African American English Conversation, From The Hood! - Can You Understand This???

Many students that are learning English have told me that they find it difficult at times to understand African American people when they speak. This is probably due to the fact that they have a somewhat different way of speaking, and use many different slang words and expressions. They speak something that has been designated as "Ebonics" or "African American Vernacular English (AAVE)".
In this video I act out a telephone conversation between two guys who are speaking using many common expressions you will hear in the African American community. I then go over each line and explain in detail what is being said and what each expression means. To help I have written out the conversation to make it easier to follow and you can see exactly what is being said. This is a good way to expose yourself to US culture and also practice your listening comprehension.
Have you heard some of these expressions before? Were you able to understand what was being said before you watched the explanation? Let me know in the comments below.
I am a retired Civil Engineer living in a small Texas town, as well as a language learner like you. I have been studying Spanish for about 5-6 years so I know how difficult it is and what is involved to learn a new language. This channel is a labor of love and I do it just to help others on their English language journey. Be sure to LIKE, SUBSCRIBE and TELL YOUR FRIENDS!!!

[@takateekay0522]

I'm Japanese living in Japan now, lived in LA in the past, your English is very easy to hear, you speak slow, thank you

[@TIENxSHINHAN]

I'm a black American and I've been watching your videos lol it's fascinating to me that so many people learning English want to learn our dialect as well. But I guess if you plan on living in the US, it's probably necessary to at least understand.

[@ekramul007]

the way you homies talk is the sheeeit dawg , Imma tryna replicate and get on the hood life homie .

[@mercury2936]

I'm from Japan. Now, I started to work in the US, but I found out that I couldn't understand Ebonics. I need to understand what my co-workers are saying. I am having trouble since my English education has lacked Ebonics & real English conversations. So, I started to study with your videos to get my ears trained for Ebonics. I need to communicate smoothly with Ebonics speakers. Your video really helps me a lot, thank you so much!

[@mercury2936]

Also, now, I wonder why ESL classes don't teach foreigners Ebonics! If ESL classes offer Ebonics listening classes, I'm sure that many non-native speakers want to take it.

[@matulionis]

Sure ! It seems magical when you realize that your skills in other language are increasing. When I understand americans I feel so proud of me. But I know is a huge journey in front of me, because I cant undersant movies without subtitles yet, The actors speak so fast. And I cant understand what singer sing in american music, but I feel happy when at least I understand some words and sentences. For me languages are like differents ways of human being expression. If you stop to think, sometimes I think is a miracle when other people that live in the same country, same language, I can understand them!! Imagine how magical I think when I can understand a foreign languange ! It seems a little crazy! But for me is magic!

[@learneverydayenglish]

Hi Sergio, glad to see you knew these phrases, that’s cool and impressive, you have a very good level of English! Don’t feel bad, I have the EXACT same problem with the Spanish language. I have to use the subtitles when watching movies and it is difficult to understand music and songs. This is a universal issue when learning a foreign language. Just be consistent and “it will come”. Yes, I totally agree, learning and improving in a new language is like magic. I was watching a Spanish KZbin video of several guys from the Dominican Republic the other week and got excited as I suddenly realized I could understand most of what they where saying and I wasn’t translating in my head, it was like my brain just knew!!! It is amazing stuff! Take care my friend!

[@carlosserrano8425]

Try to understand a stock show judge

[@alexandrasantacruz2008]

It was great. Now I understand. I'm latin American from Ecuador. At the beginning it was all greek to me. Thanks a lot

[@bananababylon]

Thank you Mr President

[@jaguarcla8213]

Very interesting stuff, keep up the good work, I Love your accent man.

[@greadore]

Thanks a lot!

[@jazzpianoman01]

As a musician I’m familiar with this language, cool talking man. Subscribed to your channel

[@mexicodemocrata]

Preciate it, brotha, much love.

[@mohamednasr5128]

I like this video a lot I find it exciting and helpful, keep it up Homie 😉and I would be glad if you make many videos like this thank you so much

[@humgo19]

Thanks for your video. It was really interesting. You broke it down for me! at the end it was easier to understand.

[@greadore]

Gracias amigo!

[@electric-city2059]

We want more videos like this please

[@gyongxichen]

Great content super specific and clear ❤

[@SalomonNadjiri]

The video is really a mind blowing. Thanks man.

[@shieldkalumba4360]

This Is amazing...like the skit

[@ruddygonzalez237]

I really liked your video. expressions I haven`t heard long time ago Thank you

[@greadore]

Thanks Ruddy. You’re welcome!

[@inhumer2029]

I'm form north Africa I'm new in this language i love this sling of our brothes from the other side .thanks tutor.

[@yoelonartista9255]

love this video

[@LloydMajor]

Real cool! Can any of the audio be used?

[@aristagorasadonai7353]

I like it

[@michaelguaranda7548]

Oh wise one

[@jamesjansen8321]

Great video !!!!can you do more videos of African American English please

[@user-nb5cd8uk9i]

I like that combertation

[@lucaserickcorreia4956]

Great video, teacher. I love AAVE. I am trying my best to learn more about it. Could you help me with a question I have? I think I might've heard a guy say "Ah lu you" for "I love you". Is it common to drop some consonant sounds in AAVE when saying "I love you"? I assume it is because in SAE people also say "gimme". I've also heard "I lu di shit" for "I love this shit". Anyway, I love your video. Please, make more on AAVE!

