half asleep or half awake - se kouman ou di sa makomè :) ??

Monkonpè :), yo di ant somèy e revèy

pa egzanp:
Mwen te ant somèy e revèy lè sa te pase.  Se konmsi mwen te nan yon rèv.
I was half asleep when that happened.  It is as if I was in a dream.

Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

What is WÈL? as in 'grangou nan wèl mwen'

Creole's wèl means ass, like Creole nouns dengonn, bouda

1. Grangou nan wèl mwen. 
    I'm hungry. basically

2. Mwen te pèdi liv Marie a.  Se sa'k fè li lage dife nan wèl mwen pou m remèt li lajan liv la.
    I lost Maries' book.  That's why she's after me like fire in my ass to reimburse her the money for the book.

3. Si'w maltrete sè'm nan, m'ap nan wèl ou tande!
    If you mistreat my sister, I'll be after your ass you hear!

Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

How does one translate 'matter' as a verb? "You matter to me a lot." Also, how to translate these expressions? "it doesn't matter" and "no matter"

to matter → konsekan, gen konsekans, gen valè, vo anpil, konte, enpòtan, peze

You matter to me.
Ou konsekan pou mwen.
Ou gen konsekans pou mwen.
Ou gen valè pou mwen
Ou vo anpil pou mwen
Ou konte pou mwen
Ou enpòtan pou mwen.
or
Ou peze anpil nan balans mwen.


It doesn't matter → Sa pa fè anyen, li pa enpòtan see link It doesn't matter

It doesn't matter if you forgot to bring your own food today.  We'll share.
Sa pa fè anyen si w bliye pote manje pa'w jodi a.  N'a pataje ansanm.

It doesn't matter who you are in here.
Li pa enpòtan ki moun ou ye isit la.


No matter what/who/where → Kèlkeswa See link Kèlkeswa
kèlkeswa
kèlkiswa
pèkeswa
kèlklanswa

Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

I heard my mom say this, "a fèk gade yo si yo pa kwè ou pa ka travay." is 'a fèk gade yo' equivalent to 'ki mele yo'? I have heard her say this expression a lot but it's the first time I'm actually aware of it.

There's a little difference.

afè k gade w (or zafè ki gade ou) see link to other ways to say this in Creole
business which concerns you (lit)
It's your own business
It's on your head
It's your choice

afè k gade yo (or afè ki gade yo)
affair which regards them.
It's their business
It's their choice.

See other links: That's my business
-----------------------------------

Ki mele yo ( or Ki te mele yo)
What do they care?

See link about Who cares?  for more ways to say this.

Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

I see lot so of double words in just one sentence, I understand they're not typos. How can I use them in my own sentences? Especially what do they exactly mean? Ive used "anpil anpil". Can I say "se kontan m kontan"?

YES, you can say "Se kontan m kontan" :)

Those "double words" that you see may be expressing different things.
There are a lot of them.  It's good to understand how to use them before you use them.
The following examples are many, but you probably need to see them in USE, in order to use them yourself.  Right?

Here are some examples:

Verb + subject + verb is used to express as soon as, when, or once something is done
And you can use different verb tenses as seen in example 4

1. Rive nou rive lakay, nou te rele fanmi nou.
    can be translated as:
    When we arrived home, we called our family.
    Once we got home, we called our family.
    Upon arriving home, we called or family

2. Fini li fini manje, l'al kouche.
    As soon as he was done eating, he went to lie down.

3. Soti l soti deyò a, lapolis te arete li.  
    Once he came out, the police apprehended him.  

4.  Dòmi l dòmi, li pa't janm leve ankò. →Once he fell asleep, he never woke up.
     Dòmi l te dòmi, li pa't janm leve. → Once he fell asleep, he never woke up.
     Dòmi l ta pral dòmi li pa t'ap janm leve. → Once he would have fallen asleep, he would not have woken up.

5. Bwè m fin bwè dlo a, m te tonbe malad lamenm.
    Once I was done drinking the water, I immediately fell ill.

Verb + byen + verb expresses emphasis.  It describes how well, how enthusiastically or how meticulously something was done.

6. Li benyen byen benyen pou l te retire labou a sou kò l.
    He took a good shower in order to clean out the mud from his body.

7.  Lè mesye a te pile flè yo, fanm nan te joure l byen joure.
     When the man stepped on the flowers, the woman really cursed at him.

8.  Carol te abiye byen abiye lè li ta prale nan konsè a.
     Carol dressed really nicely when she was going to the concert.

9. Fèt la te anfòm.  M anmize m byen anmize.  E m danse byen danse.
    The party was great.  I really enjoyed myself.  And I danced all I could.


Nan + verb + verb is a dependent clause.  It expresses persistence of one action which may cause something else to happen

10. Nan kouri kouri, li pran yon bèl so.
     He ran so much, that he sustained a bad fall.

11. Nan reflechi reflechi, tèt li pati.
     She thought so much that she lost her mind.

12. Nan chache chache, mwen jwenn $20 ki te pèdi depi dezan.
      In digging and digging, I found $20 that was lost since two years ago.

13. Nan fè bagay fè bagay ak nenpòt moun, li te tonbe ansent.
      In sleeping around so much, she became pregnant.

This next one simply says to keep doing something.

14.  Pa okipe moun k'ap gade w.  Danse danse w tande!
       Don't you worry about people that are looking at you .  Keep dancing you hear!

15. Pale pale w non! Di sa'k ki nan lespri w.  Pa okipe w sa moun va panse.
      Keep talking. Say what's on your mind.  Don't worry about what people will think.


And then, we have double adjectives or adverbs that's simply express how extremely, very much, truly, really real something is or feel.

16.  Mesyedam yo t'ap danse kole kole.
       The couple was dancing very tightly.

17. Fanm nan te parèt kagou kagou.
      The woman seemed very weary.

18.  N'ap koumanse plante bonè bonè.
      We start planting very early.

19.  Nou te rankontre ak yon bèl bèl nègès.
       We met a very beautiful woman.

20. Mwen renmen w anpil anpil.
      I love you very much.


And these last ones ust express an occurrence, an action, a condition, etc... in any tense (past, future, present, etc....)

