Sunday, October 28, 2012

I need to clear up some issues with past tense: "I studied Creole 2 years ago." (suggesting I have not since then) "I have not studied Creole for 2 years." "I have been studying for 2 years."

I studied Creole 2 years ago. 
Mwen te etidye Kreyòl dezan pase.

 I have not studied Creole for two years.
Mwen pa etidye Creole depi dezan.

 I have been studying Creole for two years.
M'ap etidye Creole depi dezan.
Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words


5 comments:

  1. TiWilOctober 28, 2012 at 5:08 PM

    If I were to say:

    "Mwen etidye Kreyòl depi dezan"
    or
    "Mwen te etidye Kreyòl depi dezan"

    what would you understand (if anything)?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. MandalyOctober 28, 2012 at 5:31 PM

      I would understand the above sentences as such:

      "Mwen etidye Kreyòl depi dezan."
      I have studied Creole since two years ago.

      "Mwen te etidye Kreyòl depi dezan."
      I studied Creole since two years ago

      Delete
  2. TiWilOctober 28, 2012 at 5:16 PM

    Or even "Mwen t ap etidye Kreyòl depi dezan." (this one possible?)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. MandalyOctober 28, 2012 at 5:35 PM

      And I would understand the above sentence as:

      Mwen t'ap etidye Kreyòl depi dezan"
      I had been studying Creole for two years.

      Delete
  3. MandalyOctober 28, 2012 at 6:03 PM

    One additional note:
    All three Creole sentences that you wrote above are grammatically correct.

    ReplyDelete