Discover Contemporary Shona Slang
A community-driven dictionary of Zimbabwean street lingo and ghetto speak
All Words(371 words)
Red light district
"Ndakazoona imwe momz yemuraini mangu inoenda kuchapero iri pa touchline."
"I saw a lady who goes to church from my hood in the red light district"
Prostitute, hooker
"Kutopona naana mai muponesi isu zvedu."
"We get services from these hookers, it's our thing."
Prostitute / hooker / lady of the night.
Street term for a prostitute or extremely promiscuous woman. ⚠️ Handle with tact: calling someone garinya can spark drama, deploy only if you can outrun the backlash! Close cousins: holito, joki, gwengweza, hubula
"Iro igarinya last wangu, siyana naro. Siki yaunopihwa ipapo unomukira mangwana acho uri kuKaranda."
"That girl is very promiscuous, leave her alone. The STD you get from her you instantly end up at Karanda hospital."
Prostitute, hooker
"Iro igwengweza last wangu, siyana naro. Siki yaunopihwa ipapo unomukira mangwana acho uri kuKaranda."
"That girl is very promiscuous, leave her alone. The STD you get from her you instantly end up at Karanda hospital."
Prostitute / hooker / pay-as-you-go girlfriend. The kind of lady who charges consulting fees, by the hour, in cash, no receipts.
A prostitute or sex worker; woman who trades intimacy for cash or gifts. Safety memo: If a gan’a quotes in ZiG then converts to USD mid-session, that’s a red flag literally and financially. Swipe wisely!
"Ndakabhaizwa; pandangomuti ndeipi, akangonditi ndotangira pa thirty mari chete."
"I got hustled; the moment I said hello, the hooker started at thirty bucks."
Slang for a prostitute or sex worker offering paid intimacy.
Prostitute, hooker, pay-as-you-go girlfriend.
"Kutopika kuti anga akacooler down neboys; akazobuda muH-Metro aine holito mugaris rake front seat"
"He swore he was out chilling with friends; H-Metro pic shows him with a hooker in the passenger seat. "
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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.