21. Se danse nou t'ap danse.
      We were dancing.

22.  Se pale n'ap pale sèlman.
       We're only talking.

23. Se kontan m kontan konsa.
      I'm so happy.

24. Linette pa reponn telefòn nan paske se dòmi l'ap dòmi.
      Linette didn't answer the phone because she's sleeping.

25. Se renmen li renmen w konsa kifè li pa kite w deja.
      He loves you so much that's why he hasn't left you already.
      He hasn't left you yet because he loves you so much.

26. Eske se fou w fou kifè w'ap pale pou kont ou? 
      Have you lost your mind, that's why you're talking so much?
      Are you talking on your own, because you've lost your mind?

24. Se benyen m t'apral benyen lè w frape pòt la.
      I was going to take a shower when you knocked at the door.
     
25. Ou wè m pa al travay, se kapab m pa kapab wi.
      You see that I don't go to work.  It's because I can't.

26. Poukisa ou rejte mwen?  Eske ou pa wè se ede m'ap eseye ede w?
      Why have you rejected me?  Don't you se I'm trying to help you?

27. Se grangou m grangou kifè lestomak ap bouyi.
      I'm hungry, that's why my stomach is growling.

28. Se fache m te fache kifè m te kalote w.
      I was angry, that's why I slapped you.

29. Sispann pale fò konsa.  Moun ap panse se joure n'ap joure.
      Stop talking so loud.  People will think that we're arguing.

30. Se damou mwen damou kifè mwen pa ka manje.
      I'm in love, that's why I cannot eat.
      I cannot eat because I'm in love.

31. Se anraje ou anraje kifè w'ap pale anpil konsa?
      Is it deranged you are deranged that makes you talk so much?
      Are you talking so much because you are deranged?

Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

How is "enough" used in all contexts?

All context?!
Mezanmi o!  Mwen sipoze gen anpil fason ou kapab itilize "ase" nan lang Kreyòl la.  Men kèk ladan yo.  Ou kapab ajoute pa'w tou.  Mwen ta renmen sa :)  Mèsi.

Ase (sispann) imperative → to stop; also used in those exclamations No more!, Enough!
1. Ase non!
    Stop!

2. Mwen di ase!
    I say enough already!

3. Ase plenyen ban mwen.
    Stop complaining to me.

4.  Ase pale non.
     Stop talking.

Ase (adv.) → only, just
5. twa moun ase
    Just three people

6. senk dola ase
     just five dollars.

7. Se sa ase.
     That's all.

8. Se sa ase mwen genyen.
    That's all I have.

9. Eske se de malèt ase ou pote?
    Did you only bring two suitcases?
    Did you bring JUST TWO suitcases?

10.  Mwen gen kòb pou m peye pou TWA MOUN ASE.
     I have money to pay for JUST THREE PEOPLE.

Ase (adj) → enough, sufficient, adequate
11.  Lajan ou ban mwen pa ase.
     The money you gave me is not enough.

12. Li pa ase pou w di ou renmen yon moun.  Fò w montre yo ou renmen yo tou.
     It is not enough to say you love someone.  You must show them you love them too.
   
Ase (adv.) → quite, rather
13.  Mwen menm ak madanm mwen, nou viv ase byen.
       Me and my wife, we live quite well.

kalJanuary 30, 2013 at 3:28 PM

Cool! I didn't realize 'ase' could be used in some of these contexts. Can 'kont' be equivalent to 'ase' meaning enough, sufficient, adequate? As an imperative, besides 'ase' and 'sispann', I'm pretty sure that 'rete' belongs in this category, am I right?

MandalyJanuary 30, 2013 at 4:23 PM
Yes, some synonyms to ASE - sufficient are kont, sifizan, satisfezan, dekwa, pasab, akseptab, rezonab, desan, elatriye

As far as KONT is concerned, it important to let people know the various circumstances where you can use the Haitian Creole word KONT. See this link: USES OF THE WORD KONT IN CREOLE

And, you're right about RETE.  Check out this link on an AUDIO POSTS ABOUT THE MANY USES OF THE HAITIAN CREOLE WORD RETE.

Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

m pa konprann vwazinaj nan peyi Ayiti. yo toujou konnen tout sa ki ap pase lakay ou. mwen pa renmen kan yo ap poze kesyon sou zafe pesonel ki ap pase lakay mwne.

Sa rive senpleman paske anpil nan kay yo kole kole youn ak lòt. Se sa ki lakòz yo tande lè asyèt ap fè kenken lakay ou.  Konsa tou, yo konn tande si se luil w'ap fri onswa si se dlo w'ap bouyi.  Si w'ap fri luil, sa vle di w'ap manje gra.  Men si w'ap bouyi dlo, sa vle di zafè w pa bon ;)  Anmweyy o!
Nou pa kapab ede sa. Vwazinay ou sanse chita nan salon lakay ou.

Sa fè gran diferans ak moun ki jouda anpil... moun k'ap chache konnen koze w ak zafè w.  Moun sa yo se kansè.  Yo rantre lakay ou piti a piti.  Anvan ou gentan reyalize sa, ou wè se yo menm k'ap dirije kay la.  Se yo ki leve w lematen pou w'al travay, se yo ki mennen ti moun ou lekòl, se yo ki di w ki manje pou w kuit, e se yo ki kouche ak madanm ou oubyen mari w pou ou :)  Sa'k pi mal la, yo mache pale zafè w nan tout lari.
Moun konsa, ou dwe mete barikad pou yo depi anvan yo janbe baryè lakou w.

Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

As Charles is "Chal" in HC; what is Barbara in HC? Mesi.

We'd say Babara :)

Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

The roof of our twin's home in Haiti was made from the dried peeling from sugar cane. Their father told me the name of this in Haitian Creole when I was there but I've forgotten. Can you help? Thanks Mandaly!!

The names that come to mind are kay pay or chomyè (thatched roof house),  do kay pay (thatched roof), and klisay (wicker-work panel for mud and straw houses).

Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

Madanm, Correct me if I am wrong. On the audio part of HC, the speaker says "It is too expensive", but translates it in HC as "Sa a two che". Should not it be in HC "Se two che"? I understand that "se" and "sa a" are fairly much interchangable. M

Yes they could be. Sa and/or Se could mean It or It is.  See this link Se at the beginning of a sentence

Sa a twò chè.
This one is too expensive.
This is too expensive

Se twò chè.
Sa twò chè. see link
Li twò chè.
It's too expensive

Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

Merite pa mande...

