With 11 official languages It comes as no surprise that the most widely used language in South Africa is slang, it originates from different languages, mainly Zulu, Xhosa and Afrikaans, which are among the top 5 most spoken languages in South Africa.
Jargon is sometimes referred to as ‘South Africanisms‘ borrows from a variety of South African languages and cultures to form the most commonly used slang words.
Slang words appear in our daily conversation, words like “How are you” and “Wedding ring” equivalent to ‘hello’ or ‘how are you?’ are some of the most commonly used slang words.
WORD OF THE DAY IN SOUTH AFRICAN BLOOD: Breakdown
Breakdown: An average pick-up truck that has been specially modified into a tow truck. Often modified for performance.
So how do you use it in an English sentence?
Here’s an example: I called breakdown to pick up the car.
Recently featured mzansi slang words:
Share your favorite South African slang word
Is there any slang from South Africa’s 11 official languages as unifying as slang? We don’t think so.
Do you have a favorite South African slang word that you would like to share?
If so, please send an email to info@thesouthafrican.com or a WhatsApp for 060 011 0211 and we will publish the ones us feel better representing the Rainbow Nation.
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