When you go abroad on holiday, it is useful to have some basic knowledge of the local language. For example if you want to greet people in a friendly manner, to thank them or simply to show interest in their culture – it will always be appreciated. In Curacao people speak Dutch and Papiamentu (or Papiamento) and there is one word you see and hear everywhere: dushi. It has many different meanings and there is no literal translation for it, but one thing is clear: it is always positive. It is most definitely not to be confused with douchey, which is the exact opposite. To help you better understand this typical Antillean word, we have made a short list of five different ways the word dushi is used.
Dushi is Papiamento for tasty
Papiamento is best described as a mixture of Spanish, Dutch, English, French and African languages. The word dushi most likely comes from the Spanish word ‘dulce’, which means sweet. It has the same meaning – amongst others – in Papiamento but when it comes to food it is often used to say it’s very tasty. Your food doesn’t have to be sweet for it to be dushi!
Dushi means babe
Antillean men love their women and like to express their feelings to them. Of the many words and nicknames to do so, dushi is most commonly used. It is not used exclusively by significant others, but often also outside of relationships – it doesn’t have to be a romantic gesture. “Mi dushi” means my darling, while “Danki dushi” – which means thanks babe – could also be said to a stranger. Note that it is not always appropriate to do so. Additionally, dushi is also often applied to children.
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Dushi is sweet
Another inspiration for the word dushi comes from the Portuguese word ‘doce’, which among other things means sweet and loving. People often use the word dushi to express their love or gratitude for someone. For example, if you receive a beautiful gift from someone, you can respond with “Danki, esta dushi”, meaning thank you, that’s very sweet.
Dushi is sexy
It is often used to let someone know you find them sexy or attractive. Both men and women can be dushi – it is for everyone to use and be. The word dushi is not only being used on Curacao; in the Netherlands (Curacao is part of the Dutch Kingdom) it has become part of slang.
Dushi is nice
The coutry of Curacao even has its own dushi nickname: Dushi Korsou. Originally this was the title of the national anthem, but today it is just one of the best ways to describe the island. It’s not just nice, beautiful
