Monday, September 2, 2013

I'm am trying to figure out what this phrase means: "Kado (yon?) koze." (It sounded like "Kado on koze" but I assumed it was a yon in the middle.

It's Gade yon koze! or contracted Gad 'on koze! literally meaning look at a thing (look at this thing)
It's an interjection (indicating a range of emotion from mild surprise to disbelief or impatience), that can mean Oh dear look at this!, or Would you look at this! or What is this!

Sometimes we say Tande yon koze! or Tand'on koze! too which means almost the same as Gad' on koze and it literally say Listen to this thing!

Examples:
1. Gad on koze!  Apa ou la toujou?
    What is this!  How come you're still here?

2. Gad on koze!  Poukisa w'ap anniye m konsa?
    What is this!  Why are you bugging me?

3.  Tand 'on koze!  Ti pitit la fèk sot joure m. 
      Would you listen to this!  The kid just cursed at me.

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

4 comments:

  1. It's definitely a hard "k" sound at the beginning... this is from a video. Maybe it is just a weird pronounciation?

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    Replies
    1. Yeah.... It does sound that way, but it is really a "G" it is an expression that Haitians use a lot.

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  2. I'm copying this one into my notebook for review and for easy reference. It's a good one!

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