Mi Dushi Aruba

We first came across the word Dushi when we first visited Curacao a couple of years ago. When we were exploring the island we came across large letters of the word Curacao and beside it was also the word Dushi. We had no idea what was the meaning of Dushi was but snapped a photo of it anyway.

Now we are in Aruba we hear this word constantly in conversation and see it in a few local business’s names. Dushi comes from the main language in Aruba which is Papiamento.  Papiamento is a language only spoken on the Caribbean ABC islands (Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao). It is a language with influences from Portuguese, American Indian languages, English, Dutch and Spanish. Apart from English, I have no knowledge of any of these languages and my basic school French doesn’t cover any of these languages either! I need to find a good language class soon!
Dushi has a variety of meanings but mainly means nice, sweet or good. It is pronounced dooShe and is used both as an adjective and a noun. The word dushi can be used to describe food, your loved ones and the great things in life.

Uses for Dushi are:

As a term of endearment or affection
“Hey Dushi, you’re looking great”
“I love you, my Dushi”

Being pleasing or tasty
“This sandwich tastes Dushi”
“Yeah, I know I’m Dushi”

As something good
“I’m feeling Dushi today”
“Life is so Dushi”

Dushi is not just a word in Aruba, it’s an expression of the joy of life and the great things in life that make you happy.