Language/Jamaican-creole-english/Vocabulary/Feelings-and-Emotions
Hi Jamaican Creole English learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will be focusing on important vocabulary related to feelings and emotions. As some of you may know, Jamaicans are known for their joyful and carefree attitude, but like any other people, we all experience a wide range of emotions. So whether you're feeling irie or vexed, this lesson is for you! Don't forget to practice with native speakers on Polyglot Club and ask them any questions. And if you need to review your Jamaican Creole English vocabulary, head over to the Vocabulary page.
Basic Feelings[edit | edit source]
Let's start with some basic feelings you might experience on a daily basis.
| Jamaican Creole English | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| gladi | glah-dee | happy |
| sad | saad | sad |
| fraid | fry-d | afraid |
| bex | behks | angry |
| sorri | soh-ree | sorry |
Dialogue:
- Person 1: "Woii, mi gladi fi si yuh!" ("Wow, I'm happy to see you!")
- Person 2: "Dat nuh mek nuh sense, mi just lose mi job." ("That doesn't make sense, I just lost my job.")
Positive Feelings[edit | edit source]
Jamaican Creole English has many expressions for positive feelings such as joy, love, and excitement.
Joy[edit | edit source]
Joy is a common emotion in Jamaica, and is often expressed through dancing and music. Here are some phrases to express joy:
| Jamaican Creole English | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| big up yuhself | big up yuh-self | congratulations, well done |
| irie | eye-rie | feeling great |
| bun up di dance | bahn up di dahns | having a great time dancing |
| feel up | fiil up | feeling good |
Dialogue:
- Person 1: "Mi win di race! Big up yuhself!" ("I won the race! Congratulations!")
- Person 2: "Irie bredda, dem cyaa stop wi." ("Feeling great brother, they can't stop us.")
Love[edit | edit source]
Love is a universal feeling, and Jamaican Creole English has many ways to express it.
| Jamaican Creole English | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| mi luv yuh | mee love yuh | I love you |
| mi have a crush pon yuh | mee ave a krush pon yuh | I have a crush on you |
| mi adore yuh | mee ador yuh | I adore you |
Dialogue:
- Person 1: "Mi luv yuh di most high." ("I love you the most.")
- Person 2: "Aww, mi have a crush pon yuh too." ("Aww, I have a crush on you too.")
Excitement[edit | edit source]
Life in Jamaica can be full of excitement, and there are many ways to express enthusiasm in Jamaican Creole English.
| Jamaican Creole English | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| woohoo | woo-hoo | expressing excitement |
| whappenin | wa-ap-pen-in | what's happening, what's up |
| mi a swalla mi tongue | mee a swal-la mi tongue | I'm speechless |
| di vibes right | dah vaahbs rye-t | having a good time |
Dialogue:
- Person 1: "Woohoo, mi just pass di exam!" ("Woo-hoo, I just passed the exam!")
- Person 2: "Yea man, di vibes right." ("Yeah man, having a good time.")
Negative Feelings[edit | edit source]
Unfortunately, life isn't always sunshine and rainbows. Here are some phrases to express some of the negative feelings you might experience.
Disapproval[edit | edit source]
Disapproval is a common emotion in Jamaica, and can be expressed in many ways.
| Jamaican Creole English | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| chups | chups | disapproving sound made by sucking teeth |
| cho rass | cho rahs | an expression of disgust |
| bwai, gweh | boi, gweh | boy, go away |
Dialogue:
- Person 1: "Mi hear seh yuh tek weh mi juice." ("I heard you took my juice.")
- Person 2: "Chups, a nuh mi tek it." ("*sucks teeth* I didn't take it.")
Sadness[edit | edit source]
Sadness is an emotion that is commonly expressed through music and poetry in Jamaica. Here are some phrases to describe sadness.
| Jamaican Creole English | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| mi heart hurt mi | mee aart hurt mee | I'm heartbroken |
| mi nuh inna di mood | mee noo in-na di mood | I'm not in the mood |
| mi a nyam mi sorrows | mee a nyaam mee sor-rows | I'm eating my sorrows |
Dialogue:
- Person 1: "Mi girfriend leff mi fi anodda man." ("My girlfriend left me for another man.")
- Person 2: "Mi sorry fi hear dat bredda, mi nuh inna di mood fi party." ("I'm sorry to hear that brother, I'm not in the mood for a party.")
Fear[edit | edit source]
Fear is an emotion that all humans experience, and can be expressed in many ways in Jamaican Creole English.
| Jamaican Creole English | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| mi a tremble | mee a trem-bu | I'm trembling |
| mi blood a run cold | mee blud a run kohld | I'm terrified |
| mi a watch mi back | mee a watch mee bak | I'm watching my back |
Dialogue:
- Person 1: "Mi hear seh di duppy (ghost) a walk inna di house." ("I heard there's a ghost walking in the house.")
- Person 2: "Dat nuh mek nuh sense, mi blood a run cold." ("That doesn't make sense, I'm terrified.")
Conclusion[edit | edit source]
Congratulations, you've made it to the end of this lesson on Jamaican Creole English vocabulary related to feelings and emotions! Now you can express how you're feeling in style. Don't forget to practice with native speakers on Polyglot Club. If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments section below.
➡ Feel free to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved. 😎
Sources[edit | edit source]
Upon wrapping up this lesson, take a look at these related pages: Count to 10 & Days of the Week.