Manner or Mean: One way of saying this in Haitian Creole is by using "Se nan ..." as if saying "It is by..."
1. One learns through traveling.
It is through traveling that one learns.
Se nan vwayaje moun aprann.
2. One good way to learn is by asking lots of questions.
One good way to learn is in asking lots of questions.
Yon bon fason ou kapab aprann se nan mande anpil kesyon.
3. He got this rich by working his ass off.
It is by working his ass off that he got rich like that.
Se nan travay pete fyèl li vin rich konsa.
4. He found his watch by tidying up his things.
Se nan netwaye zafè l li jwenn mont li an.
Simultaneity: We could achieve these types of sentences by using the Haitian Creole conjunction PANDAN or ANTAN or ETAN to bring the clauses together. In Haitian Creole the subject is almost always repeated in the second clause using the same verb tense sometimes.
5. We eat dinner while watching TV.
Nou manje dine pandan n'ap gad televizyon.
6. What will you be dreaming of while sleeping?
Kisa ou va reve antan w'ap dòmi?
7. She held the child arms while running to catch the train.
Li te kenbe bra timoun nan byen di etan li t'ap kouri al pran tren an.
Cause: In the following type of sentences AND situations we can use paske, afòs, poutèt, akòz, or [nothing] followed by a progressive tense.
8. He broke his legs playing football.
Li kase pye l ap jwe football.
9. She got herself sick thinking about you everyday.
Li te rann tèt li malad afòs l'ap panse avè w chak jou.
10. We scraped our feet going up and down the hills of the villages.
Nou te kòche pye nou ap monte desann mòn nan vilaj yo.
Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words
1. One learns through traveling.
It is through traveling that one learns.
Se nan vwayaje moun aprann.
2. One good way to learn is by asking lots of questions.
One good way to learn is in asking lots of questions.
Yon bon fason ou kapab aprann se nan mande anpil kesyon.
3. He got this rich by working his ass off.
It is by working his ass off that he got rich like that.
Se nan travay pete fyèl li vin rich konsa.
4. He found his watch by tidying up his things.
Se nan netwaye zafè l li jwenn mont li an.
Simultaneity: We could achieve these types of sentences by using the Haitian Creole conjunction PANDAN or ANTAN or ETAN to bring the clauses together. In Haitian Creole the subject is almost always repeated in the second clause using the same verb tense sometimes.
5. We eat dinner while watching TV.
Nou manje dine pandan n'ap gad televizyon.
6. What will you be dreaming of while sleeping?
Kisa ou va reve antan w'ap dòmi?
7. She held the child arms while running to catch the train.
Li te kenbe bra timoun nan byen di etan li t'ap kouri al pran tren an.
Cause: In the following type of sentences AND situations we can use paske, afòs, poutèt, akòz, or [nothing] followed by a progressive tense.
8. He broke his legs playing football.
Li kase pye l ap jwe football.
9. She got herself sick thinking about you everyday.
Li te rann tèt li malad afòs l'ap panse avè w chak jou.
10. We scraped our feet going up and down the hills of the villages.
Nou te kòche pye nou ap monte desann mòn nan vilaj yo.
Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words
I have just read your recent response to the post about 'an sotan''an patan'. I figured that the gerund express 'while' or 'during' even 'upon', 'though', 'when' but I wasn't sure so I didn't ask the question until now. I'm still not that sure about it. I have provided MANY examples in English and creole. A good amount of these examples are experiments. There are also alternative examples that express the same meaning. You could say I got carried away. I don't think all of my creole sentences are correct. FEEL FREE to make comments and corrections on anything you find fault with, FEEL FREE to let me know if my questions don't make sense to you. Can the gerund in creole have others meanings provided below? Can the gerund be alternatives?
ReplyDelete-He came into the room smiling.
*Li te vin nan chanm nan souran.
*Se nan souri li te vini nan chanm nan.
-She lost weight by working out.
*Li te pèdi pwa nan fèzan(fèran) egzèsis
*Se nan fè egzèsis li te pèdi pwa.
-He fell asleep while listening to the radio.
*Li te tonbe dòmi pandan l'ap ekoute radyo a.
