a wah yuh mean?
To say "what do you mean?" in Jamaican, use a wah yuh mean?
The phrase is used to ask someone to explain or clarify what they have just said.
Which one should you use?
The phrase Wah yuh mean? is a common informal way to say "What do you mean?" The phrase Wha yuh mean, sah? can be used in polite or formal conversations to address elders or authority figures.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word yuh is the common phonetic spelling for the second-person pronoun "you" in Jamaican Patois.
Did you know?
- The word a in this phrase shares an evolutionary lineage with the French c'est, both serving to link a subject to a state or description.
- While a wah yuh mean? is a literal inquiry, in many Caribbean contexts, it can also function as an expression of disbelief or shock at something someone just said.
- In a heated argument, repeating Wah yuh mean? with a specific downward inflection can actually signal that you are challenging someone's authority rather than seeking information.
Example conversation
Damion tells Shanice he cannot go to her party.
- ShaniceYuh seh yuh cyaa come tonight?You are saying you can't come tonight?
- DamionYeah, mi haffi work late.Yeah, I have to work late.
- ShaniceA wah yuh mean? Yuh promise!What do you mean? You promised!
- DamionMi sorry, Shanice, mi real sorry.I am sorry, Shanice, I am really sorry.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries a, yuh, CC BY-SA 4.0.