I do get aggravated when people say this expression.  When people say this, Merite pa mande → merit does not beg (lit.), they usually mean that if you thought they deserved something, they needn't have to beg for it.  Well, unless you're a mind reader now, you can't know what everyone wants.  It always make me think (a lot!) every time someone says that to me.
Another Haitian Creole expression that will make you think also is  Bondye konn bay, men Li pa konn separe → God knows how to give, but he does know how to distribute (lit).  This is an explanation for why some people are rich and others are poor.  Oh yes! God gave plenty, but he just didn't distribute the wealth evenly :)

Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

I was wondering if you knew any places where I could find lyrics for Haitian songs. I want to know the lyrics to Sa Bel by Tropiciana and also maybe Decide'w.

Try Zouker.com or even Top Mp3 lyrics.com - You might get lucky with a Creole song.

Sa bèl

Gade kijan w ale kite m

Pou yon flannè ki sot New York

Li te di l’ap marye avè w

Ou te konprann se verite

Li pase yon fo ak sivil

Aprè lindemyèl li ale

Li pa janmen dòmi reve w

Kounye a ou santi w dezole

Jodi a ou vin mande m tounen

Mwen pa ka fè anyen pou ou

Se pou konnen lè w gen menaj

Menm si lòt moun ap fè w pwomès

Se pa pousa pou w kite l

Moun nan ka bezwen pwofite w

Li bay Bondye san konfesyon

Kou l fin twouve w li pati, l kite w

Sa bèl, sa bèl!

Ou gen menaj, ou soufri avè li

Demen nou vi marye

A wi sa bèl o!

Fòk ou pran tèt ou ti cheri

Pa chache yon fòtin rapid

Ou gen menaj ou, kenbe l

Pa koute nèg k ap vin fè w pwomès

W ap mennen avèk menaj ou byen

Ou kite nèg la vin tante w

Kou l fin konnen w, li kite w

Jodia gade ou nan lari

Nan chache fòtin lavi

Gade ou pèdi chans ou ti manman

Nan chache fòtin lavi

Gade ou pèdi chans ou ti cheri

Decide w

Gen lontan m'ap travay

Mwen santi m pa nòmal

Graje kò m pou m kanpe

Sèl mwayen k'ap soulaje m

Se sa k ap fè m byen

Pwoblèm founi nan kò m

M'oblije pran yon lòt dyob

Mizik se pasyon mwen

Se liyè kò mwen ke m renmen

Sonje, m mwen jan avè w

Sipòte mwen toutpatou

Menm si kè m pa kontan, 

Santiman m toujou menm jan

Si w renmen m, banm kouraj, pou m travay

Sonje byen, cheri, mizik se vi mwen

Si m gen fanm mwen

Li pa renmen kote m'ap travay la, li pa bezwen marye

decide, l'a fè sa l vle

Cheri, ou pa bezwen ban m pwoblèm tout tan

Mwen vle, ou vle,  nou vle

Se antant tout tan

Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

I just learned that 'an mezi...an mezi... 'translates 'the more....the more...' Is this construction an alternative way of this? "The more the building shook, the more we held." What about 'mwens...mwens...' "The less you work, the less money you make."

Yes, it can be sometimes be used in this case.

an mezi... an mezi
otan... otan
plis... plis

mezi (measure) better translates as much as 
If we were to take this literally:

1. An mezi bilding nan souke, se an mezi nou te kenbe.

    Otan bilding nan souke, se otan nou te kenbe.

    Plis bilding nan te souke, plis nou te kenbe"
    "The more the building shook, the more we held on."

and yes, you can use mwens in that sense. But it would be hard to use "an mezi" to translate "mwens"
2. Nan peyi etazini, plis ou travay mwens kòb ou fè.
    In the US, the more you work, the less money you make.

3. Tande, mwens ou konnen, plis li pi bon pou ou.
    Listen, the less you know the better it is for you.

Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

Ki le w ap pale nan nimewo, tankou sis, uit e dis ki le te swiv bay goud e dola; are the final letters on these numbers still written out even though they are not pronounced? Also, could you correct my Kreyol sentence above, so I know what is wrong.

Normally I say  si dola ($6), ui dola ($8), and di dola ($10); and a lot of Haitians do too. That's what I'm used to.  But, some people say karannsis dola ($46), uit dola ($8), or swasanndis dola ($70).

If you do not pronounce the last letter, then you do not write it, but if you do say the last letter, then you should write it.
For example, some people might say:
M peye di dola pou yon hot dog.
others might say.
Hot dog la koute m dis dola.

"Ki le w ap pale nan nimewo, tankou sis, uit e dis ki le te swiv bay goud e dola"
a little correction to your sentence:
"E lè w ap pale osijè nimewo, tankou sis, uit e dis ki swiv goud e dola, ..."
"How about when you're talking about numbers that follow gourdes and dollars, ...'

Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

Can you most always shorten the word "oubyen" to "ou", following the same rule as in the word "genyen" to "gen"? I have not heard of "ou" being used as much as "gen". Mwen pa konprann. Mesi anpil.

Actually "ou" is not a shortened form of "oubyen" .
In H. Creole, we say ou (from French "ou"), o, oubyen (from French ou bien), onswa, oswa or ouswa (from French soit) and osnon or osinon (from French ou sinon) all which basically mean "or", "either", "neither", or "rather"

We do use all these translations for "OR" quite often.
You might hear them in sentences such as:

1. Mwen bezwen youn ou de chèz.
    I need on or two chairs.

2. Kilè w'ap tounen?  Novanm ou desanm?
    When will you be back?  November or December?

3. Kilès ou vle?  Ble a oswa wouj la?
    Which one do you want?  The blue or the red?

4.  Ban m onswa kafe ou te.
     Give me either coffee or tea.

5.  Ou kapab sèvi  oubyen Bondye ou Satan. Men ou pa ka sèvi toulede.
     You can either serve God or the devil.  You can't serve both.

