Yute
/ YOOT /Quick answer: Yute (pronounced YOOT) is a young person, especially a young man.
What does Yute mean?
Yute means a young person — usually a teenager or young man. ‘Di yute dem’ means the young people. It is also a friendly way to address a younger man: ‘Wah gwaan, mi yute?’
Where does Yute come from?
It is simply the Jamaican pronunciation of ‘youth’, with the ‘th’ sound becoming ‘t’ as it often does in Patois.
How to use Yute
Politicians, pastors and dancehall artists all talk about ‘di yute dem’ when discussing young people’s issues. The word has spread to UK slang through Jamaican communities.
| Jamaican Patois | English |
|---|---|
| Di yute dem a play football. | The young guys are playing football. |
| Wah gwaan, mi yute? | What’s up, young man? |
| Gi di yute a chance. | Give the young man a chance. |
Other spellings
Because Patois is mostly spoken, spellings vary. You may also see: youth, yout.
Related Patois words
Pickney · Bwoy · Man dem · Mi yute
Frequently asked
Is yute only for boys?
It mostly refers to young men, but ‘di yute dem’ can mean young people in general.
How do you spell it?
Common spellings are yute, yout and youth.
Look up more words in the Jamaican Patois Dictionary, or see Yute in the dictionary.