Discover Contemporary Shona Slang
A community-driven dictionary of modern Zimbabwean expressions
All Words(355 words)
When someone’s lips have that pale-red, patchy tint that screams “I’m on that AIDS diet”, the neighbourhood shorthand for showing visible HIV/AIDS symptoms.
Why polony? Take a cheap red polony, nibble the end, and you get a faded, blotchy sausage tip. Same vibe as the discoloured lips & weight-loss halo everyone gossips about. Voilà: akaruma polony.
"Dzinenge dzakaruma polony idzi, mbiri yadzo yekuchinjanisa mahubla every day yakambonetsa muna 2008"
"Looks like he's got HIV/AIDS, he was well known for changing hookers every day back in 2008"
HIV/AIDS
"Mbinga dziriko dzinozora vana musvebhere."
"There are some sugar daddies who infect young girls with HIV/AIDS."
Head
"Pese pandinenge ndine chibhebhi chinotanga chandipa offering."
"Whenever I'm with my girl, she always starts with giving me head."
Condom
"Sha ndakadhibha maCD pandakaenda kunoona bhebhi"
"I forgot to buy condoms when I went to see my chick."
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Safe
Okay, good, all clear. The verbal nod that says, “No worries, proceed.”
Mogo
A cigarette, usually a single stick rather than a full pack.
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.
Meke
Nope. Nah. Negative, Ghost Rider. A one-syllable slap to any yes-or-no question.
Kurisei?
Informal “How are things on your side?”