English→Jamaican Patois

Translate English to Jamaican Patois like a local.

Jamaican Patois sounds like itself through its English-based vocabulary, preverbal markers such as a and wi, and set phrases like wah gwaan and mi deh yah.

Going the other way? Jamaican Patois to English

474 local dialects

AIRTranslate on iPhone choosing between Jamaican Patois varieties

What locals actually say

What's going on?

Wah gwaan?

Wah gwaan is Jamaica’s everyday greeting and is used as a fixed phrase rather than translated word for word.

Can you show me where the bus stop is?

Yuh can show mi weh di bus stop deh?

Weh ... deh forms a natural Jamaican location question, while yuh and mi are the everyday pronouns.

Don't worry, I'll call you back.

Nuh worry, mi wi call yuh back.

Nuh is the usual Jamaican negative for a command, and wi marks the promised future action.

I don't have enough money.

Mi nuh have enough money.

The negator nuh comes before the verb and signals Jamaican Patois grammar.

I'm hungry, let's get something to eat.

Mi hungry, mek wi get supm fi nyam.

Mek wi means let us, while supm and nyam are local forms for something and eat.

Your sister is coming over tonight.

Yuh sista a come ova tonight.

The a construction marks an action in progress, and yuh is the common Patois form of your.

I have to go to work early tomorrow.

Mi haffi go a work early tamara.

Haffi expresses obligation, while a work uses the Jamaican preposition a for going to a place.

It's raining hard today.

Rain a fall heavy today.

The a fall construction signals an action happening now, with heavy used as a natural intensifier.

Notes like these come with every AIRTranslate translation, so you learn why locals phrase it that way as you go.

How Jamaican Patois differs

Jamaican Patois (Cassidy-influenced spelling as commonly written online); wah gwaan greetings; keep it authentic, not caricature.

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Localization Notes explaining why locals say it that way