Word of the Day Archive

Mhanya bani

Completely crazy; mind sprinting off the rails.

Literal picture: mhanya = run 🏃‍♂️, bani = open plain 🌾. So when your brain “runs across the plains,” it has officially bolted past sanity. Completely crazy / loopy / having a full-on mental breakdown. Synonym: mhanya mushini (“the brain machine is sprinting”). Mental-health footnote: Slang is savage, if someone’s genuinely struggling, swap the roast for real help. Otherwise, roast away (responsibly).

Dhololo

Nonsense / Nothing

Washaya

Nonsense / Nothing

Kuradha

It won't happen / No / Unacceptable

Molla

No

Meke

Nope. Nah. Negative, Ghost Rider. A one-syllable slap to any yes-or-no question.

Reply word that flatly denies or rejects whatever was just asked or suggested, similar to “nah” in English. Common swap: “maya”.

Live

True

Safe here?

Is that okay? / Is that cool?

Safe

Okay, good, all clear. The verbal nod that says, “No worries, proceed.”

Think of it as the ghetto ISO-9001 stamp for anything from a spliff to weekend plans. Pro-tip: If someone hesitates before saying “safe,” it probably isn’t. Ask again - or prepare for plot twists.

Bho here?

Is that okay? / Is that cool?

Bholato

Cool / Okay / Fine

Bho

Cool / Okay / Fine

plan

(n.) A hustle blueprint, scheme, or last-minute fix. (v.) To sort something out MacGyver-style when resources = 0. If life gives you lemons and no sugar, plan means you still conjure Mazoe somehow.

A creative fix or scheme; to make things happen against the odds. Pro-tip: In Zim, if someone says “Ita ka plan,” translation = “Perform magic, fam.” Batteries not included.

Ita plan

Make a plan / Do something

Ratoo drama

That's something else / Irrelevant

Asekuru

Grandfather / Old man

Muface

Mate / Bro

Wamdhara

Mate / Bro

Zvirisei?

How are things? / How's it going?

Kurisei?

Informal “How are things on your side?”

Quick sense: “How’s it over there?” or “How are things your side?” A casual, peer-to-peer way to kick off convo, think Shona version of “Sup?” or “How you holding up?” When to drop it: voice note to your boy paJoza, random call to cousin stuck “kumapfanya”, text to bae who blue-ticked you since Monday.