South African slang represents many different linguistic tradition found in the country, and boy does it flow lekker.

Typical users include people with English as their first language but who speak Afrikaans as a second language or the other way around. South African English has a flavour of its own, borrowing freely from Afrikaans. It mostly occurs in South Africa where the population speaks both English and Afrikaans. For some of these words, there are no English translation and has become part of the language.

Here are a few examples:

• Babbelas – hangover.

• Bakgat – cool; expression of appreciation for something very well accomplished.

• Bakkie – a utility truck, pick-up truck, a mainstream word in South African English. Can also refer to a small container.

• Biltong – dried meat, similar to jerky.

• Boerewors – spicy sausage (Afrikaans) farmer-sausage, used as a mainstream word in South African English

• Boet – male friend, informal form of broer meaning brother.

• Bru – a term of affection, shortened from Afrikaans broer, basically the same meaning as above. An example would be: “Hey, my bru“.

• Braai – a barbecue or to barbecue, used as a mainstream word in South African English. An example would be: “Do you want to have a braai tonight?”

• Cherry – girlfriend.

• China – a friend; as in the greeting howzit my china.

• Gatvol – fed up, had enough.

• Gees – Literal translation it means spirit, for something to have spirit.

• Hoesit, hoezit, howzit – derived from “How is it going?” – contracted to how’s it? In South African English context, howzit is more a greeting of “hello” rather than “how are you?”

• Ja-nee – direct translation is “yes-no”, an expression of positive confirmation. Example : “Dis warm vandag.” (It’s hot today) where the response would be:  Ja-nee (Indeed)

• Kiff, kif, kief – wicked, cool, neat, great or wonderful.

• Klap – to smack: “He got klapped in the bar”. Or if someone did something very well, you can also say: “You Klapped it boet.”

• Kwaai – cool or excellent.

• Laaitie –  a younger male such as a younger brother or son.

• Lus – When you feel like eating a particular type of food/ doing a certain activity. “I am now very lus for biltong/a swim.”

• Mamparra – idiot.

• Mielie – corn on the cob.

• Moegoe – stupid person, coward or weakling.

• Nê? – do you know what I mean/agree? The South African English equivalent is “hey”, for example “Eish, it’s cold hey?”

• Nogal – of all things. Term expressing a measure of surprise.

• Rooinek – (“red neck”) Afrikaner derogatory term for English person or English-speaking South African.

• Skeef – gay, as in: “hy lyk maar vir my ‘n bietjie skeef.” (he looks a bit gay).

• Skyf – cigarette.

• Smaak – to like another person or thing. “I smaak that chick.”

• Sommer – for no particular reason, just because. There is no English word for this one.

• Stoep – porch or verandah.

• Stompie – a cigarette butt, a short person or impolite term to refer to the remaining arm/leg/finger after an amputation.

• Voertsek, voetsek – get lost, buzz off, go away, run, scram, stuff off or bugger off.

• Zamalek – Black Label Lager, locally brewed beer. A very popular local beer because of the high alcohol content.

And then there’s the much loved or much hated word: mos. South Africans are literally the only ones using it. It implies that what has been said is well known or self-evident like: “Ek drink mos nie tee nie.” It is often wrongly used in sentences where it is assumed that the other party knows what he/she is talking about, which sometimes causes irritation amongst the listener. “Ek het mos my enkel geswik verlede jaar“, or: “My broer speel mos vir Katu se kaas-en-wynspan.”  Which often provokes the answer, “How am I supposed to know that?”

These are just a few examples. What other examples can you think of?