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Asking Directions in the Jamaican Language

By: SAL

In the Jamaican dialect there are ways of asking for directions and there are separate ways of giving directions. This article will explore the various ways of doing this. We will also look at the popular phrase 'ah whe' and how to turn it from a question into a statement. Much of this will take some rote memorization. Ok, let's begin.

Asking Directions:
ah whe ee deh? – where is it?

Ee deh deh? - is it there?

Desso ee deh? – it is there?

yasso ee deh? – it is right here?

ee deh ova deh? – is it over there?

In the above examples, you ask a question by changing your intonation and by having a questioning tone. With the exception of “ah whe ee deh” all the above examples can be converted from questions (asking directions) to statements (which give directions). Examples of this are shown below.

Giving Directions:
Ee deh deh – it is there

desso ee deh – it is there

yasso ee deh – it is right here

ee deh ova deh – it is over there

Now, let's look at the example of “ah whe ee deh” which can only be used for asking questions. The first two words in this phrase 'ah whe' literally mean 'a where' which means that you are asking a question. Therefore, if we want to change 'a whe ee deh' from a question into a statement you would have to replace 'a whe'. Here are some examples with 'a whe' being replaced and other words being inserted in its place to change the sentence from a question into a statement. Take a look at
the examples below.

Ee deh deh – it is there

ee deh ponni – it is on it

ee deh sydah di – it is beside the

ee deh nex di – it is next to the

Learning a new language can be fun and at times challenging. A site like speakingjamaican.com has audio lessons of how to talk Jamaican. Learning a new language and the word order of that language is somewhat similar to doing word puzzles because you are learning new vocabulary and arranging words appropriately. Furthermore, when learning a new language you are utilizing your mind and memorization skills.