6.  Onswa ou renmen'm oubyen ou pa renmen'm.  Li pa ka toulede.
     Either you love me or you don't.  It can't be both.

Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

...must have been (in Creole) (te dwe or dwe te?)

I say ...dwe te

1. Li te mouri maten an.  Li dwe te malad kèk tan.
    He died this morning.  He must have been sick for a while.

2. Li pa vle pale ak nou ankò.  Li dwe te tande sa nou te di sou li a.
    She doesn't want to speak to us anymore.  She must have heard what we said about her.

3. Li resevwa bon nòt pou egzamen an. Li dwe te etidye tout lannuit lan.

    She received good grades for the exam.  She must have studied all night.

4. There must have been a reason for change.  Do you know what it is?

    Dwe te gen yon rezon pou chanjman sa a.  Eske ou konnen sa li ye?

5. Ou dwe te renmen l anpil.

    You must have been really in love with him.

6. Ti mimi sa a t'ap pede suiv mwen tout kote m pase..  Li dwe te panse se mwen k manman li.
    This little kitty kept following me wherever I go.  He must have though that I was his mother.

Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

This a fair way translation? "Mwen panse, donk, mwen ye" "I think, therefore, I am" Also! How is that Creole chat coming? :)

Bèl bonjou zanmi :)
Grammatically, this translation is fair.  But it would make the best sense if we said, "Mwen panse, donk mwen egziste."

Re: CHAT, I mainly wanted to use it as a forum to chat principally about Creole, Haiti, Haitians, and ...Creole :).  My friends, which provide me with lots of Creole resources, wanted to gather once in a while and chat (in Creole).  The downside, I realized, is that I cannot prevent explicit stuffs or unwanted guest from entering.  So I have decided to do the forums TO BE ANNOUNCED ONLY.  You will only see the little CHAT box when we have a discussion coming.  And I've used it, by appointment only, with a couple of people who are learning Creole.  I hope I'm not being too discriminatory :-\.
Forums are not implemented yet.

Chapo ba!

Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

In front of me and behind me - also, to my side? please

devan m (or douvan m) → In front of me
1.  Mwen jwenn li.  Li la a devan mwen.
     I've found it. It's right there in front of me.

2.  Pou jwenn legliz la, swiv wout ki devan w lan enpi w'a wè li.
     To find the church, follow the road in front of you and then you'll see it.

dèyè m → behind me
3.  Fanmi ki rete dèyè nou an se Ayisyen.
     The family who lives behind us is Haitian.

4. Kanpe dèyè m pou w ka trape m si m tonbe.
    Stand behind me so that you can catch me if I fall.

sou kote m (or bò kote m) → to my side, at my side, near me
5. Eske ou konnen non mesye ki kanpe sou kote m nan, nan foto sa a?
    Do you know the name of the man who's standing at my side in his picture?

6.  Si'w bezwen deplase pou yon minit, ou mèt kite valiz ou yo sou kote m nan, m'a veye yo pou ou.
     If you need to move about for a minit, you may leave your bags next to me, I'll watch them for you.

also,
anlè mwen (anlè tèt mwen) → over my head (location)
7. Avyon an pase anlè nou san li pa fè okenn bri.
   The airplane flew over us without making any noise.

anba m → under me.
8. Vwazen ki abite anba nou an toujou ap goumen.
    The neignbors who live under us are always fighting.

Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

Nan Estasyon Bis La (At the bus station) - Audio

Click here to download…

Click the PLAY button and follow along :)

 

Nan Estasyon Bis La At the Bus station

-Bonjou madam!

  Hello Ma'am!

-Bonjou mesye!

  Good morning sir!

-Silvouplè, eske ou kapab di mwen ki bis ki ale Okay?

  Please, can you tell me which bus goes to Aux Cayes?

-Bis ki fè wout Okay la, se bis nimewo senk(5) lan.

  The bus that goes to Aux Cayes is the number 5 bus.

-Men, eske ou konnen si bis nimewo senk(5) lan pase deja?

  But, do you know if the number 5 bus went by already?

-Non mesye, bis sa a poko pase deja, paske se li menm m’ap tann tou.

  No sir, that bus had not come by yet, because I am waiting for it too.

-Ahh! Mwen byen kontan tande sa.  Madanm, eske m te mèt chita bò kote w?

  Ah! I'm quite happy to hear that.  Ma'am, May I sit next to you?

-Men wi mesye.  Sa a se yon plas piblik li ye. Ou gen dwa chita nenpòt kote ou vle.

  Of course sir.  This is a public place.  You may sit wherever you want.

-Dakò.   Mèsi anpil.  Eske ou te di mwen ou pral OKAY tou?

 Okay.  Thank you.  Did you tell me that you were also going to Aux Cayes?

-Wi, m’ap fè wout Okay, men mwen prale pi lwen... andeyò nèt!   ...jouk Konble Fò! 

  Yes, I am passing by Aux Cayes, but I am going further.  Way into the countryside!  All the way to Comble Fort!

-Konble Fò? Eske se la ou moun?

 Comble Fort? Is this where you're from?

-Wi m se moun Konble Fò  .  E ou menm, kibò ou moun?

 Yes I'm from Comble Fort.  How about you, Where are you from?

-Enben madanm, mwen pa moun Okay non.  Mwen te fèt Pòtoprens.  Sa a se premye vwayaj mwen Okay.

  Well Ma'am, I'm not from Aux Cayes.  I was born in Port-Au-Prince.  This is my first trip to Aux Cayes.

-Oh. Men...eske mwen mèt  mande ou kisa k’ap mennen w Okay jodi a?

  Oh.  But, can I ask you what's bringing you to Aux Cayes today?

-Wi, Mwen gen yon bon zanmi m ki lopital.  Mwen pral vizite li.

  Yes, I have a good friend in the hospital.  I'm going to visit her.

-Adye Bondye! M’espere se pa anyen ki grav!

 Oh dear! I hope it's nothing serious!

-Non Non!  Se bèl maladi, wi, zanmi mwen te fè.  Li te ansent e kounye la li fèk akouche.  Mwen se bon zanmi li menm ak mari li.  Donk, mwen pral pase de jou avèk yo.

