Discover Contemporary Shona Slang
A community-driven dictionary of modern Zimbabwean expressions
Word of the Day
See moreCompletely crazy; mind sprinting off the rails.
“Muface uya hanzi akumhanya bani, akawonekwa nezuro achitenderera tonaz akapfeka wig”
All Words(358 words)
Mate / Bro / My friend. A friendly way to address a male peer, similar to “bro” or “mate.”
Etiquette notes
Age & respect: Usually used with someone your own age or younger. Dropping “wangu” to an elder can sound cheeky or disrespectful.
Gender: Most often aimed at men; calling a woman “wangu” is uncommon unless you know each other well and she’s cool with it.
"X: Wangu, phone yako bho here? Y: Ah, bho zvekuti, inongoda charger nyowani."
"X: My guy, is your phone good? Y: Ah, very good, it just needs a new charger."
How is it going? / How are you? / How are things? / How's life? / What's up?
"Zvakamirasei wangu?"
"How's it going my friend?"
To steal / pinch / jack something that isn’t yours. Usually slick, often petty, but always frowned upon unless you’re the one scoring the loot.
Public Service Announcement 🛑 If you get caught “uchi bhozhongora masinhi” in Harare CBD, expect free doses of mucheka from the crowd. Stay honest, kids! Synonyms include bhosha, nyambita, simudza, tora, “five-finger discount”.
"Ukasiya phone yako pacharger vanokubhozhongora faster"
"Leave your phone charging and they’ll jack it with zero hesitation."
Word of the Day
See moreCompletely crazy; mind sprinting off the rails.
“Muface uya hanzi akumhanya bani, akawonekwa nezuro achitenderera tonaz akapfeka wig”