Cape Flats Dictionary

A

aan-aan  a game of physically touching one another, played by children
Abdol, Abdoltjie  a male character in Coloured jokes
ag  member of the 28 gang
ag, agga could be translated as "I mean." 
agtermekaar  to be neat or decent
afmaai  to kill somebody with a gun
agtemirrag afternoon
ahoy  greeting
allenig alone 
allie pad all the way/ all the time
Americans Cape Town gang
ammil, ammal  almal. Afrikaans for "everybody"
All Pay  money or grant that the elderly, disabled and children receive from the government 
al's   alles. English for "everything."
anie brand  translated as "on fire;" said of someone who is very good with something. Hy is anie brand
anneste  to be different
antie aunty
atappel  aartappel, Afrikaans for "potato"
awe, aweh, ahweh  a greeting when meeting or seeing someone; said when agreeing with someone
Ay, Ai   a Rastafarian

B
Baai  Coastal towns
babbelas hangover 
beat  music
befok very good or amazing
beginte  begin
bek vekoep  to talk a lot, usually touching meaningless subjects 
bergie a homeless person
biesag  besig. Afrikaans for "busy", meaning "being nosey"
binneboud  when two people are curled up in bed in a << position
blaai (e)  page (s) or to turn a page . Also means "underarms"
boere  police
boeta  a young male
bok  girlfriend
bokkom dried Harders 
Bontas  Bonteheuwel
bombela  gangster slang meaning "where someone works"
bompie  iced confectionary 
boom  Afrikaans for "tree." In this context referring to "weed" or a game of domino's
boontjie  to be in trouble 
bors warm maak   to make someone angry
bottel  usually meaning a bottel of rum, whisky or brandy
boul  to flirt with someone. Pronounced 'bowl"
bourre thighs
boy'tjie, boy'kie helper 
bra, brah, brasse  male friends
breek, briek to have a laughing fit
broe, bru brother, but in this context it is a form of address
broke informal street 
bunny  a homosexual man
Bunny Chow  traditional dish consisting a hollowed-out bread filled with curry
Burg Vredenburg
burk, berk  boyfriend
buttons mandrax (usually smoked with dagga 
by'rie  by die. Afrikaans for "at the" 

C
Capey someone from the Cape 
chain a gold or silver necklace 
chaila, tjaila to leave work at the end of a working day
chaser the soda that is added to spirits such as vodka, rum and whisky 
check to look
cherrie a girl or a girlfriend
chise, chais  to pursue someone romantically or sexually 
chommie friend
cop shop police station
curry bunny  vetkoek filled with curried mince

D
daai ou  that guy, someone who thinks he's better than the rest
dagga weed; marijuana
daggakop a dagga addict
dagha sement that has been mixed with water thoroughly
dakskroef an unattractive girl
dala  to do
dêrra  Anglisism. Daddy
dêtag  thirty

despot gevang catching someone red-handed 
deurmekaar involved in 
dice  rotating one's car in a circular movement causing smoke and tire skid-marks on a roadway
diep very; extremely
dikding  very important figure or boss
dikgesuip very drunk
dinges  substitution for a word that cannot be recalled or spoken out loud 
dite to eat
ditsem said when agreeing to something
Dixie Boys Cape Town gang
Djirre Here. Lord
dom ding a stupid person
dollars money 
doos a jerk 

dop alcoholic beverage
doppies vat to drink alcohol
drarre drade. Afrikaans for cables 
dronkie a drunkard
dronknes to drink heavily, or a shebeen
drop to lower one's care
druk to go
duid'lik cool, awesome or amazing
dux to sleep

E
eies Afrikaans for "eggs." It also refers to testicles
eiewys to follow one's own mind
ekke, ekka me 
ekse when speaking to someone, use this word  to begin or end a sentence
Elsies Elsiesrivier
empty empty cooldrink or beer bottle used as a deposit on a purchase
entjie sigarette
erd, ge-erd to be "high" from using drugs

F
Fancy Boys Cape Town gang
fader mens' hairstyle
five bob fifty cents
Flats Cape Flats
flop failure
fokof (to) go away
fokol nothing 
fokop failure; loser
frans someone who is not a member of a gang

