This post covers how to greet people in Jamaican patois and teaches you some essential phrases including ‘hello’, ‘good morning’, ‘good afternoon’ and ‘good night’.
You’ll also learn some other important greeting etiquette such as handshakes and gestures.
You’ll leave this page knowing some essential Jamaican patois greetings and when to use each one.
Here’s a table of all the Jamaican Patois greetings that we’ll cover in this post.
| English | Jamaican Patois |
|---|---|
| Hello | Ello |
| What’s up? | Wah gwaan |
| What’s up? | Whaap’m |
| What’s up? | Waddup |
| Hello | Hail up |
| Hi/hey | Yow |
| Hello | Greetings |
| Hello/how do you do? | Howdeedo? |
| Good morning | Gud mawnin |
| Good evening | Gud afternoon |
| Good evening | Gud evenin |
| Good night | Gud nite |
Table of Contents
Hello In Jamaican Patois
If you want to say hello in Jamaican patois then you can do so with the following phrases:
- Hello – Ello
Ello is the most common way to say hello in Jamaican patois. It is very similar to the English version but they don’t pronounce the ‘h’ at the start.
- What’s up? – Wah gwaan
Wah gwaan is a casual and friendly greeting which literally means ‘what’s going on’. It can be used to say hello or to ask someone how they are.
- What’s up? – Whaap’m
- What’s up? – Waddup
Whaap’m and waddup are casual, friendly words that can be used to say ‘what’s up’, ‘what’s happening’ or ‘hi’.
- Hello – Hail up
This greeting can mean both hi and hello in Jamaican patois. It can be used in most situations.
- Hi/hey – Yow
Yow is a super informal Jamaican greeting that you’ll hear all the time in Jamaica. It can also be used to get someone’s attention.
This phrase is often extended to ‘yow mi boss’ or ‘yow mi general’. These are mostly used by young people, mainly young men.
- Hello – Greetings
Greetings is a more formal and respectful way to say hello to someone.
- Hello/how do you do? – Howdeedo?
Howdeedo is most commonly used by elderly people and not so much by the younger generation. It is a greeting that literally means ‘how do you do?’.
Continue your conversation by learning how to say ‘how are you?’ in Jamaican patois.
Other Essential Greetings In Jamaican Patois e.g. ‘Good Morning’
You may want to use some other greetings in Jamaican patois such as ‘good morning’, ‘good afternoon’ and ‘good night’.
Check out these other Jamaican patois greetings below:
How To Say Good Morning In Jamaican Patois
To say good morning in Jamaican patois, you can say:
- Good morning – Gud mawnin
This is a respectful phrase and is a very polite way to greet someone in the morning in Jamaican patois.
Use it at any time during the morning. You can also shorten this phrase to just ‘mawnin’.
How To Say Good Afternoon In Jamaican Patois
To say good afternoon in Jamaican patois, you can say:
- Good evening – Gud afternoon
This is another polite and respectful phrase. Use it in the afternoon time only.
How To Say Good Evening In Jamaican Patois
To say good evening in Jamaican patois, you can say:
- Good evening – Gud evenin
Use this phrase in the evening. Again, this is a polite and respectful way to greet someone in the evening.
How To Say Good Night In Jamaican Patois
To say good night in Jamaican patois, you can say:
- Good night – Gud nite
You can use this phrase as a parting phrase when you’re going to sleep.
Check out the video below to hear the pronunciation of these words and phrases in Jamaican patois by a native speaker:
Jamaican Greetings and Gestures
The most common way that Jamaicans greet each other is with a handshake and a warm smile.
If you know the person well, you may also give them a hug and a kiss on each cheek.
Jamaicans, especially people of the Rastafarian faith, will often greet you with a bow of the head and a right hand placed on the left side of the chest.
Some people may also greet you with a salute where they raise their right fist. This is seen as a mark of respect.
If you’re meeting someone for the first time, it is polite to call them ‘mr’, ‘mrs’ or ‘miss’ followed by their surname. Wait until you are invited before using their first name.
Thanks for reading this post on how to greet someone in Jamaican patois.
Continue your conversation by learning how to say ‘how are you?’ in Jamaican patois.
Hopefully you now know how to say ‘hello’ in Jamaican patois and also how to say ‘good morning’, ‘good afternoon’ and ‘good night’ in Jamaican patois.
You can find out more about the Jamaican patois language here.
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