Canadian Slang Gen Z Uses: Words Only Canadians Get
Canadian slang Gen Z uses is mostly Toronto slang that spread across the country: words like mans (I or me), crodie (bro), ahlie (right?), dry (boring), gerbert (a loser) and "that's a dry rip." Mix those with Canadian classics like chirp, keener, toque and Timmies and you've got how young Canadians actually talk in 2026.
If you've been absorbing half your vocab from Toronto TikTok at 1 a.m., Brainrot Test shows how much of your day the feed is really taking: Check my brainrot.
What makes Canadian Gen Z slang different
Canadian slang sits between three worlds. It borrows American internet slang (rizz, delulu, cooked), British-style multicultural slang (mandem, wagwan), and Caribbean and East African words that came in through Toronto's communities.
The result is a set of Canadian slang words that Americans often think are British and Brits often think are American. Toronto is the engine. Toronto Gen Z slang travels through rap (Drake made "the 6" famous worldwide), group chats and TikTok, then shows up in Vancouver, Calgary and Halifax schools a few months later.
A quick note: a lot of Toronto slang has roots in Jamaican Patois and Somali. It's worth knowing where words come from, not just how to use them.
Toronto slang everyone copies
These are the canadian slang Toronto words that get copied most, in school hallways and in comment sections.
Core Toronto slang words
- Mans – Can mean "I," "me," "you" or "he." "Mans is tired" = I'm tired. "Mans really said that" = he really said that.
- Crodie – Close friend, like "bro" or "brodie." See our deep dive on what crodie means.
- Ahlie – "Right?" or "for real." Used to agree or check someone agrees. Full breakdown: ahlie meaning.
- Wallahi – "I swear" (from Arabic, common in Muslim communities).
- Styll – "Still," used to add emphasis. "That's hard styll."
- Ting – A thing, or sometimes a girl (can come off rude).
- Bare – A lot. "Bare people at the party."
- Fam – Friend or group.
- Mandem / gyaldem – The guys / the girls.
- Wagwan – What's up.
- Waste – Lame, bad. "That movie was waste."
- Cheesed – Annoyed or mad. "I'm cheesed my phone died."
- The 6 / the six – Toronto.
- Moving mad – Acting weird or out of line.
Canadian slang term dry rip
"Dry" in Toronto means boring or lame. A "rip" is an unfortunate moment. Put them together and "that's a dry rip" means that's a lame, disappointing situation. You'll hear it when the bus doesn't show up or when a party gets shut down at 10.
Canadian slang gerbert
A gerbert is a loser, a goof or someone who's acting lame. It's one of the most searched Canadian slang insults because it sounds harmless but isn't meant nicely. "Stop being a gerbert" = stop being cringe.
Other Canadian slang insults
- Goof – A fool. In Toronto it can be a serious insult, not a playful one.
- Hoser – An old-school "idiot," now mostly used jokingly.
- Wasteyute – A useless young person.
- Chirp – Not an insult, but the act of trash-talking. "He got chirped hard."
Canadian classics Gen Z still uses
Not all Canadian slang words and phrases are new. These older Canadian sayings still show up in Gen Z speech, sometimes ironically.
| Canadian slang | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Chirp | To roast or trash-talk | "Stop chirping me in the chat." |
| Keener | Overachiever, teacher's pet | "Such a keener, she did the reading." |
| Toque | Winter beanie | "Grab your toque, it's minus 20." |
| Timmies | Tim Hortons | "Timmies run before first period?" |
| Double-double | Coffee with two cream, two sugar | "Large double-double please." |
| Loonie / toonie | $1 / $2 coin | "Got a toonie for the vending machine?" |
| Washroom | Bathroom / restroom | "Can I go to the washroom?" |
| Give'r | Go all out | "Final set, just give'r." |
| Beauty | Great, awesome | "Beauty, thanks bud." |
| Bud | Friend (all genders) | "How's it going, bud?" |
| Bunnyhug | Hoodie (Saskatchewan) | "Where's my bunnyhug?" |
| Eh | Right? / Isn't it? | "Cold out, eh?" |
"Eh" is the stereotype, but notice how it works just like Toronto's "ahlie" and London's "innit." Every region has its own "right?"
School words: grade 12, CEGEP and more
School is where Canadian slang vs American slang gets confusing for outsiders.
- Grade 12 – Final year of high school (Year 13 in the UK, senior year in the US).
- CEGEP – In Quebec, the college you go to after high school and before university.
- Spare – A free period with no class.
- Pencil crayon – Colored pencil.
- Marks – Grades. "My marks are cooked this term."
- Res – University residence (dorms in the US, halls in the UK).
- Frosh – First-year student or orientation week.
- Exam season / provincials – Final exams; some provinces have province-wide tests.
If you're heading into exam season right now, our guide on how to revise without getting distracted works just as well for grade 12 finals as for UK GCSEs.
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Examples: Canadian Gen Z slang in real sentences
Here's how gen z slang Canada-style sounds in real life.
Group chat after school: "Crodie, mans is cheesed, the bus never came. Dry rip ahlie?" Bro, I'm annoyed, the bus never came. So lame, right?
At a hockey game: "He chirped the ref and got tossed, what a gerbert." He trash-talked the ref and got thrown out, what a loser.
Before a test: "Bare people didn't study, wallahi this is gonna be waste." So many people didn't study, I swear this is going to be bad.
Winter morning: "Toque on, Timmies in hand, spare first period. Beauty." Beanie on, coffee in hand, free first period. Perfect.
Quick tips before you use them
- Toronto slang sounds natural in Toronto. Outside the GTA, a little goes a long way.
- "Mans" is flexible, so context tells you who it means.
- Some words ("ting," "goof") can land harder than you think. Know your audience.
- Don't copy an accent you didn't grow up with. Words are fine; impressions usually aren't.
Find out what the feed is doing to your vocab (and your focus)
Every word on this list travels through the same place: your phone. Brainrot Test asks 17 questions about what you actually do when you pick it up, gives you a score from 0 to 100 and shows how you compare with everyone else. It also has a 30-word slang wiki if you just want to check a meaning quickly.
FAQ
What is Canadian Gen Z slang?
Canadian Gen Z slang is a mix of Toronto slang (mans, crodie, ahlie, wallahi, dry), American internet slang and old Canadian words like chirp and keener. Toronto is the biggest source, and its words spread through music, school and TikTok.
What does "dry rip" mean in Canadian slang?
"Dry rip" means a lame or disappointing situation. "Dry" is Toronto slang for boring and "rip" marks something unfortunate. Say it when plans fall through or something goes wrong in a boring way.
What does gerbert mean in Canadian slang?
A gerbert is a loser or someone acting lame and cringe. It's a common Toronto insult, lighter than "goof" but still not a compliment.
What are some Canadian slang words Americans don't know?
Toque, keener, chirp, double-double, loonie, toonie, bunnyhug, spare (free period) and give'r confuse most Americans. Toronto words like mans, ahlie and crodie are also mostly unknown outside Canada.
Is Toronto slang the same as UK roadman slang?
They overlap a lot: wagwan, mandem, bare and ting appear in both because both draw on Caribbean English. But Toronto has its own words like ahlie, crodie and "the 6." Our guide on how to speak roadman covers the UK side.