Red Red: Fried ripened plantains with beans made with palm oil. It literally means ‘the dead white man’ as these clothes usually came from Europe and were known to be the old garments of Europeans that they no longer required. Obroni waawu: Also known as foes, meaning secondhand clothing.
Kubolor: Someone that enjoys wondering and ‘roaming’. Kelewele: Ripe plantains diced and marinated in ginger, onions and chilli and then fried. Photograph: Textile Market, Accra, GhanaĮti sen: This greeting is equivalent to a 'hi, how are you?' but is literally translated as 'how is it?', to which the response would be ‘ɛyɛ’ (eh-yeh) 'it’s good' or 'it’s fine'. (Ga term)Ĭhopbar: A restaurant that operates mainly by the roadside and serves local dishes. ‘Chale’ in Ga means friend or buddy and ‘Wote’ means ‘let's go.’ So, literally, the word Chalewotey means ‘my friend let’s go and is a perfect description for the ease with which flip-flops are worn. (Derived from the Yoruba language)Īunty: In West Africa, the title aunty is given to any older woman to whom deference is shown.Īwam: The word awam (meaning fake) is derived from the abbreviation for the Association of West African Merchants that duped citizens out of their hard-earned money.īoga: A Ghanaian living abroad, this word originated from the word Hamburger after residents of Hamburg, many of who are of Ghanaian origin.Ĭhalewotey: the word for Flip-flops. It is also known as Apio.Īlata: A term commonly used to describe Nigerians, to their great displeasure, as it means pepper seller in their language. 'Oh dude, look at the way he’s dancing! He’s trying to embarrass us!'Īkata (n): a foreigner, usually an African-AmericanĪkpeteshie: This locally brewed spirit is made from highly fermented palm wine and is highly intoxicating (like moonshine). Oh chale, see the way he is dancing! He wan embarrass us oh! See : On the English-speaking West Coast of Africa, people often use the word ‘see’ instead of the usual ‘look at’. Together with examples of how they are used: Photograph: Wli Falls, Ghana
Below is a simplified guide to some slang and tribal terms commonly used among the people of Ghana. It is a commonly known fact that although many Africans and people of African descent speak Pidgin English, it is slightly different in every country.
Many Ghanaians speak English or Pidgin English mixed in with words from these local languages to create a distinctive way of talking unique to Ghana. Ghana is a country with 7 major languages (Twi, Ga, Fanti, Ewe, Dangbe, Hausa and English), and although you won’t be expected to understand them all, it might help to know a few keywords that you can use to pepper up your conversation and charm or surprise people.
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