 Oh no.  My friend was stricken with the "good disease".  She was pregnant and now she just gave birth.  I am good friends with her and her husband.  So, I will go spend a couple of days with them.

-Oh se byen sa!  E se kisa mesyedam yo fè menm? Yon ti gason onswa yon tifi?

  Oh how great!  And what did they have? A little boy or a little girl?

-Mesyedam yo te di mwen ke yo fè yon bèl pitit fi.  Yo rele li Mari Madlèn.  Se premye pitit yo.

 They told me that they had a beautiful little baby girl.  They called her Mari Madeleine.  It's their first child.

-Ah! Men bis la ap vini.  Enben mesye, mwen rele Charité.  M’ap ba ou adrès mwen.  Petèt pandan ou Okay, w’a vin vizite m tou nan Konble Fò.  Enpi konsa, n’ava al bwè yon ti  kafe ansanm?

 Ah! Here comes the bus.  Well sir, my name is Charité.  I'll give you my address.  Perhaps while you're in Aux Cayes, you'll come to visit me in Comble Fort.  And in this way, we'll go have some coffee together?

-Dakò.  Mwen ta byen renmen sa. Mwen menm, mwen se Rigaud. Anchante madanm

  Sure.  I would really love that.  As for me, I am Rigaud.  Please to meet you ma'am.

-Enben, Rigaud, se te yon gran plezi pou m rekonèt ou.

 Well Rigaud, it was a real pleasure to meet you.

Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

chante kantamwa in Creole?

Kantamwa, from French quant à moi (I for one, as for me)

In Creole, people who chante kantamwa, are  people who are always thinking of themselves.

1. Misye gen senkantan.  Li abite ka manman l toujou.  Li poko menm reyalize anyen nan lavi li, men li toujou ap bat lestomak li, ap chante kantamwa!
     The guy is fifty years old.  He still lives with his mom.  He hasn't done anything in his life yet, but he's always beating on his chest, saying me this me that!

2.  Moun k'ap chante kantamwa pa janm prè pou aprann nan men lòt moun.
     People who are always saying me this me that are never ready to learn from other people.

Othe uses for KANTA (as for) in Haitian Creole.

3. Lè w vwayaje Ayiti ou te mèt manje preske nenpòt bagay, men kanta pou salad kri, pa manyen sa ditou.
    When you travel to Haiti you may eat almost anything, but as for raw salads, don't even touch that.

4.  Tout moun ap viv yon vi pezib nan zòn nan, men kanta pou pèp nan zòn sid yo, yo toujou sou lagè.
     Everyone is living a peaceful life in this area, but as for the people on the south side, they always fighting.

5.  Ou te mèt sòti ak nenpòt moun ou vle, men kanta pou misye, bliye sa!
     You may go out with anyone you please, but as for him, forget about it!

Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

ede m ak sa: "Nan pa konprann anye ou lan, tout moun fin pase sou ou"

Nan  | pa konprann anyen            |  ou lan
In      | not understanding nothing  | your the
In your misunderstanding/misjudgment

 tout   | moun   |   fin    | pase   | sou  | ou.
all      | people  | done  | pass  |  on   | you
everyone has passed over you

"Nan pa konprann anyen ou lan, tout moun fin pase sou ou"
"In your naivete, everyone has taken advantage of you"
"Everyone had taken advantage of your naivete."

Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

dirèk dirèk?

dirèk dirèk → right on point, precisely
kèk egzanp
1. Pandan mesye a t'ap pale, gen yon mouch ki vin ateri dirèk dirèk sou pwent nen l.
2. Jwè a te choute boul la ki te antre dirèk dirèk nan kan lòt ekip la.  Tout moun rele "Gòl!!!"

Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

as much as (in Creole) in "I'll do as much as I can"

as much as (a sufficient amount, the full measure) → mezi (measure)

1. I'll do as much as I can.
    M'a fè mezi m kapab.

2. Eat as much as you can for we won't have snack tonight.
    Manje mezi w kapab paske nou p'ap pran yon goute aswè a.

3.  Take as much as you need.
     Pran mezi w kapab.

4.  Try to rest as much as you can to promote healing in your body.
     Eseye repoze mezi w kapab pou'w ede kò'w jwenn lagerizon.

5. We went to Marianne's party.  We enjoyed ourselves greatly.  We danced as much as we could.
     Nou t'ale nan fèt Marianne nan.  Nou te pran plezi nou nèt. Nou te danse mezi nou te kapab.

Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

i am currently teaching my cousin to speak kreyol. i am using a book i bought on amazon but because i'm busy it can take a while to have to type everything from the book. do you have any suggestions as to what i should be teaching her? without the use of the book?

If you've got a book in your hands, full of good stuff I assume, I doubt that there's anything I can tell you in one blog post that you could not have found in the first two chapters of this book.

And, why are you typing stuff from the book?   How about buying an extra book so that your cousin could have a copy too?  

My advice is to stick with the book - get your money's worth.  Join a H. Creole speaking club or something. Have your cousin go to a local H. Creole class if you're too busy to teach her - and you can still get to practice conversation with her in your free time over dinner, at bowling, at the laundromat, etc...

Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

Your turn...My turn (why not say TOU MWEN?)

tou → turn (and also all, hole, also)
We've always used the possessive "PA" with TOU in this case.  ...don't want to say the wrong things...

your turn
tou pa 'w.
not Tou ou

my turn.
tou pa'm

his turn
tou pa'l

1. Se mwen k te lave asyèt yo yè.  Jodi a se tou pa'w.
    I washed the dishes yesterday.  Today is your turn.

2.  Kilè ki va tou pa'm?
     When will it be my turn?

3. Jodi a se tou pa w.  Demen se va tou pa m.
    Today is your turn.  Tomorrow will be my turn.

Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

Who knows....? (as a rhetorical question in Haitian Creole :)

Who knows...
Sa k konnen....
Ki moun ki konnen.
Kilès ki konnen ...

Sa k konnen kisa demen va pote.
Who knows what tomorrow will bring.

Ki lè mari w ap rantre lakay li?
Sa k konnen.... li pa janm alè.
When will your husband come home?
Who knows.... He's never on time.

Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

The Kreyol word "mo" (I), which is still used in Louisiana and French Guiana; was used in Ayiti at one time. Do you know when it fell into disuse in Ayiti? Mesi.

