braai

American  

[brahy] / braɪ /

noun

• braais
  plural

1. (South Africa) an outdoor wood-fired grill.

   1. an outdoor wood-fired grill.

   2. meat cooked over an open fire or on an outdoor wood-fired grill.

   3. a social gathering centered around the cooking and eating of grilled food.

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verb (used with object)

braaied, braaiing

1. (South Africa) to cook (food, especially meat or fish) over an open fire or a wood-fired grill.

adjective

1. (South Africa) relating to the process of cooking food over an open fire or an outdoor wood-fired grill.

braai British  

/ braɪ /

verb

1. to grill or roast (meat) over open coals

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noun

1. short for braaivleis

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• braaier
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• braais
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of braai

Afrikaans

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

braai braais

For games, the kitchen is entertaining the possibility of hosting a braai, a traditional South African barbecue hang.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 11, 2026

"I believe braai is like a hidden language that we all speak, yet we don't understand it yet. We all can come around a fire with no issue, no barriers, and just get along."

From BBC ● Apr. 3, 2023

Try this braai sout, a fragrant dry rub from South Africa, on a juicy T-bone steak.

From New York Times ● Jan. 4, 2023

Injured in South Africa on the tour, Robbie was isolated in a hotel room awaiting treatment when he was invited to a traditional South African braai in Durban.

From The Guardian ● Mar. 27, 2020

Still, if you want to find a restaurant that serves good braai, which means barbecue in the Afrikaans language spoken by many here regardless of race, you have to visit townships like Alexandra.

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 10, 2014

"We all got our differences and yet somehow braais seem to mitigate that, where we don't care, we all just get along," he says.

From BBC ● Apr. 3, 2023

There were a lot of braais, a lot of pots of food being lifted over the entry turnstiles, a lot of umbrellas being opened and picnics laid out.

From The New Yorker ● Sep. 15, 2016

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