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Most requested translations added here for your convenience: I love you → Mwen renmen w. I miss you → Mwen sonje w. My love!Lanmou mwen!

Saturday, February 13, 2010

Lesson 8 - Definite Article (Singular)

Good news! I have posted a video lesson on the singular definite article. Look to the left column of the screen into the Audio/Video section and select The Singular Definite Article parts 1, 2, 3, and 4. Hope it helps.

More on the definite articles in Exercisae 10, and 12
You may also take a test on the definite articles at http://hosted.onlinetesting.net/HaitianCreole/login.pl


THE DEFINITE ARTICLE "THE" ALWAYS FOLLOWS THE NOUN!!!!!!!!!!

RULES TO FOLLOW
_______________
_______________


A. For words ending with a nonnasal vowel, the definite article is "a".

1. Pye a - The foot

2. Kò a - The body

B. For words ending with a consonant preceded by a nonnasal vowel the definite article is "la".

1. Liv la - The book

2. Tab la - The table

C. For words ending with the nasal vowels "an, en, on" the definite article is "an".

1. Tan an - The time

2. Jaden an - The garden

D. For words ending with a consonant which is preceded by the nasal vowels "an, en, on" , The definite article is "lan".

1. Sant lan - The odor

2. Pant lan -The edge

E. For words ending with a resonating "m and n", The definite article is "nan".

1. Kann nan - The Sugar cane

2. Fanm nan - The lady


Added:  SPECIAL NOTE: For words ending in the vowels “i” and “ou” which is preceded by a nasal sound, Creole speakers will use the definite article: an


1. fanmi an – the family (the ending “-mi” is preceded by a nasal sound “fan-“)

2. senti an – the waist

3. tanbou an – the drum

4. lennmi an – the enemy


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F. Let's practice! Practice makes perfect. Choose the correct definite article for the following words. Choose: a, nan, lan, la, an

1. Zanmi 2. Twalèt 3. Klou 4. Pen

5. Syèl 6. Vwazen 7. kay 8. Chapo

9. Semèn 10. Leson 11. Chanm 12. Mont

Find answer key at the bottom of this page





 1.zanmi an   2.twalèt la   3.klou a    4.pen an    5.syèl la    6.vwazen an    7.kay la    8.chapo a    9.semèn nan    10.leson an     11.chanm nan    12.mont lan.





7 comments:

  1. Do I have something here I don't understand? Why does the answer key say "zanmi an"? According to what you just taught, isn't supposed to be, "zanmi a"? Also, you have "mont la". Why? Isn't it supposed to be "mont nan"? I'm confused.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks for asking.
    The word "mont" ends with a consonant which is preceded by a nasal vowel(on), as stated in Example D. So you will say "mont lan".

    As far as "zanmi" is concerned, Creole speakers tend to apply the nasal vowel "an" after words that end with an "i" or "ou" which is preceded by a nasal sound.
    examples:
    fanmi an - the family
    lanmou an - the love
    senti an - the waist

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thanks for the question. I added a special note to the post regarding this.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I took the quiz and it said "volim la" was incorrect saying it should be "volim nan". Why is it supposed to be like that?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The word "volim" ends with "m", and is in the category of the words which end with "m" or "n".
      examples:
      fanm nan (the woman)
      krèm nan (the ice cream)
      nonm nan (the man)
      flanm nan (the flame)
      volim nan (The volume)

      Delete
    2. Mwen konprann. Mèsi anpil!

      Delete