Some usage of the possessive pronouns in Haitian Creole

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Bonjou e yon bèl kout chapo pou tout moun!
Hello and hats off to everyone!


Kouman nou ye?  M'espere nou trè byen.
How are you?  I hope you are well.


Mine → Pa mwen (pa'm)
Yours → Pa ou (pa'w) 
His / Hers → Pa li (pa'l)


My friend
zanmi mwen (using possessive adj.)
zanmi pa mwen* or zanmi pa m (using possessive pronouns)
* zanmi pa mwen → friend mine, friend of mine literally


Your house
Kay ou (using possessive adj.)
kay pa ou or kay pa w la*  (using possessive pronouns)
*kay pa ou → house yours, the house of yours literally


My book is lost.
Liv mwen an pèdi (using possessive adj.)
Liv pa'm nan pèdi* (possessive pronouns)
*Liv pa m nan pèdi → the book of mine is lost literally


Know your definite articles!!!! :)


1.  Sa yo se timoun pa m yo. (contracted)
     Sa yo se timoun pa mwen yo. (un-contracted)
     sa yo               |  se    |    timoun  |   pa mwen  |  yo
     these/those    | are   |    kids      |  mine          | the
     These are my kids.


2.  Dezi pa m se pou m sèvi w. (contracted)
     Dezi pa mwen se pou mwen sèvi ou. (un-contracted)
     Dezi mwen se pou m sèvi w. (using possessive adj.)
     Dezi      | pa mwen | se   | pou   |  mwen | sèvi     | ou
     Desire  | mine        | is     | for    |   I         | serve  | you
     My desire is to serve you.




3. Pa m nan pi gwo pase pa w la.
    pa m  |  nan  |  pi      |  gwo  | pase     | pa w    | la
    mine  |  the   | more |  big    | than     | yours   | the
    Mine is bigger than yours.


4.  Pran machin pa m nan pito. (contracted)
     Pran machin pa mwen an pito. (un-contracted)
     Take my car instead.
     Use my car instead.


5.  Jounal pa yo a mouye, konsa yo vòlò pa nou an.
     Their newspaper got wet, so they stole ours.


6.  Eske sa se pa w la?
     Is this yours?


7.  Kote machin *pa'l la? (contracted)
     Kote machin *pa li a? (un-contracted)
     Where's his car?
*See more ways to use the third person with possessive pronouns below.


8. Tradisyon granpapa nou se eritaj pa nou. (un-contracted)
    Tradisyon granpapa nou se eritaj pa'n. (contracted)
    Our grandparents' tradition is our heritage.


9.  Jodi a se tou pa w, demen se ka tou pa m. (contracted)
     Jodia a se tou pa ou, demen se ka tou pa mwen. (un-contracted)
     Today is your turn, tomorrow might be my turn


Enben se tout.  Mèsi e orevwa
Well that's all.  Thanks and goodbye.


* When using the third person in the possessive pronouns, you can replace the pronoun by a proper name or noun.  You'll see this often in spoken and written Creole.
Example:
Instead of:   Pa li a → his
you'll have:  Pa Jozèf la → Joseph's
or :               Pa manman m nan → my mother's


Using it in a sentence:
Sa se pa'm nan.  Sa se pa'w la.  E Sa se pa Jimmy an.
That's mine.  That's yours.  And that's Jimmy's.


Here's another sentence:
Mwen pa't ka jwenn pa'm nan, men mwen te jwenn pa Rosie a.
I could not find mine, but I found Rosie's.


One more example:
Mwen te resevwa tout lèt yo, men mwen pa't resevwa lèt pa Michelle la.
I received all the letters, but I did not receive Michelle's.


Did you know that the "pa" of the possessive pronoun translate into 'part, portion, allotment'?
Would it be easier if I said: 
my part → pa mwen or pa'm
your part → pa ou or pa'w
our portion → pa nou or pa'n


other helpful links for possessive pronouns:
Yours, Mine, and Ours 
Not mine
Pa m

Track: Li Di m konsa by Claude Marcelin