Bonjou! Learn to Speak Haitian Creole

Bonjou! ...Mèsi! ...E Orevwa! Search for English or Haitian Creole words translation. Also search the whole site for expressions, idioms and grammar rules. And ask questions about the language in the ASK QUESTIONS HERE section.

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, October 30, 2010

Exercise 36 - Answer to Exercise 35

Here are the answers to the translation exercise in 35.

1. Katie and Joe went home on Friday.
1. Katie ak Joe te ale lakay yo vandredi.

 
2. Go home!
2. Ale lakay ou!

 
3. I will go home tonight.
3. M pral lakay mwen aswè-a.

 
4. In the movie, E.T. went home on a bike.
4. Nan fim nan E.T te ale lakay li sou yon bisiklèt.

 
5. Tata was hungry. She went home to eat.
5. Tata te grangou. Li te ale lakay li pou manje.

 
6. Don't look for Guito. He already went home this morning.
6. Pa chache Guito. Li gentan ale lakay li maten an.

7. The people went home hungry yesterday.
7. Moun yo ale lakay yo tou grangou yè.

 
8. It's late. You should go home.
8. Li ta. Ou dwe ale lakay ou.

9. It's raining. Stay home tonight.
9. Li ap fè lapli. Rete lakay ou aswè-a.

10. It's snowing. She stayed home.
10. Li ap fè nèj. Li te rete lakay li.

11. They stayed home.
11. Yo te rete lakay yo.

12. I was smart. I stayed home when it started raining yesterday.
12. M-te intelijan. M te rete lakay mwen lè li te kòmanse fè lapli yè.

 
13. We all stayed home on Monday.
13. Nou tout te rete lakay nou lendi.

14. Henry did go to the tennis game. He stayed home with his girlfriend.
14. Henry pa te ale nan jwèt tenis la. Li te rete lakay li ak menaj li a.

15. The birds flew home tonight.
15. Zwazo yo vole ale lakay yo aswè-a.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Exercise 35 - Going Home

I am going home - m pral ale lakay mwen (You'll most often hear: m pral lakay mwen)
you are going home -ou prale lakay ou
he, she it is going home - li pral lakay li
we are going home - nou pral lakay nou
they are going home - yo pral la kay yo.
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First and foremost, see how I've contracted  pral ale all the way down to pral.
So, pral ale, prale, and pral all mean the same thing.

Pral = auxillary that indicates future tense
ale = verb to go
Pral + ale = prale or pral

More examples:
Alex is going home- Alex pral lakay li.

Rachel went home - Rachel te ale lakay li

Zoey and Zack went home - Zoey e Zack te ale lakay yo

Let's go home - An nou ale lakay nou.

Stay home tonight - Rete lakay ou aswè a.

Come home today - Vini lakay ou jodi a.
______________________
Translate the following sentences.

1. Katie and Joe went home on Friday.

2. Go home!

3. I will go home tonight.

4. In the movie, E.T. went home on a bike.

5. Tata was hungry. She went home to eat.

6. Don't look for Guito. He already went home this morning.

7. The people went home hungry yesterday.

8. It's late. You should go home.

9. It's raining. Stay home tonight.

10. It was snowing. She stayed home.

11. They stayed home.

12. I was smart. I stayed home when it started raining yesterday.

13. We all stayed home on Monday.

14. Henry didn't go to the tennis game. He stayed home with his girlfriend.

15. The birds stayed home tonight.

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Exercise 34 - Answers to Exercise 33

Here they are. The answers to questions in Exercise 33.
Please note the prepositions in the English translations.

1. Ki jou Zette te ale lekòl? (what day did Zette go to school?)
Answer: Zette te ale lekòl lendi. (Zette went to school on Monday)

2. Ki kote Zette te ale madi? (Where did Zette go on Tuesday?)
Answer: Madi Zette te ale nan plaj la. (Tuesday Zette went to the beach)
3. Kombyen zanmi Zette te fè madi? (How many friends did Zette make on Tuesday?)
Answer: Li te fè twa(3) zanmi madi. (She made three friends on Tuesday.)

