Although there has been some controversy surrounding the translation of the term “Mnike” online, it can be roughly translated to “give”.
Mnike has created quite the buzz in South Africa and all over the world, not only because of the hit Tyler ICU song, but also because of the tricky nature of the word’s direct English translation.
Mnike meaning South Africa
Whether you have been jamming out to Amapiano, you saw Tyla performing in Times Square, or you just found yourself on the ‘South Africans dragging people from other countries’ corner of TikTok recently, chances are, the term “Mnike” has appeared on your timeline quite often.
And though there has been quite a bit of unexpected uproar around this term, it is not all as complicated as it seems at first glance.
Origin
Mnike (which is pronounced m-knee-ke, and not em-nike, or even em-knee-kay, as you may have heard it pronounced online) is actually a Zulu term, which directly translates to “give”.
Mnike saw a meteoric rise in popularity after the release of the equally popular Tyler ICU song by the same name in April 2023. ‘Mnike’ reached one million streams in just two weeks after its initial release and quickly climbed both the South Africa and Nigerian music charts. It even went as far as reaching the number one spot on South Africa’s Billboard lineup.
Meaning
But as every South African will be quick to point out, simply knowing the direct translation for a term like mnike is often not enough to understand the full meaning of the word.
Therefore, in order to truly understand the meaning of mnike (and the party vibe of the Tyler ICU song) it is important to understand all of the context that the term carries with it. Above all, it is imperative to understand that mnike, especially in the context of this song, does not simply mean “give”, but rather, “give it to them” or to “give it to him/her”. And if you really get down to the gist of English translation of the song, you will find that this often refers to ‘giving’ the audience the party and dance vibe that the characteristic Amapiano beat so often helps to create.
Everyday Usage Cases/Examples
As we have seen countless times, it is probably best to steer clear of using mnike online if you fear the wrath of thousands of angry South Africans. However, some of the real-life uses of “mnike” that you may come across in your everyday life include:
- Using “mnike” in reference to the song, as in: “Mnike is still one of the best songs of 2023”
- Or, as part of a sentence, as in: “khuzani mnike” (which roughly translates to “shut up and give” in English)
