South African slang borrowed from Afrikaans meaning a woman or wife.
South African slang borrowed from Afrikaans meaning a woman or wife. Used across South Africa in casual conversation, 'vrou' (pronounced 'froh') has crossed language lines and appears in South African English, particularly among Afrikaans-speaking communities. It can refer to any woman in a general sense or specifically to one's wife or partner. Like many Afrikaans words that have filtered into South African English, it carries a warm, familiar, everyday quality.
He told us his vrou made the best koeksisters in the whole neighbourhood — and nobody argued.
Vrou means: South African slang borrowed from Afrikaans meaning a woman or wife. Used across South Africa in casual conversation, 'vrou' has crossed language lines and appears in South African English,. It is mainly South African English and may not be understood outside that context. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour.
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
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Regional slang from around the English-speaking world — British, Australian, Irish, Caribbean, Nigerian, Filipino, AAVE, and the hyphenated-English dialects that make the internet sound local.
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(South Africa, slang) A black woman, especially one who works as a maid.
South African slang for something rotten, disgusting, or in terrible condition — borrowed straight from Afrikaans where it literally means 'rotten'. But in South African English slang it's gotten much wider mileage: a vrot plan is a terrible idea, a vrot performance is an embarrassing one, and if something smells vrot, you're not staying near it. Punchy, versatile, and deeply embedded in South African everyday speech across all communities.
South African slang for the girlfriend or mistress of a married man — specifically used in township and Black South African communities to describe an extramarital romantic partner. It's a loaded word with real cultural weight: it acknowledges a widespread social phenomenon while carrying a mix of condemnation, gossip, and sometimes dark humor. The term is widely understood across South Africa and appears in music, literature, and everyday conversation as shorthand for a complicated and often painful situation.
Vrou means: South African slang borrowed from Afrikaans meaning a woman or wife. Used across South Africa in casual conversation, 'vrou' has crossed language lines and appears in South African English,. It is mainly South African English and may not be understood outside that context. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour.
vrou means: South African slang borrowed from Afrikaans meaning a woman or wife. Used across South Africa in casual conversation, 'vrou' has crossed language lines and appears in South. Register: very informal, slang. Suitable only for casual conversation, chat and social media. Do not use in business, academic or news writing. A common learner mistake is using the word in a register it does not fit, or assuming a single global meaning; native speakers immediately notice when slang appears in formal contexts, so always check the surrounding register before producing it yourself.
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(South Africa) A woman.
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(South Africa) Miss; form of address for an unmarried woman.