4. Eske Zette te renmen fim nan? (Did Zette like the movie?)
Answer: Non. Li pa te renmen li. (No. She didn't like it.)

5. Ki jou Zette te ale nan konsè a? (what day did Zette go to the concert?)
Answer: Zette te ale nan konsè a jedi. (Zette went to concert on Thursday)

6. Ki kote Zette te ale vandredi? (where did Zette go on Friday?)
Answer: Vandredi Zette te ale kay yon dantis. (On Friday Zette went to a dentist)

7. Ki jan dantis la rele? (What was the dentist's name?)
Answer: Li te rele Felix. (His name was Felix)

8. Ki kote Zette te ale samdi? (where did Zette go on Saturday?)
Answer: Samdi Zette te ale nan yon jwèt foutbòl. (On Saturday Zette went to a soccer game)

9. Ki kote Zette te ale dimanch? (where did Zette go on Sunday)
Answer: Dimanch Zette te ale legliz. (On Sunday Zette went to church)

10. Kisa Zette ak Fanò te fè dimanch? (What did Zette and Fanò do on Sunday?)
Answer: Yo te marye. (They got married)

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Exercise 33 - Going places - Part 2

Preposition "to" can be omitted when talking about going to school or church.

To go to school - ale lekòl
I go to school today - m ale lekòl jodi-a.

To go to church - ale legliz
I go to church on Sundays -m ale legliz chak dimanch.


Going to the doctor. Use kay which means at the house of.

going to the doctor - ale kay doktè
going to the cardiologist - ale kay kadyològ
going to the gyn doctor - ale kay jinekològ

I went to the doctor yesterday/
 m te ale kay doktè a yè.

I went to the eye doctor yesterday/
m te ale kay doktè zye a yè.

Going any other places, we use nan which means in.

I went to the beach - m te ale nan plaj la.

I went to the movies - m te ale nan sinema a.

I went to the market - m te ale nan mache a.

I went to the hotel - m te ale nan otèl la.

I went to the game - m te ale nan jwèt la.

I went to the football game - m te ale nan jwèt foutbòl la

.I went to the party - m te ale nan fèt la.
______________________
Read the following story then answer the following questions.

A week in the life of Zette.
On Monday Zette woke up ready to start her day. She went to school and learned about the birds and the bees. On Tuesday she skipped school. She went to the beach and met Fito, Fanfan, and Fanò. On Wednesday Zette went to the movies with Fito but the movie was too scary. On Thursday Zette went to a concert with Fanfan. They got into a fight and Fanfan broke her front tooth. On Friday Zette went to the dentist. Dr. Felix glued her tooth back inside her mouth. She was happy. On saturday Zette went to a soccer game with Fanò. Her team scored a goal. On Sunday Zette and Fanò went to church. They got married.


VOCABULARY WORDS
ak - and
ale - to go
dantis - dentist
dimanch - Sunday
- to do
fim - movie
jedi - Thursday
jou - day
kisa - what
konbyen - how much, how many
konsè - concert
lendi - Monday
madi - tuesday
mèkredi - wednesday
samdi - saturday
vandredi - friday
zanmi - friend


Answer the following questions.
1. Ki jou Zette te ale lekòl?

2. Ki kote Zette te ale madi?

3. Kombyen zanmi Zette te fè madi?

4. Eske Zette te remen fim nan?

5. Ki jou Zette te ale nan konsè a?

6. Ki kote Zette te ale vandredi?

7. Ki jan dantis la rele?

8. Ki kote Zette te ale samdi?

9. Ki kote Zette te ale dimanch?

10. Kisa Zette ak Fanò te fè dimanch?

Friday, October 22, 2010

Exercise 32 - Answers to Exercise 31

Let's see how you did in Exercise 31.

Here are the answers to the questions from the previous blog


1. Ki kote Chelsea Clinton te marye? (Where did Chelsea Clinton get married?)
Answer: Chelsea Clinton te marye Rhinebeck, New York. (Chelsea Clinton was married in Rhinebeck, NY)

2. Nan ki vil prezidan Clinton te fèt? (What city was president Clinton born in?
Answer: Prezidan Clinton te fèt Hope. (President Clinton was born in Hope, Ark.)

3. Ki bò prezidan George H. W. Bush te fèt? (Where was president George H. W. Bush born?)
Answer: Prezidan George H. W. Bush te fèt Milton, Massachussets. (president George H. W. Bush was born in Milton, Ma.)

