Sheng is primarily a Swahili and English-based cant, slang, perhaps a mixed language or creole, originating among the urban youth of Nairobi, Kenya, and influenced by many of the languages spoken there. While primarily a language of urban youths, it has spread across social classes and geographically to neighbouring Tanzania and Uganda. It is a language variety spoken as a lingua franca across Kenya. For many years, it has been used on school playgrounds and campuses and in political campaigns, and today it is finding its way into spoken media. Sheng expressions are neither standardised nor taught in formal establishments, but rather appear in daily discourse, usually in informal settings. Kenyan speakers regularly use slang in conversation, depending on their audience and level of familiarity. Sheng unites the different ethnic groups in the country, especially in their trade and social interaction with each other. English and Swahili are Kenya's official languages, and Sheng, despite its common use throughout the country, has no official status.
Etymology and history The word "Sheng" is coined from the two languages that it is mainly derived from: Swahili and English. The "h" was included from the middle of "Swahili" because "Seng" would have sounded unusual. The term is first recorded in 1965.Lambert, James. 2018. A multitude of 'lishes': The nomenclature of hybridity. English World-wide, 39(1): 13.
Originating in the early 1950s in the Eastlands area of Nairobi (variously described as a "slum", "ghetto" or "suburb"), Sheng is now heard among matatu drivers/touts across the region, and in the popular media. Most of the Sheng words are introduced in various communities and schools and given wide exposure by music artists who include them in their lyrics, hence the rapid growth.
Like all slang, Sheng is mainly used by the youth and is part of popular culture in Kenya. It also evolves rapidly, as words are moved into and out of slang use. It found broad usage among hip-hop artists such as Kalamashaka and G.rongi in the African Great Lakes region in the '90s, both mainstream and "underground" (whose music helped spread the language and contribute to rapid changes or shifts in Sheng vocabulary), as well as among virtually all university and secondary-school students.
Although the grammar, syntax, and much of the vocabulary are drawn from Swahili, Sheng borrows from the languages of some of the largest ethnic groups in Kenya, including Luhya, Gĩkũyũ, Luo and Kamba. Words are also borrowed from languages that are neither a local language nor English – such as the Sheng word morgen "morning" – a Sheng word used in some areas with a similar meaning in German.
Sheng vocabulary can vary significantly within Kenya's various subdivisions and the larger African Great Lakes region, and even between neighbourhoods in Nairobi. Many youth living in the capital often use the argot as their everyday mode of communication rather than Swahili or English.
Many Gen Z and Millennials easily adapt to other variants of Sheng like Shembeteng, Shengilo and Shengtezo.
Shembeteng is a highly encrypted form of Sheng that originated in the suburbs of Eastlands such as Kayole. It was popularized in the early 2020s through music and social media. It involves adding the vowels mbata, mbete, mbiti, mboto and mbutu to already existing words. It's usually only used by youths.
The use of social media platforms like TikTok have contributed to the growth of Sheng.
Sheng in literature
The written use of Sheng in literature is still a minor phenomenon. Some poems in the African literary magazine Kwani? have been published in Sheng, and the first book in this language is "Lafudhi hip hop poetry in Sheng" (2015), written by G.rongi.
Sample vocabulary
Sheng English (definition)MbichiNewZang,winch,wira,barodaJobMutina or motinaAfricanis dog KituBeautifulnyong'inyoSocksBoscoDogkindasellrodhitrouserdungawearngashashowerkugurato leave, to vacate premises denkigo for long callzabemakeshift place of business idhatimemnati, ras Rastafarianbabi, barbie person who doesn't speak Sheng, person from a wealthy backgroundNgori, nomatroublebonga (bong-gah), Roroa, zoza, banja, tema talkbonga mavi talk smackkukafungaget richparafamily digagaspectaclesepago away, fleesetokarepresent mbwaknijumpyperembainterrogatedai want, viewdungia (doong-gi-ah), gawia, chapia, vutia hit up (call someone)apantambua no respect to that (don't recognize that)riba, zabestorysererekahave