Wee

Wee! It’s so widely used, flexible, and it goes with everything! Also, it was so surprising how similar it is to something we do in the Spanish language, which is to add '-ito' at the end of some words to suggest “smallness” or a level of affection or familiarity to it. I’ve used wee in some conversations now because of how much it reminds me of how we express ourselves back home!

Miguel Ruiz Reyes, BSc Psychology, El Salvador, Latin America

"Belfast is rich with local slangs and one of my favourites is ‘wee.’ Everything here is just ‘wee.’ A wee cup of tea, a wee chat, or a wee walk. It is such a charming slang that I have started using it myself."

Raeesa Riaz, MSc International Business, Pakistan

"My favourite slang by miles is “wee”, the perfect little word, pun intended. I never realised a needed word like wee; it perfectly describes everything and can be used whenever, wherever. Ever since I came to Belfast, every shopping bag I have wanted has been a “wee bag.”"

Muhammad Abdul Rehman, LLB Law, Pakistan

Bless

"I’m not sure this is a slang word, but a good friend of mine always says “bless” when something wonderful or endearing happens, and I really love it. I’ve found myself using it more often, and when I went home for the holidays, it was my go-to.

Also, an honourable mention would most definitely be “wee”. So many people told me I would start saying “wee”, that it would sneak into my vocabulary one way or another. Then, at last, it happened. I was at the Christmas Market, and I asked for a “wee bag” to carry home the gifts I’d bought. Now, it comes to me naturally, and every time I say it, I can’t help but realise how much Belfast has become my new home."

Brittany Marasciulo-Rivera, MA Creative Writing, New York, USA

Dander

‘Dander’, NI has so many great places to go for a wee dander, especially when the weather's great!

Priscilla Jeyaraj, PhD Medicine, Malaysia

'So it is'

"I've met people that grew up here and they would end their sentence with ‘so it is’ and I just find it really catchy? It helps add a bit something extra to conversation. I don’t really use ‘wee’ a lot but every now and then it would be used but I definitely use ‘so it is’ as part of almost daily conversations."

Keith See Choy Xing, Law, Malaysia

Find out more

VIDEO: Our International Students Learn NI Slang

What's the Craic? NI Vocab Guide

8 Reasons Why You Should Study in Belfast

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