Discover Contemporary Shona Slang
A community-driven dictionary of Zimbabwean street lingo and ghetto speak
All Words(371 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"
Quick Actions
About Zimbabwean street lingo
Shona slang, also called street lingo, ghetto speak or ghetto talk, is the everyday language of Zimbabwe's townships. Ghetto youths in Harare, Chitungwiza and beyond keep inventing new words, mixing Shona with English, flipping words backwards and coining code words for things best not said out loud. Much of it spreads through Zimdancehall lyrics, kombi rides and WhatsApp groups long before it reaches any textbook.
shonaslang collects these words with their meanings, usage examples and pronunciations, written by the people who use them. Browse words A-Z, read the blog or add a word you know.