Noun

Singular braai

Plural braais

braai (plural braais)

1. (South African) A barbecue, the Afrikaans word for grill.
2. (South African) An open outdoor grill built specifically for the purpose of braaing.
3. (South African) A social meeting, including the braaing of meat.

   Come over to our place for a braai.

Verb

Infinitive to braai

Third person singular braais

Simple past braaied

Past participle braaied

Present participle braaing

to braai (third-person singular simple present braais, present participle braaing, simple past and past participle braaied)

1. (South African) To grill meat over an open flame.

Related terms

• braaivleis

Afrikaans

The word braai (plural braais) is Afrikaans for "barbecue" or "roast" and is a social custom in Botswana, South Africa, Namibia, Lesotho, Zimbabwe and Zambia. It originated with the Afrikaner people, but has since been adopted by South Africans of many ethnic backgrounds. The word vleis is Afrikaans for "meat".

The word has been adopted by English-speaking South Africans and can be regarded as another word for barbecue, in that it serves as a verb when describing how food is cooked and a noun when describing the cooking equipment, such as a grill. The traditions around a braai can be considerably different from a barbecue, however, even if the method of food preparation is very similar.

While wood formerly was the most widely-used braai fuel, in modern times the use of charcoal has increased due to its convenience, as with barbecues elsewhere in the world. There has however been a renewed interest in the use of wood after the South African government started with its invasive plant species removal program. An important distinction between a braai and a barbecue is that it's fairly uncommon for a braai to use gas rather than an open flame.