waah gwaan
In Jamaican, wsp is the English abbreviation for "what's up". The default form is waah gwaan.
The phrase is used as an informal greeting to ask how someone is doing. You may also encounter the form wa gwaan as an informal way to express the same meaning.
What does it mean word for word?
waah gwaan is a contraction of "what is going on".
When do people say it?
When someone greets you with waah gwaan, a common response is mi deh yah. While this literally translates to "I am here", it functions as a way to say "I'm doing alright".
Did you know?
- While waah gwaan is a greeting, the phrase gwaan on its own can be used as a command meaning 'go ahead' or 'keep going'.
- Depending on the social circle, waah gwaan can be used as an exclamation of surprise or disbelief, similar to saying 'What is happening!' in English.
- In some contexts, saying waah gwaan to a stranger can be seen as overly familiar, as more formal greetings are preferred for elders.
Examples in context
- Wa gwaan, mi bredren?What's up, my friend?
- Nuttin' much, just deh ya enjoy di vibes.Nothing much, just here enjoying the atmosphere.
- Waah gwaan wid yuh?What's up with you?
- Yo, waah gwaan?Yo, what's up?
Example conversation
Damion and Shanti meet on a street corner.
- DamionWaah gwaan, Shanti?What's up, Shanti?
- ShantiNuttin special, just deh yah.Nothing special, just hanging out.
- DamionEverything cool wid yuh?Is everything cool with you?
- ShantiYeah man, everything good.Yeah man, everything is good.