I have heard of this CREOLE word 'mo' only because two of my sisters were born in French Guiana (Guyanne Française).  My Mom and Dad lived and worked there for a good three or four years.  I still remember this French Guiana Creole carnival chant "mo le dodo ke to" from when I was five years old.  I am not sure if the spelling is right.  My mom used to chant it too, and  told me that it meant "I want to sleep with you". I am not sure if that's right, because since that time I have never encountered that type of sentence arrangement.  Other than that episode, I have never heard of any Haitians using the word "mo" to mean "I".  My 87 year old Haitian friend just told me that he had never heard it in Haiti (in his lifetime).
If it was ever used in Haiti, my guess would be that it happened during the time when slaves from one plantation (say, Guadeloupe or Martinique) used travel to work in other plantations.  Haiti was the first black republic in Latin America and the Caribbean, it attracted people  in search for freedom and better circumstances.
Anyways, as you already know if we did use it, we don't anymore.

Question for you "Rachal",  How did you come to the knowledge that this word was used on Haiti?  I'd love to know.  Thanks :)

Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

Choz di choz fèt.....

Choz di choz fèt.....
Thing said thing done....
It happened as they said it would

1. Choz di choz fèt, siklòn nan te vini e li te koze anpil domaj, men tout moun te gentan evakye kanton an.
    It happened as they said it would, the hurricane came and caused a lot of damage, but everyone had already evacuated the area.


Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

Fè bèk atè?

Non nou p'ap fè bèk atè!
No, we will not back down!

Fè bèk atè → to give up, to back down, to become flaccid (instead of being erected), to chicken out

Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

How does one translate the probable future tense? "He must have forgotten his appointments." or "He must have missed the plane." or "James must already be in London."

Speculating about a past probability /possibility?
Use that auxiliary verb + perfect tense

1. He must have forgotten his appointments.
     Li dwe te bliye randevou li yo.

2. He must have missed his flight.
     Li dwe te manke vòl la.

3. James must be in London by now.
    James dwe nan Lond kounye a.

4. The juice spilled because you must have not closed the bottle properly.
     Ji a koule paske ou dwe pa't byen  fèmen boutèy la.

5. She missed the concert because she must have been ill.
    Li pa't nan konsè a paske li dwe te malad.

Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

Mwen se yon granmoun kannay :)

Good for you!  ...but I'm staying away from you :)

Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

Nou va resevwa ou ak bra "louvri". Is it "ouvri" or "ouvè"?

It can be louvri, ouvri, or ouvè

Nou va resevwa ou ak bra louvri.
We'll welcome you with open arms.

Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

Would you give me background information on the Kreyol word "genyen"? Is it from the French or West African languages? Also, is it known, at least in some cases, what specific West African language in particular that Africanized Kreyol words come from?

It's from French GAGNER which means TO WIN, TO EARN
GENYEN (GEN, GAN, or GANYEN), in Creole, means to have, to possess, to own, or to win.  Also means there is or there are.  It's also used to ask "What's wrong?", "What's goign on?"
Some examples:
1.  Nou gen twa pitit.
     We have three children.

2.  Mwen genyen yon bagay pou m di w.
     I have something to tell you. 

3. Ekip Eagles la genyen match la jodi a.
    The Eagles team won the match today.

4.  Si'm te genyen lotri a mwen pa ta janm travay.
     If I won the lottery I would never work.

5. Ganyen 2 mil elèv nan lekòl sa a.
    There are 2,000 students in this school. 

6. Sa'w genyen?  Mwen pa gen anyen.
    What's wrong?  Nothing's wrong.

7. Sa k genyen?
     What's going on?

About more than 90% of the Haitian Creole vocabulary words is French. The rest might have come from the indigenous Taïnos (first inhabitants of the islands of Hispaniola, now Haiti and the Dominican Republic), Spanish, portuguese, English, Dutch and others... and of course many West African dialects.  The West African slaves that were brought to Haiti spoke many many dialects.  It is also believed that some of them had spoken another form of Creole that they had learned in Africa.  And also they might have started to speak another form of pidgin language during the voyage to Haiti, as a result of trying to communicate with each other.  It is not specifically known which West African languages had more influence of the Haitian Creole language, but the Creole grammar is often said to resemble the following African languages: Ewe, Yoruba, or Wolof. I think you should keep in mind, also, that many tribes who lived in West Africa during the slave trade to Haiti and the Caribbean islands have either moved, or are probably not in existence as an independent tribe.  So, we might not know all the West African dialects which took a small part in constructing the Creole language.

Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

Di m Mandaly. "Mwen pa konprann poukisa Bondye renmen nou sa anpil". Se sa yon translasyon korek? Mesi anpil.

Dakò.
Switch the last two words around. And write "konsa" instead of "sa".

"Mwen pa konprann poukisa Bondye renmen nou anpil konsa"
"I don't understand why God loves us so"  You can write  so or so much

Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

"Bos la la" Eske sa se yon fraz konple?

You're damn right, it is :)

Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

Yo di maladi damou pa ge renmèd

Adye o! Ki moun ki di sa?
Mwen konn tande yo di maladi damou se pa maladi doktè ka trete. Men, pou sèten, li gen remèd.
Eske ou pa konn tande yo di chak maladi gen remèd pa li?

Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

Of the two words for "now", (kounye a e koulye a), which is the most used? Mesi.

That depends on what part of Haiti you're from.
Some people say kounye a
Some people say koulye a
Some people sa kounya
Some people say konnya
and sometimes we say kounye a la :)

Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

Je we bouch pe

yeah.  Don't forget the accent in "wè".

Je wè bouch pe (Eyes see mouth hushed)
You keep whatever you see to yourself
It's an idiom.
Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

This is a picture of perseverance with learning the Creole language :) Kenbe la Phil! Always love to hear your Creole.

Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

How does one say "so be it"? "If that means I can't go with you, then so be it."

Mwen menm, mwen t'ap di "dakò" pou tradui "so be it".

"If that means I can't go with you, then so be it."
"Si sa vle di ke m pa ka ale avè w, enben dakò."

So be it
dakò
kite sa fèt konsa
antandi
ensiswatil
Amen!

Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

Are there other ways to say "ti fet la" (the party)? I am assuming that this is a party in general. Pa vre? Mesi.

Wi, se sa.  Ou byen di.  It's a little party or a little gathering

yon ti fèt
yon ti rasableman
yon ti selebrasyon
yon ti festen
etc....
Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

What does 'distans' mean? I have heard my mom say something like this, "Distans m rive nan kabann an, w'ap pase lwil nan do mwen avan m kouche." Are there other ways of expressing this?

☺Se ou'k pral bay manman'w bèl masay lwil sa a?  Nanpwen bagay fè moun dòmi byen konsa!

Anyway, the first part and the second part of the sentence doesn't seem to match or work together that well.
Distans, here, should mean "by the time" see link

Maybe I'm reading it wrong. This arrangement does not make sense to me.  Maybe you can help me understand it :)
"Distans m rive nan kabann an, w'ap pase lwil nan do mwen avan m kouche."
"By the time I get to bed, you'll rub my back with some oil before I lay down"????
_____________________________________

Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

"Ki vle di ou pap prale legliz." What does 'ki vle di' translate in english?

Ki vle di ... → which means, does this means, this means, or so (depending on context)

example:
It is 9:45 AM on Sunday.  Church starts at 10:00 AM. Joey and his mom are usually in the car on their way to church by that time. But this morning, when mom opens the door to Joey's room, she finds him immersed in his video games.  She says to him:  Ki vle di, ou pa pral legliz? or Ki fè la, ou pa pral legliz?

In that context it means:  So, you're not going to church?

But if I were to say:
Li pa't reponn ankenn nan lèt ou yo, ki vle di li poko pare pou l pale avè w.
She didn't reply to any of your letter, which means that she's not ready to talk to you.

Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

Premye so pa so - What is 'so'?

"Premye so pa so" is a proverb that says the first fall is no fall.
It means that Don't give up, keep trying.

So (n.) → a bucket, a vessel, a pail
Li plen so a dlo.
He filled the bucket with water

So (n.) → a fall
Li pran yon so.
He took a fall.
He fell.

So (n.) → a seal
Bondye mete so l sou mwen.
God has put his seal on me.
God has chosen me.

Li mete so ofisyèl li a sou anvlòp la anvan l poste l.
He put his official seal on the envelop before mailing it.

So (n.) → a jump, a leap
L'ap pratike so wotè a pou jwèt olenpik la.
He's practicing the long jump for the olympic games.

So (adj.) → idiotic, stupid (You'll most likely hear Haitians use "so" to mean dumb or stupid in this French idiom:
Pa gen so metye.
There are no dumb careers. (lit.)

and then, there is SÒ, with the accent, which means FATE or SISTER FRIEND

sò → Fate, destiny, circumstance
M'ap plenyen sò mwen bay Bondye.
I'm protesting my circumstances to God (lit.)
I'm complaining to God about my misfortune.

sò → sister, comrade, companion, buddy (female)
Sò mwen, poukisa ou sanble kagou konsa?
My friend, why do you look so worn out?



Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

each other? as in "They looked at each other". I have an idea how to say it, but i want to be sure.

They looked at each other.
Youn gade lòt.

Click the link to this post on EACH OTHER

Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

Intentional Future Tense. Is it okay to use these verbs to express future events that come as a result of a person's intentions or decisions? In english,'to plan to do sth'. The verbs are 'gen antansyon, 'konte', 'panse', 'anvizaje' and 'antansyone'.

Sure.  And also, in this case, we could use kontanple, planifye and GEN POU see both posts in this link.
And you did mean gen entansyon and entansyone, right?
I haven't use ENTANSYONE.

Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

How can I write in a poster, in Creole, Smile & Be Happy, God loves You

Smile and Be Happy. God Loves You.
Souri E Fè Kè w Kontan.  Bondye Renmen Ou.

Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

Talking to self? (an Creole)

talking to self → pale pou kont, pale poukò

1.  Why are you talking to yourself?
      Poukisa w'ap pale poukò w?
      or
      Poukisa w'ap pale poukont ou?

2. The woman sat in a corner, she was talking to herself.
    Madanm nan te chita nan yon kwen, li t'ap pale poukò l.
    or
    Madanm nan te chita nan yon kwen li t'ap pale pou kont li.

3.  If you see me talk to myself, that doesn't mean I'm crazy.
    Si w wè m'ap pale poukont mwen, se pa fou mwen fou.
    or
    Si w wè m'ap pale poukò m, se pa fou mwen fou.

Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

Instead of saying PANDAN LAJOUNEN, I can just say LAJOUNEN for "during the day"?

Yes you can.

1.  Lajounen nou te rete anndan, e lannuit nou te soti deyò.
     During the day we stay inside, and at night we came out.

2. M tavay lannuit enpi m dòmi lajounen.
    I work nights and sleep during the day.

3. Lajounen li te proteje yo ak yon gwo kouch lafimen.
    During the day he guarded them with a thick layer of smoke.

4.  Lannuit li te proteje yo ak yon miray flanm dife.
    During the night he guarded them with a wall of fire.

Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

When I use "anyen" as in "nothing scares me" should I say ANYEN FE M PE or ANYEN PA FE M PE. mesi.

Yeap, the negative indicator "pa" belongs in there.
Anyen → nothing, not anything

1. Nothing scares me.
    Anyen pa fè m pè.

2. Nothing surprises me.
    Anyen pa fè m sezi.

3. Anyen pa't prepare nou pou sa nou te wè jou sa a.
   Nothing had prepared us for what we saw that day.

4. Pa kite anyen detounen w nan wout ou.
    Don't let anything disrupt you on your way.

5. Ou pa bezwen pè, mwen pa'p kite anyen rive w.
     Don't be afraid, I won't let anything happen to you.

5. Pou ou mwen pa anyen.  Men pou Bondye mwen se tout bagay.
    To you I'm nothing.  To God I'm everything.

Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

This is good to know but I meant "to move" meaning to change from one place to another. For example, "I'm going to move this bed to the corner." or "Move over so that he can sit down." or "I am moving out of this crazy neighborhood." or "I am moving to a new city." or "He is moving in to a very nice apartment." Could you provide all the creole verbs for "to move" and translation for sentences and then some?

