Jah know
The English phrase "oh my god" is expressed in Jamaican as Jah know.
Jah know is used as an exclamation to express shock, surprise or disbelief. It serves a similar function to the English expression "oh my god".
Meaning: excitement or shock (intj)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase Jah know literally means "God knows".
Did you know?
- The word Jah is a shortened form of Jehovah used primarily by the Rastafari movement to refer to God.
- The intensity of the shock expressed by Jah know is often communicated more through the length of the vowel sounds than the words themselves.
- While Jah know is common, some traditional Jamaicans might use Lawd have mercy for shock, creating a distinction between Rastafarian-influenced and traditional Christian phrasing.
Examples in context
- Jah know, di price a di food deh!Oh my god, the price of that food!
- Jah know, mi did no excuse dat!Oh my god, I didn't expect that!
- Jah know, di accident did big!Oh my god, the accident was huge!
Example conversation
Damion and Tanesha are looking at a huge pile of laundry.
- DamionJah know, di pile deh big!Oh my god, that pile is huge!
- TaneshaMi know, a lot a work deh deh.I know, there is a lot of work there.
- DamionYuh fi help mi wid it, Tanesha.You should help me with it, Tanesha.
- TaneshaAlright, mi a come help yuh.Alright, I'm coming to help you.
