chivanhu

njema means shackles, handcuffs, or intangible mental shackles—you can think of this along the lines of mental slavery, social engineering, propaganda, you name it. Note: The most notable use of the word njema is by Wallace Chirumiko (aka Winky D) a Zimdancehall artist who titled his studio...

finazi means funeral. Note: The formal chiShona words for a funeral are nhamo or mariro, and a person who is deceased is called mushakabvu whilst his or her dead body is called mutumbi or chitunha. With that said, folks in the Republic of Zimbabwe attend funerals for different reasons. There...

mangonjo means police or law enforcement e.g., Zimbabwe Republic Police (or ZRP). However, mangonjo is less often used when talking about other Zim law enforcement bodies for example: the CIO, because the slang word for that is, C10 (pronounced: see-ten) the Military Police, the slang word...

The words "wastuck" and "bhagad" in Zim slang means to be damaged, spoiled or to throw a wrench in the works by disrupting the normal mode of operation. However, 'bhagad' can also be used to refer to a person or when an object falls hard on the ground with a loud banging sound. Alternatively...

means a pass-around groupie, a thigh vendor, a webcam model, or anything along those lines. Related terms for joki Synonyms Hure Hwaga Hoto Jati Jatiwero Njapisi Nzwati Nzenza Nyenye Magan'a Pfambi Sviristina Tsvingu (i.e., only if she's married) Tsvungu (i.e...

kuzvifonera means to blow your own trumpet (umbirimi); or to engage in a modus operandi way of creating a problem then after receiving the desired reaction you proceed into the next phase of providing a solution to the problem thereof. Eventually, you end up generating more publicity for...

mai mwana Definition: baby mama homegirl or close female friend Note: If you are a man you may call your baby mama Mai Mwana but obviously, you can't just call any random woman that since she isn't a mother to any of your offspring. The second use of Mai Mwana is used by Zimbo women as a...

tambo haisi kusvika ku paraffin 1: There isn't enough energy or adequate effort to accomplish a certain objective. 2: sexual frustration experienced by a woman because of a man's microphallus. Background This quote is derived from how a kerosene lamp (or a paraffin lamp) will not light up if...

kuma dale-dale means a posh suburb area where rich and wealthy people live enjoying a comfortable luxurious lifestyle without any pressure whatsoever from povho ("people of various opinions"). For example, some of the high-density areas in the Republic of Zimbabwe are Avondale, Borrowdale...

sisi bhudhi means either a person who experiences autogynephilia, a drag queen or a crossdresser very fond of dressing up in silky crotchless panties, something like that. Sisi bhudhi is also partially interchangeable with ngochani because not all crossdressers are bisexual—some claim to be...

wangu means my man or my guy. Note: Wangu is often used when you are addressing someone that is at least the same age as you because it is likely to be taken as disrespect when talking to a senior citizen in the Republic of Zimbabwe. In addition, wangu mostly refers to a male figure. Hence...

chikuru kufema Literal translation: breathing is crucial. Definition: regardless of what has transpired it's more important to look forward to better times because nothing can be done about the previous results. You can't change the past but you can prepare for the future. Note: usually...

The words "yekedero" or "yeke-yeke" in Zim slang means to purposefully neglect to take safety measures during coitus as a way to enhance the pleasurable moments by avoiding latex contraceptive methods even in one-nightstand situations. The downside to this is the result of either contracting...

In Zim slang, "kumhanya" means dating or to be in love with someone. But this word should not be used when talking about married people. It mainly applies to couples who aren't married. Note: in the Shona language the proper/formal meaning of kumhanya means to 'run.' Example Usage: Person 1...

apa hauna cash Literal meaning: yet you don't have money. Contextual meaning: all you are doing is running your mouth talking a whole lot of nothing yet you don't have the world's most effective medium of communication which is cold hard cash — and surely money answers all things (Ecclesiastes...

In Zim slang, the words "warema" or "marema" means you are on to another level and doing marvelously well—so keep it up! Note: 'warema' should only be used when you are talking to someone roughly the same age as you or younger than you, because in Zimbabwean culture how you talk is by default...

Zimbo means a citizen or anything of Zimbabwean origin. The plural for Zimbo is either Zimbos, maZimba, or maZimbo; in addition, the close synonym for Zimbo is a Shonglish phrase: sadza eater, and directly translated to formal English it means "one who eats mielie pap (or ugali)." Example...

valembe 1: a prominent public figure, socialite, or generally someone who is doing well for themselves and happens to be balling out of control as they should, why not? 2: a fancy top-of-the-line product or service — this can be anything from an audiophile high-end stereo system, a hypercar, a...

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...

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...