Unu
/ OO-noo /Quick answer: Unu (pronounced OO-noo) is ‘you all’ — the plural ‘you’ in Patois.
What does Unu mean?
Unu means ‘you all’ or ‘you guys’ — the plural form of ‘you’. English has no separate plural ‘you’, but Patois does.
Where does Unu come from?
It comes from Igbo, a West African language, where unu also means ‘you (plural)’. It is one of the clearest examples of African grammar surviving in Jamaican speech.
How to use Unu
Mothers, teachers and pastors use unu constantly: ‘Unu come eat!’ It also appears in phrases like all a unu (all of you).
| Jamaican Patois | English |
|---|---|
| Unu come eat! | Come and eat, everyone! |
| Weh unu a go? | Where are you all going? |
| All a unu fi hush! | All of you be quiet! |
Other spellings
Because Patois is mostly spoken, spellings vary. You may also see: unnu, oonu, unoo.
Related Patois words
Frequently asked
Where does unu come from?
From the Igbo language of West Africa, where it also means ‘you (plural)’.
How do you say ‘you’ (singular)?
Yuh.
Look up more words in the Jamaican Patois Dictionary, or see Unu in the dictionary.