Language/Guyanese-creole-english/Vocabulary/Basic-words

Basic Words & Expressions - Creolese, Guyanese (English)

Guyana Creole (Guyanese) is an English-based Creole language spoken in Guyana in the coastline and along the Rupununi River.

Here are some basic words.

Don't miss the chance to check out these pages as you wrap up this lesson: & How to Say Hello and Greetings.

Useful Words and Phrases

JUST NOW

In a minute (unspecified amount of time)

• “Me gaan fetch it jus’ now = I’ll get it in just a second

INNOE

Don’t know.  IN can be used separately to mean don’t or doesn’t.

• She innoe is who = She doesn’t know who that is

BUH-DAH

About that

• Me in wan’ hear buh-dah = I don’t want to hear about that

• Me innoe buh-dah = I don’t know about that.

WHA-DAH (often DUH)

What is that.

• Me innoe wah-is-dah = I don’t know what that is

AHBIDEES

We, all of us

• Ahbidees g’win in town = We’re all going to town

DOWNPRESS/DOWNCOURAGE

Depressed, discouraged

• Y’all does be looking so downpress = You look depressed.

PIK’NI DEM

Children

• Me ah wah for see no pik’ni dem roun’ ee = I don’t want to see any children around here

DEM

Them.  Dem is often used after a name or other word to indicate that there are several of them or a group.

• 7:00 we g’win for see Amanda dem = At 7:00 we’re going to see Amanda and the rest of her family.

AH

To want to (do s/t)

• Dem ah watch meh = They all want to look at me

HE, SHE, WE

Him, her, us

• He in wan’ go wi’ we cuz he mommy frikken = He doesn’t want to go with us because his mother is frightened.

• Ah know she yes = Yes I know her

HESELF, SHESELF, WESELF, YOUSELF

His self, her self, ourselves, yourself

• He don’ behave heself nice = He doesn’t behave himself well

HE OWN, SHE OWN, WE OWN, YOU OWN

His, hers, ours, yours

• Dat is you own or we own? = Is that yours or ours?

FIGHT UP

Fight

• She does fight up nuff’ time already = She’s already been in a lot of fights

NUFF or NUFF NUFF

A lot, very many, enough

• Me garden get nuff nuff flower nuff nuff tree an’ ting = My garden has lots of flowers and trees and things

• You get nuff ideas! = You have a lot of ideas!

STEADY

Often, frequently

• It happen steady now = It happens often now

• I does see he steady = I see him often

PUNISH

Suffer

• Why I mus’ punish so? = Why do I have to suffer like this?

Sources

• http://roozdenscoot.blogspot.com/2013/03/gaffin-how-to-speak-english-like.html
• https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crioulo_da_Guiana

Other Lessons

• How to Say Hello and Greetings