Friend, mate, buddy. Also spelled charley or charlie.
The single most used word in Ghanaian Pidgin. It opens a sentence, closes a sentence, fills a pause, and carries whatever tone you put on it.
Chale, the traffic today! Chale, I dey come. Ei, chale.
Related: charley wote — the rubber flip-flops everyone in Ghana wears, named, plausibly, after the sound they make.