Discover Contemporary Shona Slang
A community-driven dictionary of modern Zimbabwean expressions
All Words(354 words)
A street-savvy, ghetto chick; resourceful, bold, and ready to claw anyone who underestimates her.
katsi = cat 🐱, bonga = stray, alley-dwelling version. Put them together and you get the quintessential hood chick: street-smart, scratches if provoked, and always lands on her feet. Switches from polished English to raw Shona in two seconds flat, depending on who’s buying madrinks. EcoCash zero balance, but never without data bundles for TikTok live.
"Shafa mabeer wangu, katsi-bonga dziri kuona, dzinobva dzakuti ndiwe sponsor."
"Don’t flex all your beer, the hood chicks are watching, they’ll label you the sponsor."
just chilling / loafing / vibing - no stress, no rush, no sudden movements.
Combines Shona “taka–” (we are) + English “cooler down” -> we’re in full chill mode. Used when your squad is planted on tuma bridge twe areas, Tanto Wavie on repeat, and the only deadline is sunset.
"Weekend rese tinenge takacooler down zvedu paden."
"We’re chilling at home all weekend."
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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?”