Bon Jou! Could you please tell me when it is appropriate to use "ye" and when it is appropriate to use "se"? I understand ye when I read and hear it but don't understand how to start using it myself. Mesi anpil!

One of the places you can start using it is when asking certain types of questions with kilès (who), kisa (what), kote (where), kilè (when), kouman (how), and using the verb to be.

some examples:

1. Kilès ou ye? (who are you)
2. Kilè li ye? (Who is he?)
3. Kilè fèt la ye? (when is the party?)
4. Kilè batèm nan ye menm? (When is the baptism?)
5. Kote fèt la ye? (Where is the party?)
6. Kote ou ye? (Where are you)
7. Kouman manman w  ye? (How's your mom?)
8. Kouman timoun ou yo ye? (How are your kids?)
9. Kisa sa frenk ye? (What the hell is this?)
10. Kisa ou vle mwen ye? (What do you want me to be?)

As far as "SE" is concerned, here's a good way to start using it as the following comment suggested:
noun-adjective combination
Mwen kontan. (I am happy)
Mwen bouke. (I m tired)
Mwen grangou. (I am hungry)

and for a noun-noun combination
Mwen se yon elèv. (I am a student)
Mwen se yon kretyen vivan. (I am a human being)
Li se yon ti zwazo. (It is a bird.)

Shane WendelSeptember 1, 2012 at 3:50 PM

I think they're talking about the implied "to be" such as in "Mwen kontan" instead of "Mwen se kontan".

I believe the general answer is that that when it's a noun-adjective combo it's usually an implicit "to be" and when it's a noun-noun combo it's usually explicit such as "Mwen se yon dokte" - I am a doctor.

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