4. Nan ki peyi George W. Bush te fèt? (In what country was George W. Bush born?)
Answer: George W. Bush te fèt Etazini (U.S.). (George W. Bush was born in the US)

5. Ki bò prezidan Bill Clinton moun? (where is president Clinton from?)
Answer: Prezidan Bill Clinton moun Hope, Arkansas. (president Clinton is from Hope, Arkansas)

6. Nan ki eta yo te tire prezidan John F. Kennedy? (In which state did president John F. Kennedy get shot?)
Answer: Yo te tire li Texas.(He got shot in Texas)

7. Nan ki vil prezidan John F. Kennedy te fèt? (Where was president John F. Kennedy born?)
Answer: Prezidan John F. Kennedy te fèt Brookline. (president John F. Kennedy was born in Brookline, Ma)

8. Ki kote Obama yo rete? (where do the Obamas live?)
Answer: Obama yo rete Washington, D.C. (the Obamas live in ahington, D.C)

9. Ki bò JFK Jr ta prale lè li te mouri? (Where was JFK going when he got shot?)
Answer: Li ta prale Massachussets. (he was going to Massachussetts)


10. Nan ki eta New Haven ye? (In which state is New Haven?)
Answer: Li Connecticut.(It's in Connecticut.)
________________________________
Since the next five questions and answers pertain to you - the answers will vary. So I will answer them as it pertains to me. But you can, of course, e-mail me if you want me to check your answers. Thanks. Be blessed.

Answers to personal questions from previous blog.

1. Nan ki vil ou te fèt? (In what city where you born?)
Answer: M te fèt Port-Au-Prince. (m te fèt Port-Au-Prince)

2. Ki kote ou moun? (where are you from?)
Answer: M moun Ayiti. (I'm from Haiti)

3. Ki bò papa ou moun? (Where's your father from?)
Answer: Papa-m moun La Colline, Ayiti. (my father's from La Colline, Haiti)

4. Nan ki eta ou rete? (In which state do you live?)
Answer: M rete Florida.  (I live in Florida)

5. Ki kote ou ta renmen rete?  (where would you like to live?)
Answer: M ta renmen rete Alaska. (i would like to live in Alaska)

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Exercise 31 - Going Places - Part 1

Did you know that Ki bò and ki kote mean the same thing?

ki bò? - where?
ki kote? - where?

Ki kote ou rete? - Where do you live?
Ki bò ou te fèt? - Where were you born?

Ki kote ou soti? - Where do you come from?
Ki bò ou soti? - Where do you come from?

Ki kote ou te fèt? - Where are you from?
Ki bò ou moun? - Where are you from?

Ki kote ou prale? - Where are you going?
Ki kote Joe prale? - Where is Joe going?
Ki bò nou prale? - Where are we going?

Nan ki vil ou soti? Which/what city are you from?
Nan ki eta ou soti? Which/what state are you from?
Nan ki peyi ou soti? Which/what country are you from?
________________________________________________________
Check out these sentences. See how the prepositions in, from, at are omitted.

I live in Florida - Mwen rete Florida

I come from Haiti - Mwen soti Ayiti

I was born in Port-Au-Prince - Mwen te fèt Port-Au-Prince

My mom was born at Arcahaie - Manman-m te fèt Arcahaie
._________________________________________________________

To do a review on asking questions check out lessons 26 and 27 of the May 2010 blog.

Now that you know how to ask and answer to the question "Where", let's do some exercises!

And..., in order to have answers that you can check against mine, we'll use the following infomation:
Here it goes.

President Bill Clinton was born in Hope, Arkansas.
His daughter, Chelsea Clinton, was married in Rhinebeck, New York.
President George H. W. Bush was born on June 12, 1924 in Milton, Massachussets.
His son, president George W. Bush, was born in New Haven, Connecticut.
The Obamas are staying at the white house in Washington, D.C. at this time.
President John F. Kennedy was born in Brookline, Massachussetts and he was shot in Dallas, Texas.
Sadly his son was killed in a plane crash on his way to Massachussets.

Now, using the above information, answer the following questions (in Haitian Creole) with a complete sentence.

1. Ki kote Chelsea Clinton te marye?

2. Nan ki vil prezidan Clinton te fèt?

3. Ki bò prezidan George H. W. Bush te fèt?

4. Nan ki peyi George W. Bush te fèt?

5. Ki bò prezidan Bill Clinton moun?

6. Nan ki eta yo te tire prezidan John F. Kennedy?

7. Nan ki vil prezidan John F. Kennedy te fèt?

8. Ki kote Obama yo rete?

9. Ki bò JFK Jr ta prale lè li te mouri?

10. Nan ki eta New Haven ye?

ALSO,
Questions to you: Please answer the next five questions pertaining to you.

1. Nan ki vil ou te fèt?

2. Ki kote ou moun?

3. Ki bò papa ou moun?

4. Nan ki eta ou rete?

5. Ki kote ou ta renmen rete?

Saturday, October 16, 2010

Exercise 28 - Answer to Exercise 27

Translation for the consecutive vocabulary words are in parenthesis.

