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SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT
Sentences in Jamaican Patois are built like English sentences in that, there is a subject, a predicate (or verb), and
an object. However, there is no subject-verb agreement in Jamaican Patois. The verb does not change with the
subject. Let us look at the table below.
Jamaican Creole
Standard English
Mi run
I run
im run
he runs
shi run
she runs
Wi run
We run
Dem run
They run
Unu run
eyah run
it runs
Yu run
You run
2. Formation of Plurals
One common method of forming plurals in standard English is by adding 's' or; 'es' to the end of a
word. (e.g. toy-toys, class- classes etc..)
However, in Jamaican Patois a word can be pluralized by adding 'dem' to the end word or, inserting
'nuff' or a number at the beginning of the word.
Jamaican Creole
Standard English
Plate dem
Plates
Baby dem
Babies
Pen dem
Pens
Teacha dem
Teachers
Book dem
Books
Nuff banana
Many bananas
Ten bwoy
Ten boys
NOTE: In Jamaican Patois, the letters '-s' or '-es' do not necessarily denote plurality as is shown in the
examples below:
Jamaican Creole
Standard English
Waan shoes
A shoe
Waan drinks
A drink
3. USE OF PRONOUNS
In Jamaican Patois:
There is no differentiation in the use of pronouns to show gender. The pronoun 'im'
can mean both or either 'he' or 'she'.
Jamaican Creole
Standard English
Subject - mi a guh
I am going
Object - come fi mi
Come for me
Denoting a 'person' in Jamaican Patois differs from Standard English in the following ways:
Jamaican Creole
Standard English
Mi or 'wi
'I' or 'we'
'yu' or'unu'
im or dem
he /she or them
There are no possessive pronouns in the Jamaican Patois such as your, her, his, its, ours and theirs,
for example:
Jamaican Creole
Standard English
Fi mi backle
My bottle
Fi yu backle
Your bottle
Fi dem backle
Their bottle
The copula is a connecting word; for example, in Jamaican Patois the copula is the letter 'a' which is
used for the particle as well as for the continuous tense.
For example:
Jamaican Creole
Standard English
Im a run
He is running
Im a guh fi it
He is going for it
Mi a teacha
I am a teacher
5. USE OF REPETITION/REDUPLICATION
In Jamaican Patois:
Repetition is used for degrees of comparison as well as emphasis; for example, using Jamaican Patois
to talk about how big a child has become:
Jamaican Creole
Standard English
Fi real, im big-big!
Repetition is also used for emphasis or to increase intensity or number; for example:
Jamaican Creole
Literal Translation
Standard English
A tru tru
It is very true
tideh
today
today
Standard English
nyami-nyami
greedy
Chakka-chakka
Untidy
fenkeh-fenkeh
Weak, poor
In Standard English it is never acceptable to use double negatives such as 'nobody does not'.
However, in Jamaican Patois double negatives are accepted.
Jamaican Creole
Literal Translation
Standard English
more
more
more
Jamaican Creole
Literal Translation
Standard English
there
7. COMPOUND WORDS
Jamaican Creole
Literal Translation
Standard English
Han miggle
Hand middle
Hiez-ole
Ear hole
Bwoy Pickney
Boy Child
A Young boy
Foot battam
Foot bottom
Nose-ole
Nose hole
Nostril
Yeye-Wata
Eye Water
Tears
Yeye-ball
Eye ball
Eye
8. Tense
Unlike Standard English, in the Jamaican Creole, the verb does not change. Instead a new word is
introduced and placed in front of the verb; for example:
Present Tense:
Jamaican Creole
Standard English
Mi guh
I am going
Im a cum
He is coming
Mi a cum
I am coming
Past Tense:
Jamaican Creole
Standard English
Mi did guh
I went
Im did cum
He came
Mi did cum
I came
In Jamaican Creole, past tense is formed by using one of the following three words: 'en', 'ben' and 'did',
whereas in Standard English the verb is changed or "e" or "ed" is added ; for example, collectcollected, run-ran, buy-bought, etc