Thursday, February 21, 2013

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?

Mezanmi o!  You DID get carried away :)
Kòm m te di w, sanble ou gen anpil enfliyans Franse lakay ou.  Sa parèt nan sa w ap ekri.


1.
He came into the room smiling.
Li te vin nan chanm nan souran.
Li te vin nan chanm nan tout an souriyan.
Se nan souri li te vini nan chanm nan.
Se ak yon souri li te vini nan chanm nan.

2.
She lost weight by working out.
Li te pèdi pwa nan fèzan(fèran) egzèsis.
Se nan fè egzèsis li te pèdi pwa. (I like!)

3.
He fell asleep while listening to the radio.
Li te tonbe dòmi pandan l'ap ekoute radyo a. (I like!)
Li te tonbe dòmi an ekoutan radyo a.

4.
He injured himself while playing basketball.
Li blese kò l pandan(antan) l'ap jwe baskèt. (I like!)
Li blese kò l an jouwan(jweyan) baskèt.
Or you could also say:
Li te blese pandan l'ap jwe baskèt.

5.
He slammed the door as he left.
Li klake pòt la lè li te pati. (I like!)
Li klake pòt la kan li te pati. (I like!)
Le te pati en klakan pòt la.

6.
As he was leaving, he looked worried.
Kan li te pati, li te sanble ankyè.(enkyè?)
Lè li te pati, li te sanble ankyè.
An patan, li te sanble ankyè.

7.
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.
How about:
Lè m rive Lond mwen prale tou dwat lakay zanmi mwen yo..?

8.
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.
How about
Pandan l ap pran manto li pye l te pran nan tapi a...?

9.
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.
Pandan l t'ap eseye .....?

10.
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. (I like!)
Kan mwen rive, mwen te gen pou chanje rad mwen paske mwen te tranpe. (I like!)
An rivan(arivan) mwen rive, mwen te gen pou chanje rad mwen paske mwen te tranpe.
I think you mean:
Rive m rive, mwen t oblije chanje rad mwen paske m te tranpe.

11.
Upon seeing the flowers, she cried.
Lè li te wè flè yo, li kriye. (I like!)
Kan li te wè flè yo, li kriye. (I like!)
An vwayan(wèyan) flè yo, li kriye.  (wèyan..?)

12.
Upon 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.
How about:
Kou m antre nan bilding nan m wè Paul...?


13.
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. (I like ! :)
Mwen konprann sitiyasyon politik an lizan(liyan) mwen li jounal yo.

14. 
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.
How about:
Li t'ap repase tout pandan l'ap pale avè m...?

15.
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.
How about:
Malgre l te pran wout ki pi long nan, li te toujou rive an premye....?

16.
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.

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

2 comments:

  1. Sorry about that! That explains a lot; you just answered something for me: some verbs in creole can take the 'an' form but not all of them. In example 10, you used 'rive m rive' in the beginning of the sentence. So, does repeating the verb gives a gerund construction? For example, in example 13 can I say 'antre m antre' to mean 'on' or 'upon or is a double verb or repetitive verb used in all gerund constructions? In example 14, is 'tout' the only word when emphasizing something in a gerund construction or are there other words to use also? Again to example 13, what is 'kou' and is it an alternative gerund construction? What about these sentences?
    RYÈNKE?
    -By just pressing on this lever, you will have all the water necessary.
    *Se ryenke nan peze levye sa a, ou pral genyen tout dlo nesesè yo.
    *Ryenke an pezan levye sa a, ou pral genyen tout dlo nesesè yo.

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    Replies
    1. Yes, you can say "Rive m rive" when you mean to say "when/as soon as, upon ariving there"
      examples:
      Pati l pati tout timoun yo pran kriye.
      As soon as she left all the kids started to cry.

      Touche l touche tab la, tout bagay tonbe atè.
      When she touched the table, everything crumbled onto the floor.


      Yes. (it's number 12, not 13 :)
      Yes you can say: Antre m antre nan bilding nan, mwen wè Paul.

      And

      Kou in #12 means "when"

      And, Yes you can use Ryenke, or annik, or jis, or renk
      egz:
      Ryenke peze levye sa a, ou va jwenn tout dlo nesesè.
      Annik peze levye sa a, ou va jwenn tout dlo nesesè.
      Jis peze levye sa a, ou va jwenn tout dlo nesesè.
      Renk peze levye sa a, ou va jwenn tout dlo nesesè.


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