Tèt mwen chaje :)  Mwen panse ou t'ap pale osijè mo MOVE an Kreyòl :)

I am not sure that I can provide ALL the instances where one might use the verb to move in Creole  :-\, but we can talk about the basic ones.

The English VERB To MOVE is translated in Creole as: bouje, deplase, brannen, brennen, bridin (or briding), chanje plas, chanje lokasyon, etc...

To change place or position → deplase, avanse (or vanse)
1. Travayè otèl la te deplase tablo a.  Yo te mete li yon kote ki pi vizib.
    The hotel staff had moved the painting.  They had put it somewhere more visible

2.  Lafwa ak tèt ansanm kapab deplase montay yo.
     Faith and unity can move mountains.

To move forward, to move towards, to move over → avanse (or vanse)
3. Chak jou yo t'ap gade solèy la ki t'ap vanse pi pre yo.  Yo te pè anpil.
    Everyday, they were watching the sun moving closer towards them.  They were very afraid.

4. Move over please.  Let me get through.
    Avanse silvouplè. Kite m pase.

To change position or posture, to flinch, to budge → bouje, bridin, brannen, brennen, souke kò
5. Mesye a te kanpe dwat.  Li pa't bridin kò l.
    The man stood straight.  He didn't budge.

6. Rete nan pozisyon sa a.  Pa bouje.
    Stay in this position.  Don't move.

to get moving, to get going, to get a move on. → yaya kò, renka kò, souke kò (or sekwe kò)
7. Souke kò w non!  Al chache yon bagay pou w fè.
    Get moving! Go find something to do.

to move, to move out, change residence, to relocate → demenaje
8. M'ap demanaje jodi a.  Mwen te jwenn yon apatman ki pi pre travay mwen.
    I'm moving out today.  I found an apartment that's closer to my job.

to move furniture, to move belongings out of a location → bwote (or bote), debagaje, chawaye, charye
9.  Eske w'ap bezwen èd pou w bwote zefè ou yo?
     Will you be needing help to move your belongings?

to move away from → deplase, dekanpe, retire (or wete)
10.  Move away from the window, you're blocking my sunlight.
       Retire kò w devan fenèt la, w'ap bloke limyè solèy mwen.

11. Di moun yo dekanpe devan baryè a.
      Tell the people to move away from the gate.

to move back → rekile, fè bak, fè aryè
12.  Yo te fè pèp la rekile enpe pou yo te kapab mete barikad yo anvan prezidan an te pase.
        They had the people move back a bit in order to put the barricades before the president came through.

to be moved → to be emotionally affected
13. Lè li te wè papa l ap kriye, li te afekte anpil.
      When she saw her dad cry, she was moved.

Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

What verbs are use for 'realize' in this context? Example, "I realized that I had to go to graduate school."

There are so many Haitian Creole words that you could use to translate that:
You can use reyalize, rann kont, konstate, remake, rive konprann, rekonèt

Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

How to use "move" as a verb in all contexts?

I think three basic things one must know about the Haitian Creole word MOVE is that

#1.  It can be used as an adjective.  And when it is used as an adjective it means bad, wicked, corrupt, mean, rotten, vicious, etc...

#2. As a verb it basically means to be angry, to be mad (or even boiling mad), to be furious, to be tempestuous, etc...

#3.  MOVE, in Creole, can also be written as MOVÈZ (from the feminine part in French).  Although word gender does not matter much in Creole, you definitely will come across MOVÈZ.  Haitians tend to use MOVÈZ with the following words: movèz fwa, movèz konduit, movèz odè, movèz espri.  You should know that you can always use MOVE instead of MOVÈZ  – Se Kreyòl n’ap pale.  Se pa Franse n’ap pale.

1. Mwen t'ale vizite yo, enpi yo te ban m yon move akèy.

    I went to visit them, and they gave me a bad reception.

2. Nèg sa a gen move jan. (you can say move jan, move karaktè, move tanperaman, move mannyè, or move fason) 

    This man is quick tempered. (he's grouchy, cranky....)

3. Timoun sa yo pa edike.  Yo gen movèz konduit.

    These kids are not educated.  They have bad manners.

4. Kay la nan movèz eta nèt. Ou p'ap ka vann li pou anpil kòb.

    The house is in a deplorable condition. You won't be able to sell it for much.

5. Depi m wè ak misye, se move pawòl sèlman li vle pale.

    Whenever I see him, all he wants to talk about is rubbish. 

    move pawòl → bad words or explicit words of sexual nature)

    move mo → bad words, cuss words

6.  Ala timoun gen movèz fwa! (gen movèz fwa → to be stiff necked)

     What stubborn kids they are! 

 7.  Ou vin wè m move lè.  m pa ka pale kounye a.  M'okipe anpil anpil.

      You've come to see me at a bad time.  I can't talk now.  I'm extremely busy. 

8.  Kay la gen movèz odè. or

     Kay la gen move sant.

     The house smells bad. or

     The house has a bad smell.

9. Ou fè yon move nimewo.

    You've dialed a wrong number.

10. Nan bon tan kou nan move tan m'ap toujou rete zanmi w.

      In good as in bad times I will always remain your friend. 

MOVE as VERB

Move → to be upset, to be mad, to be raging, to be tempestuous

11. Fanm sa a toujou move.  Napwen moun ki ka bòde l.

      This woman is always in a bad mood.  No one can approach her.

12. Pandan nou te sou kannòt la, lanmè a te move.  Nou te panse nou tout t’ap peri.

      While we were in the canoe the sea was raging.  We thought that we would all perish.

13. Li te move kou kong.

      He was mad as hell.

14. Lè mwen te di kliyan an nou p'at kapab vann li byè li te move sou mwen.

      When I told the client that we could not sell him beer he was furious at me.

Fè move san → to be upset, to be indignant, to be so bothered by something that you become ill, to suffer an emotional shock because you're so upset.

15.  Lè fanm nan tande sèl pitit fi li a te ansent a trèzan, li fè move san.  Li pa't kapap respire.  Yo te blije mennen l lopital.

       When the woman heard that her only daughter was pregnant at 13 years old she became upset.  She couldn't breathe.  They had to take her to the hospital.

  

Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words