fundishi, dema, dimbuaeatpack, stick live (somewhere)ndeng'a, thwau, bunde, mchuma, mtoo, ridhe, fee, toka gun, firearmkeroma, demofoodchapaa, munde, mundez, niado, ganji, doe, keroma, cheddar/chedaz, dau, mkwanja, makwarkwar, cheng moneyso, kioo, exsoo, red, os one hundred shillingsvioohundrends finje, chuani, pachas, hamusini, nich fifty shillingsmbao, blue, mbalu twenty shillingsashuu, shoe, kindee, ikongo, das, teja ten shillingswai, shikabuyngovo, kobole, guoko five shillingsrwabe, doso, jill two hundred shillingspunch, jirongo five hundred shillingsthao, jii (like the letter G), kapaa, ngiri, ngwanye, ndovu, azar, K, muti, bramba one thousand shillingsfala, mwere (mweh-reh), dwanzi, zuzu stupid person, idiotocha, moshatha, shaggz up country, rural home/arealiet, noma, niku hatata, wa gwan, niku moto in a mess, troubleConte Tough personOposh, momo, fatso, bazu Fat person1 GBSkinny personnjeve coldingiza njeve, gwaya, buya get scared, be afraid, chicken outKanjo city/town council officerchapo chapatingodha underpantsmsee, mzing' kizee, mdhii, mguys, mzeiya, mtunguyaz, mzaee, morio guy, dudedame, mresh, supuu, msupa, manzi, shore (sho-reh; from "shawty"), msusu, mroro, mshee, totoh, yeng, mdenge, nyang'anya, nyegz, ngus girl, chickbuda, mzae, arinzu, mzing fathergweng, gwan hard (difficult)zii, nada, do, nah nomathree, mat, jive, jav, buu, nganya matatungwai, Tire (Tea-Reh), kithuke, vela, ndom, aroma, shashi, kenti, mashashola, kindukulu, shada bhang, marijuana msuditraitor, snitchderee, kigonyi, vandere driverkonkodi, makanga, manumber, donda bus/matatu conductorfegi, mozo, ngale, fuaka cigarettemzae male parentkarao, gova, sanse, beast, afande, policekeja, hao, mbanyu, base, digs, guba, ndaki house, homematha, mathe, mthama, masa, mondhres woman, mother mboch, chinebo housegirl (maid)mbota, wochi watchmbwenya, jako, blazer coatdhafu, githafu, madhafu, maoMathematicsmdosi, sonko, sos, penki, donga, bombay, bola, Okwonkwo, dela, bazu Rich personmsoto, mbleina, sufferer, hustler poor personsota, kauka, chupri go bankrupt/become poorbie, B.Agoodmzing, fathe, mbuyu, buda, arinzu, dadmasa, mathe, mnyaka, mokoro, moda, mthama, mondhres mumogaan individual from Nigeriandauoan individual with Maasai descentmngosoan individual with English descentMchinkuan individual with Chinese descentGakian individual belonging to Kisii communitymsapere, mkiuk, okuyuan individual belonging to Kenya's Kikuyu ethnic community or generally BantuMkao, mcambodia, mndulian individual belonging to Kenya's Kamba ethnic communitymjaka, mjaze, mjaksus, mjathean individual belonging to Kenya's Luo ethnic communitymgirishan individual belonging to Kenya's Giriama people ethnic communitymlunjean individual belonging to Kenya's Luhya ethnic communitymkalean individual belonging to Kenya's Kalenjin ethnic communityArges, walalo, oria,msoman individual belonging to Kenya's Somali ethnic communityKaseea male person from the Kamba ethnic community of KenyaBaite (pronounced vaite)a male person from the Meru ethnic community of KenyaMuraaa male person from the Kuria ethnic community of Kenyanare (nah-reh) fire, matchesndai, moti, murenga, dinga carngata (ng-gah-tah), ngede (ng-geh-deh), irori fuelnguenos, ngwex, mwewe, ngwetes, ngokos chickenrodhitrousernjumu, njuti, ndula, magwanda, manduleng', chuja, kladi shoespoa, wazi, wabe, fiti, chonjo coolubao, maunenge, kidale hungermbokacityuaganisnonsenseveve, mbachu, shamba, mogoka, jaba miraakuber (koo-beh-r), kubz, doze, mungich, mungiki (chewing) tobaccomburungo cargochapa, donje, kiatu, forbes, kiraka, kubeat uglyfyat, chizi crazyTeo Examschipo, chibaz, njiva, vanga chipsfika, ishia, jikata, sepa to go somewherekirende, mbogi crowdearthwire neck tienyonde birdchuompathway/shortcutdush dove/pigeonmavi, mafi, shonde, shoi, shoste faecesshower bathmode (moh-day), odijo teachermboka jobomoka, kukafunga,be richmzii/noma tough/badmajuu, mayolo, chambele, farova Western world/overseas mlami, myuro white person, Caucasian personmtiaji, msororaji, mrazi a cunning person, tattletalekauzi, thegi, gondi, dingo, obe (ob), gwangi thief, thug, mugger, burglarmasaa, githaa timemshikaji, bf, gf boyfriend/girlfriendpasuka, raruka laughkarokota, doze, kufinyilia, kutuna, dwatha take a nap, sleepnyaku, waka, washa, gwezere, malaga, drink (alcohol)kalesa, pace, tembeza walk a distancetei, maji alcoholtenje, mtambo Radio/ music system or a phoneNangos, digitz NumberN.B. Words in brackets in the Sheng column show how the word is pronounced.
Examples