Wednesday, November 16, 2011

"Kè m se An Ayiti" or "Kè m se nan Ayiti"? which is better?

Neither, if this is meant to translate My heart is in Haiti.

My heart is in Haiti.
Kè mwen Ayiti.     or
Kè m Ayiti.    or
Kè m se Ayiti li ye.

4 comments:

  1. Can you explain why that is Mandaly? I don't understand! It seems to me that "ke'm Ayiti" should mean "Haiti IS my heart", and "ke mwen nan Ayiti" should mean my heart is in Haiti.

    Fe'm konprann, suple!

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  2. Dakò :)

    This happens because of the preposition "nan".
    It does not go everywhere.

    Have you ever used the sentence: Mwen kontan?

    You do not say: Mwen se kontan, because "se" is understood in this sentence, right?
    ______________________________

    The same goes for "nan".
    Sometimes, we don't use it to indicate a place or location because it's understood in the sentence.

    To say in Creole: I am in Washington D.C.
    Don't say: Mwen se nan Washington D.C.
    "Se" and "nan" are understood in there.
    Say instead: Mwen Washington D. C.
    or you can say: Mwen nan vil Washington D.C.


    Take a look at each of the following examples.

    I am in Miami. → Mwen Miami.
    I am in Aux Cayes. → Mwen Aux Cayes
    I am in Canada. → Mwen kanada
    I am in Jacmel today. → Mwen Jakmèl jodi a.
    My child is in Georgia. → Pitit mwen Georgia.
    I am in Haiti. → Mwen Ayiti.
    I was in Haiti. → Mwen te Ayiti.
    I'll be in Haiti this weekend. → M'ap Ayiti weekend sa a.
    My girlfriend is in Haiti. → Menaj mwen Ayiti.
    *My heart is in Ayiti. → Kè mwen Ayiti.
    _____________________________

    Or you can say:

    I am in Jacmel. → Mwen nan vil Jakmèl.
    I am in Haiti. → Mwen nan peyi Ayiti.
    etc...
    _________________________

    Now you may have heard:
    Mwen an Ayiti.
    Kè mwen an Ayiti.
    Mwen pral an Ayiti.

    These three examples above are considered to be "French-ised Creole".
    It is from the French:

    Je suis en Haiti. → I am in Haiti
    Mon coeur est en Haiti. → My heart is in Haiti.
    Je vais en Haiti. → I'm going to Haiti.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Mesi anpil! Mwen konpran, wi. Mesi pou tout sevis w'ap ba nou!

    ReplyDelete