Discover Contemporary Shona Slang
A community-driven dictionary of Zimbabwean street lingo and ghetto speak
All Words(371 words)
Playful term for a girl or girlfriend; literally “vegetable/relish.”
muriwo = “vegetable / relish” on the dinner table. 🥬 Flip it into ghetto talk and boom, it’s a girl, usually the current love interest you’re “serving” with. Light, playful (not as objectifying as chimoko or bhiza, but still food-adjacent). Chef’s advice: too many cooks spoil the muriwo, don’t juggle plates you can’t wash.
"Muriwo wawakutamba nawo these days haaaa Rasta mazonyanya!"
"The girl you are dating these days, wow Rasta, you have upped your game!"
A curvy, well-proportioned, jaw-droppingly attractive woman.
bhiza = “horse” 🐎 in plain Shona. Why the switch? Because just like a thoroughbred, this girl is perfectly built, powerful in all the right places, and guaranteed to turn heads at full gallop. Caution 🐎: Approaching a bhiza without confidence may result in immediate dismount, proceed at your own swagger!
"Iro ndobhiza manje, haringokubvume zvekudaro"
"Now that's a very attractive girl, she won't go on a date with you that easily"
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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.