chishona

chidadiso means money and this doesn't matter whether the type of currency at hand is either fiat e.g., U.S. dollar notes, Euros, Rands, Pounds, etc., or a digital cryptocurrency e.g., Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Tether (USDT), etc. Note: A formal way to say "money" in chiShona language is...

Supa sabhu, in Zim slang, basically means a backup girlfriend just in case the main chick calls it quits unexpectedly or if she is currently unavailable because it's that time of the month again. Therefore, a supa sabhu is meant to be a temporary stand-in and unofficially deputize the main...

januwari disease refers to personal financial health lamentation that is experienced by people who squander their salary (or additional bonus payment) because of too much excitement about the holiday season at the end of the year (i.e. Christmas and New Year's celebrations). What then happens...

In Zim slang "kubatirwa pena" means your attempts at accomplishing something in retaliation or a rebuttal towards someone have been completely thwarted. The only thing you can do from there is either you spin the story so that you can bounce back. Or you can just count your losses and let it be...

In Zim slang "maya" simply means 'no' or 'negative.' It is mostly used when someone asks you a question of whether something is true or false. Hence, if you respond by saying 'maya' you will be answering the question in disagreement with the subject matter. Note: The antonym of maya is 'bho'...

chivheti means the Occidental culture (chiRumbi) or generally anything that does not relate to customary ways of Chivanhu (African traditional culture). Note: Keep in mind that the word Vheti means the English language; it doesn't matter whether it's en-US, en-GB, or whatever. But the word...

chinaira means marijuana (Cannabis Sativa or Indica). Note: In the Republic of Zimbabwe, the law of the land currently doesn't permit the recreational use of cannabis therefore it is also illegal to cultivate it for such reasons. However, new legislation is slowly addressing the legalization...

wanga means a broke person. Wanga is also sometimes used in shaming broke men who are over-confident to step out of their league hoping they will be accepted by a gorgeous-looking slay queen. But unfortunately, the ending is always the same though, that is, with a rejection of course...

choku is the street name for cocaine (or coke) in the Republic of Zimbabwe while mapopukoni, refers to crack cocaine. hupfu in the context of slang means exactly as you'd probably expect and that's white heroin (an opioid). But since there are different types of heroin, here are Zim slang...

"Shinda" in Zim slang means a message board thread. In addition, shinda is also applied in reference to post replies (or comment thread) on social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Tumblr, Pinterest and Reddit. Example Usage: "Handei nayo mberi shinda tinoda...

kuchopa means to speak broken English or to mispronounce words, names, and phrases by inadvertently butchering them because you know, you are perhaps only familiar with your native language after all. Nevertheless, it goes without saying that albeit English is spoken all over the world not...

means "je ne sais quoi", charisma, X-factor, or a special intangible attribute that makes a person extremely likable without either trying so hard or breaking a sweat. On the contrary, some people may be extremely talented and very good at what they do, but because of their personalities, this...

kubatwa means to be under the influence of some drug; however, this word is sometimes used by some Zimbos in reference to being inebriated (with either wine, spirits, or beer) instead of being high from drugs although that's not what it really means. Note: Generally if a person is self-aware...

dotcom or alternatively in the Shonglish form "dhotikomu," both terms refer to the latest trending gossip. In addition, other closely related synonyms include mafaira or makuhwa in chiShona language. Example usage:

ngoma means lean or a central nervous system depressant cough syrup that contains codeine (an opiate) and in this context, it's consumed for recreational purposes instead of medical use. Etymology Ngoma pronunciation is slightly similar to a formal chiShona word spelled the same as ngoma...

mbama in Zim slang means an extremely beautiful woman and that is to say, on a scale of 10, she is either a flawless 9 or a perfect 10. She is so beautiful beyond words and chances are she's high maintenance too. You better be loaded mate, if you want her. However, if you are smart enough y'all...

kedha this is a shortened social construct of saying mukaradhi or mukedha which means you are either biracial, multiracial, or a mixed person. However, in the Republic of Zimbabwe, being biracial doesn't mean you are black because there isn't the one-drop rule you'd find in countries such as...

kunoza is a way of speaking with a posh accent often as a means to try and portray yourself as though you are classy, sophisticated, and all that pseudo-intellectual jazz. In addition, a person who is into that stuff is called munozi or musaradhi. Note: Kunoza is derived from the way by which...

chapomba (or shapomba) means any legal liquor that is in the range of 80 proof (40% ABV) but not more than that, whereas musombodhiya or otherwise known as mbatutu generally means anything starting from at least a minimum of 100 proof (50% ABV) to about 160 proof (80% ABV). musombodhiya...

1: an individual who comes from a wealthy background; however, such a person isn't always familiar with Zimbabwe's traditional customs (or Chivanhu) thanks to their boojee, luxurious upbringing. So people may tolerate certain things about them if they deviate from the norm because you know...