nuttin
The Jamaican word for nothing is nuttin.
nuttin is used to mean not any thing.
Meaning: not any thing (pron)
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
nuttin is the colloquial or dialectal version of the English word 'nothing'. The expression nuh'n deh is an informal way to say that nothing is there or nothing is happening.
How does it change in a sentence?
In Jamaican Patois, nuttin is often used in double negatives, whereas standard English avoids them.
Did you know?
- If someone asks you a question and you respond with only nuttin, you are not just saying 'nothing', you are often signaling that the topic is not worth discussing further.
- While nuttin is the standard Patois term, a speaker might switch to the English 'nothing' to signal a shift to a more formal or authoritative tone during a conversation.
- In Jamaican Patois, using a double negative like nuttin nuh deh does not cancel the meaning out to mean 'something is there'. Instead, it strengthens the sentence to emphasize that there is absolutely nothing.
Examples in context
- Mi nuh see nuh'n dat neva reach on time.I haven't seen anything that arrived on time.
- Dem provide nut'n at all fi di event.They didn't provide anything at all for the event.
- Wi go a di party, but nuh'n deh – it dry like bone.We went to the party, but nothing was happening – it was extremely boring.
- Him say him no want nuttin.He says he doesn't want nothing.
- Nuttin deh a de bottom a de bag.There is nothing at the bottom of the bag.
Example conversation
Ricardo and Shanti are talking about a missing snack.
- RicardoShanti, yuh see mi biscuit?Shanti, did you see my biscuit?
- ShantiNo, mi see nuttin.No, I didn't see anything.
- RicardoMi sure it was right here.I'm sure it was right here.
- ShantiWell, nuttin left inna di jar.Well, there is nothing left in the jar.
