Kenya Slang Dictionary

Kenyan slang is dominated by Sheng - a vibrant street language born in Nairobi's Eastlands that fuses Swahili and English with words from Kikuyu, Luo, Kamba and Luhya. Spoken by the majority of Kenya's youth, Sheng evolves so fast that vocabulary can shift within months. It's the language of matatu culture, Kenyan hip-hop and daily life across the city. Words like sasa, poa, ganji and mse are just the start. Explore the community-built Sheng dictionary below, and add the words you know.

Ma3

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Matatu; a public minibus (3 stands for "tatu").
Example

Nilipanda ma3 kwenda town.

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Keja

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House or home.
Example

Twende keja tupumzike.

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Dame

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A girl or girlfriend.
Example

Yule dame ni wa fiti.

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Kubamba

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To have fun or enjoy oneself.
Example

Weekend tunaenda kubamba.

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Githeri

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A traditional maize-and-beans dish; also a nickname for something basic.
Example

Nilikula githeri lunch.

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Kanjo

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City council askari (enforcement officers).
Example

Kanjo wamekamata wamachinga.

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Mzinga

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A bottle of liquor.
Example

Tulinunua mzinga ya whiskey.

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Ocha

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The rural home or countryside (upcountry).
Example

Sikukuu tunaenda ocha.

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Kudanga

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To lie or deceive.
Example

Usinidanganye, sema ukweli.

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Wasee

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Friends, folks, or people (plural).
Example

Wasee twende kubamba.

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Chwani

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Fifty shillings.
Example

Nipe chwani ninunue soda.

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also DR Congo, Tanzania, Uganda

Swahili

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Swahili, also known as Kiswahili, is a major African language, a cultural group, and a widely used trade tongue spoken by over 150 million people mostly in East Africa
Example

She is learning to speak Swahili before her trip to Tanzania.

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