linguistics

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...

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...

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:

miin fi seh sopm iin ditiel bout wetin yuh dey talmbout. Fi hegzampl, "expagorate" e dey yuus fi aks smadi fi clarify fi dem poin, espeshali wehn dem staat fi taak for tekniikal jargon langwij, ah wehn dem seh illogical conflicting stietmentdem i.e., aalsuh nuon for chiShona langwij az...

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...

The definition of "polony" in the context of Zim slang means 'polonium-210.' Therefore again in the context of slang (i.e. the informal usage), this should not be confused with the normal 'bologna sausage' or what some may call 'baloney.' Perhaps you have already noticed the double entendre...

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...

mangoma means local Zimdaansaal myuuzik produced in the Republic of Zimbabwe; however, this may sometimes also be used as a general umbrella term for foreign Dancehall, Soca, Dub, and of course, Reggae music. Etymology Ngoma in chiShona (or Chivanhu) means "drum," whilst mangoma is a plural...

boyz retonazi means male hustlers ("scammers"), drug dealers, or corrupt tenderpreneurs who by and large don't have full-time employment. But albeit having a poor academic background, make no mistake about it, they've got strong business acumen to make more money than some learned college...