“The Italian Accent in Afrikaans”: Girl Raised in Italy Leaves SA Amused With Coloured Vocabulary

• A little girl living in Italy went viral after repeating popular coloured slang with a hilarious accent and energy
• Viewers were amused by how Maya’s Italian accent reshaped well-known slang, turning simple expressions into unexpectedly funny moments
• The comments section quickly turned into a lively celebration of coloured humour, with users sharing reactions, jokes, and cultural appreciation

A little girl living in Italy has gone viral on TikTok after showing off her hilarious “coloured vocabulary” in a video that left South Africans wheezing with laughter.

Shared by TikTok user @mishkah.v, on 12 May 2026, young Maya repeats several popular coloured expressions and slang terms, impersonating her mother, while speaking with an Italian accent. She said phrases like “hello hello” and “tartie,” followed by her contagious laugh after every line. The video was captioned:

“Living in Italy but Maya still getting raised on pure coloured vocabulary 😂.”

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Maya began ech new impersonation with the same phrase. She said:

"My mother's coloured, so of course."

How families preserve language and culture abroad

Experts say children raised abroad can still strongly hold onto their home culture and language when families regularly use it in daily life. According to language writer Katie Uniacke, people living in another country often make a conscious effort to keep their native expressions, slang and cultural references alive at home, especially through conversations, jokes and everyday interactions with relatives.

Research on bilingual families also shows that maintaining a home language helps children stay connected to their identity, culture and relatives, even while adapting to another country’s lifestyle and language. Experts add that preserving familiar phrases and accents can strengthen confidence, belonging and emotional ties to family traditions across generations.

View the Instagram video:

South Africans flood comments section with jokes

The viral clip had South Africans laughing over Maya’s Italian accent mixed with coloured slang, with many calling her adorable and relatable. Others praised her family for keeping their South African culture and humour alive while living abroad. This is what Mzansi had to say on @mishkah.v's page:

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@wahieba_ said:

“The ‘ofcourse she’s tartie’ took me out 😂😂😂😭😭😭💀💀💀”

@jagskat_01 wrote:

“And we all know that ‘hello hello’ is not a greeting 🤞😂🤣🤣🤣”

@theamatheus27 commented:

“It’s the Italian accent in Afrikaans for me”

@yusra_bass noted:

“I’m the first in my lineage to see a little Italian with coloured 😂🔥😍”

@aliceinvintage_land stated:

“She even laughs coloured😂”

@fayroozaj said:

“And all Maya wants is to be colored too 😂😍❤️”

More Briefly News stories on langiages

• A young Zulu man went viral after struggling to speak isiZulu during a street interview, sparking debate among South Africans about language, identity and parents preserving home languages.
• An interracial bride impressed South Africans after reciting her wedding vows in isiZulu during a heartfelt ceremony that celebrated culture and love.
• A woman sparked debate online after saying she would not learn isiZulu because she believed the language was being used to mobilise anti-foreigner protests in South Africa.

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Source: Briefly News