1. Liv, pli-m, kreyon, kaye (book, pen, pencil, notebook)

2. Asyèt, kiyè, fouchèt, gode (plate, spoon, fork, cup)

3. Chemiz, kòsaj, chemizèt, mayo (shirt, blouse, undershirt, t-shirt)

4. Chyen, chat, pwason, zwazo (dog, cat, fish, bird)

5. Jounalis, doktè, mizisyen, enfimyè (journalist, doctor, musician, nurse)

6. Sè, kouzen, monnonk, frè (sister, cousin, uncle, brother)

7. Gita, flit, pyano, tanbou (guitar, flute, piano, drum)

8. Chante, pale, diskite, rele (sing, talk, discuss, call out)

9. machin, tap-tap, avyon, bato (car, pick-up truck, airplane, boat)

10. Kouri, sote, pronmnen, mache (run, jump, stroll, walk)

11. Zye, nen, bouch, zorèy (eye, nose, mouth, ear)

12. Mango, fig, zoranj, rezen (Mango, banana, orange, grape)

13. Syèl, nwaj, lalin, solèy (sky, cloud, moon, sun)

14. En de, twa, sis (One, two, three, six)

15. Lendi, madi, mèkredi, jedi, Vandredi (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday)

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Exercise 27- A couple of vocabulary words

How are you doing so far?

How are you practicing the Haitian Creole language?

Remember, speaking to other Haitians, listening to haitian radio stations on the radio or over the internet, or listening to haitian songs will help you to see how haitians put their words together. It'll train you to hear and comprehend what's being said.
__________________________________________

I hope I'm being fair to you and your progress in the language by giving you the following exercise. That said, Good luck!!!!
One more thing... when you work with vocabulary words please say them out loud. It's important to hear yourself say them. Thanks.

****LIST WORDS: Bato, frè, zorèy, solèy, vandredi, tanbou, zwazo, rezen, gode, kaye, mayo, mache, enfimyè, sis, rele

Add a LIST WORD to the following groups of words below. Add the LIST WORD to the group they belonged to.

1. Liv, plim, kreyon, _____________

2. Asyèt, kiyè, fouchèt, ___________

3. Chemiz, kòsaj, chemizèt, ________

4. Chyen, chat, Pwason, _________

5. Jounalis, doktè, mizisyen, ___________

6. Sè, kouzen, monnonk, ___________

7. Gita, flit, pyano, _____________

8. Chante, pale, diskite, _________

9. Machin, tap tap, avyon, _________

10. Kouri, sote, promne, _________

11. Zye, nen, bouch, __________

12. Mango, fig, zoranj, ________

13. Syèl, nwaj, lalin, __________

14. En, de, twa, __________

15. Lendi, madi, mèkredi, jedi, __________

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Exercise 26 - Answers to Exercise 25

When using possessive adjectives - Sometimes Haitian Creole speakers do drop the definite article that comes after it. You will see it mostly when they use demontratives (this is, that is, these are, those are). You will see it also when they talk about unique members of the family such as: father, mother, grandpa, grandma.


1. My car broke down.
1.Machin mwen an anpàn.

2. My sons live in Canada.
2.Ti gason mwen yo rete Canada.

3. Your dress is too short.
3.Rad ou a twò kout.

4. That's my dad.
4.Sa se papa mwen.

5. Her shoes are pretty but her car is ugly.
5.Soulye li a bèl men machin li a lèd.

6. Our church is on a small hill.
6.Legliz nou an sou yon ti mòn.

7. Their language is too hard to learn.
7.Lang yo a twò difisil pou aprann.

8. The wheels of my car are big.
8.Kaoutyou machin mwen yo gwo.

9. That is my house.
9.Sa se kay mwen. (Yes, you can also say: Sa se kay mwen an.)

10. His house is kind of small.
10.Kay li a yon ti jan piti.

Exercise 25 - Reviewing the Possessive Adjectives

Translate the following sentences.(Answers will be found in the Exercise 26).

1. My car broke down.

2. My sons live in Canada.

3. Your dress is too short.

4. That's my dad.

5. Her shoes are pretty but her car is ugly.

6. Our church is on a small hill.

7. Their language is too hard to learn.

8. The wheels of my car are big.

9. That is my house.

10. His house is kind of small.

Learn more about Possessive adjectives at these links:
Possessive adjectives 2
Possessive adjectives 3