[@ABattee]

I’m a black person. I speak AAVE. I love it as an original language for black Americans. 😊Yes, this is what we say sometimes (luh instead of love) like I might say to my son “ you luh dat lil tablet don’t you?” Meaning “you really love your tablet”. There are other channels that explain the phonetics and rules of the language a bit better such as dropping consonants. Other examples include “flo, do, or mo” meaning floor, door, or more.

[@lucaserickcorreia4956]

@@ABattee, thank you so much. You have no idea what that means to me. ❤

[@Kapplerartbloomingdale]

yes.

[@joep5607]

Hey yo, great teaching! Big thanks, bro. I aint no from the hood, not even in ur country, instead… hong kong. Hope i can sound a bit like from the hood. Yal stay cool, bro. Wakakakaka

[@Daron7181]

Nah’mean? Ya feel me? Dig wha’am sayin?

[@marvinmarshalljr]

The hood active 😢

[@ovation1975]

😂

[@kee04O]

underrated video😂🎉😂

[@rerejones2050]

I'm a person of color, i remember when they tried to put that type of Ebonics or whatever they call it, i was against this type of class. I think God this class wasn't passed.

[@user-lh2qo9my9e]

sure, so far Iam struggling the way I can understand black american english when we have conversation, i hit the lowest level to know the words comes out their mouth. ya man you make ne close to understand a little bit what they mean their greeting.

[@kellydespeignes9333]

I'm late to listen to your course. I could speak very long time.

[@carlosserrano8425]

Y no has hablado o tratado de entender alguien de Navolato Sinaloa México

[@geakerleaker]

Yo whats up Homie 😭😭🤣

[@AdrianWhite001]

😂😂😂😂😂

[@ChannelTerminatedbyYouTube]

U buggin me fr

[@drc-ek2zu]

This a bit much, but bear with it... When I watch a video of European blacks, they are well spoken, well understood and great communicators. This is great! But when they congregate, another dialect appears, much is incomprehensible. To me, it seems like a victim mentality, even though slavery was irradicated in 1863. One hundred and sixty-one years later, I hear folks saying the "man" is "keeping us down". I can't agree. My grandmother escaped from Poland right after (or during) the war. Once in America, she never spoke Polish again because she had a new life and wanted to prosper. So I guess the message is that you can't hold on to those things that are keeping yu down. You have to move through them and beyond their reach. Slavery was more than a century ago. If blacks want to be part of the fabric, they have to blend in, easily, respectfully and unaimously. It happens all around the world. Modern people are keeping it alive and more relevant thanit has ever deserved. Much love. P.S: Harriet saved less than 100 people from slavery. Fact.

[@geakerleaker]

you said european black people speak a different dialect? I didn't know this, what countries and what languages?

[@noahlomax1]

@drc-ek2zu, there is no such thing as "well spoken". You can speak the standard language and speak the language of your people and this is what Black Americans do and it's called code switching when we do it. We understand that there is a standard of English when at work, but we have our own language when at home. Secondly, you nor your grandmother moving from Poland understand anything that has happened to Black people in America because you aren't Black American. 1. Just because slavery ended in 1865, it still brought with it, share cropping, Jim Crow, lynching, convict leasing, red lining, bombing of Black neighborhoods, destruction of Black neighborhoods, segregation and so much more after 1865 and up until some changes in 1965 with the Civil Rights movement. Do you want to know why there was a Civil Rights movement? It's because America was still treating Black people as non-equal and lesser than White people. You wouldn't know any of that because you don't care to know, you're just spouting a dislike without no knowledgable background on what you're speaking of. 2. Black people using AAVE has nothing to do with "holding on" to anything. It's how we talked for well over 400 years in this country. No one Black is "holding on" to anything that brings us down. We speak up and out about the things that aren't inclusive or provides equity for us as a people. Again, this is something you don't know and it's boiled down to ignorance on your part. 3. We don't want to blend in. We are our own people, with our own history, culture and way of being set apart from anyone else, just as the Polish are. If modern people are keeping anything alive, then why did your grandmother leave Poland? Could she not make it there? Was there something wrong with Poland that made her move? Was it because she didn't want to be a part of the Polish fabric and blend in? Did she stop speaking her native tongue of Polish in trying to assimilate to a new culture instead of holding on to her own culture and just live her life? I assume she was holding on to things that were bringing her down?

[@Mista-Catt]

@drc-ek2zu - So you think that European blacks have a victim mentality because they speak in their dialect when amongst each other? Wow. You sound crazy as h@ll. How about they feel more comfortable and laid back when they are around each other and speak in a way that is more in line with their African or Caribbean ancestry? Also, you can't compare the experience of a Polish immigrant to America with the experience of those of African descent. Were not the Polish excepted into the larger white society during the time of segregation? You can't be this dense.

[@rickfisher1987]

Jew naws et, bruddah

[@rickfisher1987]

Wezia aluh go do merican skoo's , Foo !

[@Daron7181]

You a whole cornball my guy.

[@_estecate_]

@@rickfisher1987what 😭😭😭

[@vergespierre4271]

​@@_estecate_lol, obviously English isn't their first language