G
gahzie friend
Gammat a male character in Coloured jokes
ganja marijuana; weed
gat gaan, Afrikaans for "go"
Gatiep a male character in a Coloured joke
gatvat to mock someone or something
gatkruip butt kissery
gatsby long bread rolls filled with chips, tomato, lettuce and various meat products
gebou to have a muscular body
geit suffix. Stupidgeit;
gellieblik metal drum with holes in which an open fire is made
gerook; geroek  stoned; high from smoking
getuie, getye a person's companion
getuig, getyg to talk. 
gevaarlik, gevaa'lik awesome; very good; cool
gevrek to be slow; dead 
gevriet face
gevriet koep to judge someone by their face
ghaai to fool around 
ghatti marble
giftig Afrikaans for "poisonous." In this context it means to be very good at something
goose a girl
gooi to go
gunsakke refers to very large hips of a woman
guardjie, gaa'djie a caddy on a minibus taxi

H
ha? come again?
ha-ah no
hai!  an expression of disbelief 
háái that
haa'so there
hallo said when wanting someone's attention
haloep to run
halwe brood half a loaf of bread sold at spaza shops
ham darem. Afrikaans word measuring a certain degree. Sy is ham n mooi meisie
hanna-hanna to take one's time doing something
Hard Livings Cape Town gang
harre gat hardegat. having a jaunty manner.
hoeit! exclamation when trying to get someone's attention 
hoeka already 
hoekô
hoelykit? howzit? or what do you say?
hoe lyk dinge?  how's things?
hoermeid a whore
hok, hokkie a kennel-like structure
honned hundred
homeboy a close friend
Hoppers Grashopper shoes
hosh a greeting
hoya  a greeting
hunny one hundred rand
 
I
ik ek
Ingels English
ini anne tyd  to be pregnant
issit? Is it?

J
jaart, jaa't  the yard of one's home. Also refers to a shebeen or tavern
jags horny
jas crazy
jirre! jarre! an exclamation of disbelief or surprise
jassas!, jassou! an exclamation of disbelief or surpsrise 
jintoe slut
joint one's house/home
jol to party or to have an often secret sexual relationship with someone
jong  a guy
jop job 
jy, djy addressing someone in an unexpected crude manner  

K
Kaap the whole Cape metropolitan area, or the central business district
kak bullshit
kak gedagte to do something that a person does not approve of 
kakpraat to talk nonsense
kaksoek  to look for trouble
kallid Coloured
kannallah please
kanse vat to take advantage of 
kap to do. Kap 'n beat or kap die deur toe
kappietop hooded jacket

kêffie   spaza shop
kind, kin, kinnes girl/s
kis dead; a case of beer
klappers fireworks
klas upscale
klippers  stones 
klimeid girl
klompie, klompe many
klong   a young boy or man
klora a Coloured person
koelteboom very shady tree
komiesa come here
koolkos cabbage stew
kooi bed
kop, 'n kop a piece
kop, koppie both ends of a loaf of bread
koppel to hookup; to meet
kopskiet to fix a babbelas with alcohol
kraan boxed wine
krag energy
kroon money
kroes coarse hair  
Kruger  an earring resembling a Kruger rand
kwaai; kwaailappies  amazing; cool
kyndtjie, kynkie small child 


L
laaings, laains to go/leave
laaitie  a boy in his pre-teens or teens
laaiks, likes to like someone; pretentious behaviour
larney employer
las, lastig nuisance
Lavis Bishop Lavis
lawaaiwater  alcoholic drinks
lekka, lekke  lekker. Nice
lmimp abbreviation of "lag my in my poes," Instant Text Messaging language that could translate as LOL (Laugh Out Loud) or ROTFWL (Rolling on the floor with laughter.
lmj abbreviation of "lag my jas," Instant Text Messaging language that could translate as LOL (Laugh Out Loud) or ROTFWL (Rolling on the floor with laughter)
lmk,  abbreviation of "lag my klaar." Instant Text Messaging language that could translate as LOL (Laugh Out Loud) or ROTFWL (Rolling on the floor with laughter.
lomp clumsy
Lotus Lotusriver
lyn a plan
lum, lam to relax, chill
   

