois.

    1. Kristi Avatar
      Kristi

      Yep you will have to learn it for sure. It helps a LOT. Especially when they don’t know you know it. You can just sit back and listen to all they talk about haahhaa.

  2. HILARIOUS!!! Cracking up at work. That made my day!

    1. Kristi Avatar
      Kristi

      @Shon – Glad it made your day! That’s the lady I want to do a TV show with, traveling around Jamaica! She’s a riot!

      @Jamie – Sooooo cute about your 3 year old! They need to learn young huh!

  3. Too funny! It was hilarious when I went to Jamaica in March with my friend and my mom. They would always have the look of extreme confusion on their face when we would go around our driver and my family down there – they would speak to each other. They would always look at me to translate.

    The other day, I told my 3 year old son to say a few Patois phrases. He said them perfectly! So, I told him, “Good job Shawn, you just spoke Jamaican like daddy”. Then he said, “No mommy, I’m speakin a Jamaican like ME!”. It was soooo cute. I will never forget that moment because it was when I realized that he knew he was Jamaican. He understands his dad more then most of my friends and family. LOL

  4. michele Avatar
    michele

    these girls are retarted!

    1. Kristi Avatar
      Kristi

      LOL Michele I hope you mean that in a funny way because I’m one of the retards!!

  5. michele Avatar
    michele

    Of Course all in good fun!!!! Or should I have said retarted drunk !!!!
    I’ve been going to JA for like 6 years now and I still have trouble understanding my rasta friend’s heavy patois accent, especially on the phone!!! It’s easier in person but I still ask him what he says!!!! As you go more you’ll understand some of they sayings and their meanings.

    1. Kristi Avatar
      Kristi

      LOL at the point we did the video I don’t even think we were drinking yet. I’ve been going for 9 years so i’m the one who understands. Irene is doing a great job of learning the lingo as she gets there more often too. She was great fun to hang out with!

      And you’re right it’s much easier to understand in person than over the phone. I think the crappy connections have something to do with it LOL.

  6. This blog is so funny.Every patois phrase the bar tender spoke was incorrectly interpreted by the translater and that makes it most interesting and funny. Patoi is a very fast language and what you hear is not what you think you heard in real English. Example “wah do you man:? does not mean what is wrong with your man. It means what is happening to you or whats wrong with you, and it does not mean you are looking ill .It is just an endearing statement to a friend or family.

    1. LOL Juliet that’s why I did the post. I thought it would be really funny to watch a beginner Jamaica traveler attempt to understand. It was a lot of fun.

  7. great, great video. *like*

  8. Great, great video, *like*

    1. Thanks Rosi!

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