*Li te tonbe dòmi an ekoutan radyo a.
-He injured himself while playing basketball.
*Li blese kò l padan(antan) l'ap jwe baskèt.
*Li blese kò l an jouwan(jweyan) baskèt.
-He slammed the door as he left.
*Li klake pòt la lè li te pati.
*Li klake pòt la kan li te pati.
*Le te pati en klakan pòt la.
-As he was leaving, he looked worried.
*Kan li te pati, li te sanble ankyè.
*Lè li te pati, li te sanble ankyè.
*An patan, li te sanble ankyè.
-When I arrive in London, I shall go straight to my friends' house.
*Lè mwen rive nan Lond, mwen prale touswit nan kay zanmi mwen yo.
*Kan mwen rive nan Lond, mwen prale touswit nan kay zanmi mwen yo.
*An rivan nan Lond, mwen prale touswit nan kay zanmi mwen yo.
-When taking her coat, she caught her foot in the rug.
*Lè pran manto li, li te pran pye li nan tapi a.
*Kan pran manto li, li te pran pye li nan tapi a.
*An pranan(prenan) manto li, li te pran pye li nan tapi a.
-As/while she was trying to catch up with Fabienne, Nadine tripped and fell.
*Kòm li te eseye ratrape Fabienne, Nadine trebiche e tonbe.
*Pandan li te eseye ratrape Fabienne, Nadine trebiche e tonbe.
*An eseyan ratrape Fabienne, Nadine trebiche e tonbe.
-On(upon) arriving, I had to change clothes because I was soaking wet.
*Lè mwen rive, mwen te gen pou chanje rad mwen paske mwen te tranpe.
*Kan mwen rive, mwen te gen pou chanje rad mwen paske mwen te tranpe.
*An rivan(arivan) mwen rive, mwen te gen pou chanje rad mwen paske mwen te tranpe.
-Upon seeing the flowers, she cried.
*Lè li te wè flè yo, li kriye.
*Kan li te wè flè yo, li kriye.
*An vwayan(wèyan) flè yo, li kriye.
-Upon/In entering the building, I saw Paul.
*Lè(kan) mwen te antre nan bilding nan, mwen wè Paul.
*Se nan antre nan bilding nan, mwen wè Paul.
*An antran nan bilding nan, mwen wè Paul.
-I understood the political situation by/in/upon reading the newspapers.
*Mwen konprann sitiyasyon politik la lè(kan) mwen li jounal yo.
*Se nan li jounal yo ke mwen konprann sitiyasyon politik yo.
*Mwen konprann sitiyasyon politik an lizan(liyan) mwen li jounal yo.
TOUT
Emphasis
-All the while she was talking to me she was doing the ironing.
*Tout pandan li te pale avèk mwen, li te pase fè.
*Tout an palan avèk mwen, li te pase fè.
*Se tout nan pale avèk mwen, li te pase fè
Opposition
-Despite taking the longer route he still arrived first.
*Malgreke li pran yon wout pli lòng, li te rive premye toujou.
*Se tout nan pran yon wout pli lòng, li te rive premye toujou.
*Tout an pranan(prenan) yon wout pli lòng, li te rive premye toujou.
Concession
-Whilst I understand his arguments, I do not agree with his plan.
*Byenke mwen konprann agiman li, mwen pa dakò avèk plan li.
*Se tout nan kronprann agiman li mwen pa dakò avèk plan li.
*Tout an kronpranan agiman li mwen pa dakò avèk plan li.
Hi. I have read all of the examples. It seems that you have some background on French although you know Creole extremely well.
DeleteWhen translating Creole, I usually think of the CREOLE that a HAITIAN THAT DOESN"T KNOW FRENCH at all(who has not been schooled) would speak. This type of translation would be my first choice.
Some of the Creole that you have here is some type of a Kreyòl Fransize which is probably just fine :) Kreyòl pale, Kreyòl konprann. Pa vre?
You have such great sentence examples in your comment that I think it'll be best to make a POST out of this all by itself (with some of the sentences corrected) .
I'm thinking that I could post it by mid-week and will notify you via Formspring when I do.
Yon lòt fwa ankò, mèsi pou kesyon ou yo zanmi.