M
maats to go; leave
main man the most important man in a given context
malmok to vomit
mams mother
mang jail, to serve a sentence in jail
man-man each 
manskap friends
ma-se-kind term of endearment, usually between men
ma-se-poes curse, swear word
maters friends
meisa meisie girl
Meraai female character in Coloured jokes
merrim madam
mert dealer in contraband (weapons, drugs etc. )
metjies matches
mirrag, marrag noon; greeting
mifty fifty rand 
mince when someone's (coarse) hair gets wet and takes on a mince-like appearance
minute, miniete  wait; hold on
mix a group
moegoe  fool, coward
moeks mother
moen must
moetie don't
moer to beat
         in my/sy moer tired; broken; in an undesired condition
moerse huge; large
mol to hastily go for
Mongrells Cape Town gang
motjie girlfriend
move a plan or to advance on something; to flirt with someone. Also means penis


N
nag Afrikaans for night. In this context it means "doom." Is nag vi djou
naai a jerk
naa'djie naartjie
nancy gay term meaning "no."
ndoda a gang member that went through a ritual 
né, neh?  really?

nei, nai no
nema a while ago; a possibility  

nieghe  nine

nip to save a cigarette with the purpose of smoking it later

Nkilikijan head of 27 prison gang

Nkitini  head of 26 prison gang

nommer, nomme a member of the numbers gang. A song 
Nongoloza  head of the 28 prison gang
nou soé  just like that

nwata  nonsense

O
oepe open
okkapyp hookah, hubbly-bubbly
ontie underwear
oorlat because
op fed up; sick and tired 
     oppie ball  to be out and about; wanting to be seen    

     oppie lug on air; online; out and about
     oppit pressing; persistent 
     op sy stukke energetic; quick
operate a way of doing business
ou; ouens guy/s
ougat a child that acts older tan their age; to have sexual inclinations
outjie young man
outoppie, outie dad, older man
overalls cover-alls
 

P
pagamiesa to become aware
pak; pakkry to fight; to spank a small child
pak, pakawaia to go; leave
pal always, all the time
panga a blade weapon
pankop a bald person
papbek a person without teeth 
parra frog
Park Hanover Park
patsy party
piemp to sneak on someone
pitte money
pleister to cover a building's walls with cement
Plain Mitchell's Plain
plak courage
plakkies flip-flops
pomp to have sex
poort a "passion gap" 
pop fool; in car drifting when the vehicle's tire bursts while spinning 
poppetjie stuk cartoon
piff car drifting
pyp a gun

R

reënt, rient  rain

reg to be good; mentally competent

rêrig  real
rop robbery
ruk usually referring to a social gathering that's going extremely well
ryding car

S
salute a greeting from
Sarrag Saturday
sat dead; to kill
seg say
segen bless
selle the same
siewe seven; member of the 27 prison gang
simpel stupid
skel  speaking or yelling at somebody loudly to express strong emotion
skief gay
skimp insinuate
skinner gossip
skollie gangster
skud to dance; to go along
skyf a cigarette that is shared with someone
slat to hit
smaak to crave for; to be attracted to someone
smôrens  in the morning 
snoekkop the head of a snoek, usually kept  or sold for eating
soemaa so just like that
soute! watch out! (for someone) 
spat to go; leave
speen to have sexual and romantic relations with someone
spyker sexual intercourse
steek sexual intercourse
sterk to have money
stiek yt to arrive; to show up
stirvy fancy; a "coconut"
stuk TV programme
stukkie sex partner 
sucker an ice lollie
syp to drink heavily
syplap a drunkard
swak to be broke
swakmaak to embarrass or defame someone
swat  black
swirlkous a pantyhose used to cover women's hair

T

taatie retard     

tikkop a tik addict
tjap tattoo

toe? please?

town Cape Town city centre

topper cigarette butt

toppie dad

trappers shoes
twala talk
twinnag twenty 

U
uitgevriet  to be stingy or to over-indulge 
uiwe  onions


V
vals hypocrisy

valse tanne dentures

vedag today 

vdub Volkswagen

vên police vehicle
verdala fucked up
vereffen a short while ago

verkak bad
vermaak  spiteful
vêrre  furthermore

vevelig not funny
vesin crazy, stupid
vetraag slow; retard
vier hoeke jail
vis parcel takeaway consisting of fried snoek/hake with slapchips
volgestamp  to be pregnant
voetjies hang to tag along in a car
vriete  food
vuilsiek  a sexually transmitted disease


W
waatlamoen watermelon
wakker pies eet to be vigilant
wanne when? 
watan? how else?
way! an exclamation when demanding attention from someone
what kind? what's going on?
wietan to know
wit biene dead
wonne wonder
wys  to know or show

X
XYZ alcoholic drinks

Y
yor! exclamation of surprise or shock
yster sexual intercourse