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Friday, October 18, 2013

How do you know when to use Sa, Sak, and Sa k'ap? Sak seems redundant.

"Sa" (contraction for "kisa")

"Sa'k" (or "sa ki") are contraction for "Kisa ki" basically translates "what" when used as a interrogation pronoun.
So the three are the same.

pa egzanp, ou kapab di:
1.
Kisa ki genyen?
or
Sa ki genyen?
or
Sa'k genyen?
What's going on?

2. 
Kisa ki pase w?
or
Sa ki pase w?
or
Sa'k pase w?
What's going on with you?

3.
Eske ou konnen kisa ki te fè m fache?
or
Eske ou konnen sa ki te fè m fache?
or
Eske ou konnen sa'k te fè m fache?
Do you know what pissed me off? 

By the same token, adding "ap" indicates the progressive form:
"Sa k'ap" (or "sa ki ap") is contraction for "Kisa ki ap".
pa egzanp, ou kapab di:
4.
Kisa ki ap fè tout bri sa a?
or
Sa ki ap fè tout bri sa a?
or
Sa k'ap fè tout bri sa a?
What is making all that noise?

Other examples (with different tenses)
5.
Kisa ki ta fè w kontan?
Sa ki ta fè w kontan?
Sa'k ta fè w kontan?
What would make you happy?

6.
Nanpwen moun ki konnen kisa ki pral pase demen?
Nanpwen moun ki konnen sa ki pral pase demen?
Nanpwen moun ki konnen sa k pral pase demen?
No one knows what will happen tomorrow?



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

9 comments:

  1. So could you say "Sa pase?"?

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    Replies
    1. Sure, but it does not mean "Sa'k pase?"

      Sa pase .....It happens / it happened / that happened....
      Sa pase maten an.It happened this morning.

      Sa'k pase? (or Sa ki pase? or Kisa ki pase?) → What's up?, What's going on?, "What's happening?

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    2. Why can't it be Sa'k?

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    3. "Sa", used in front of "pase" as you have it, acts as a subject pronoun. It translates that or it, or an impersonal pronoun.

      "sa", before "k" as you have it here, is a contraction for "kisa". It translates "what". "k" is a contraction for "ki" which a relative pronoun.

      Delete
    4. Then how does "Sa w gen?" or "Sa w vle?" work?

      Delete
    5. In my examples I will also use KIMOUN, KI KOTE, KILÈ, etc.... in addition to KISA because the same thing also happens to these determiners - But "SA" ou "KISA" seems to be a problem because of the contraction "SA'K" or "KISA KI"...

      FYI: You can also contract "KI" when asking question with "KILÈ" or "KI KOTE". A
      ...As long as the determiner ends with a vowel, you can contract the "KI" that follows. For example:
      Sa'k pase?
      Kote'k pi bon pou ou?
      Kilè'k pi bon pou ou?


      From the English language perspective,
      If using HELPERS (do, did, will, etc...) when asking questions with determiners WHAT, WHO, WHERE then you WOUNLDN'T use "ki" or "k':

      Pa egzanp:
      Sa w vle?What DO you want?
      Sa w ba li?What DID you give her?
      Kimoun ou wè?Who DID you see?
      Ki kote ou pral manje?Where WILLyou go eat?
      Kisa ou kapab di m?What CANyou tell me?
      Kilè ou va vini?When WILL you come?
      Etc....

      But if using "WHAT", "WHO", "WHERE" as pronouns, then you will use "KI" or "K".
      Pa egzanp:
      What happened here?Kisa ki pase la a? or Sa'k pase la a?
      What gave you that idea?Kisa KI ba w lide sa a? or Sa'k ba w lide sa a?
      When is the best time for you>Kilè KI pi bon pou ou?
      Where is the best deal in town?Ki kote KI gen pi bon obèn nan vil la?
      Who came to see you?Kimoun KI te vin wè'w?

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    6. Wait, I still don't get the "Where is the best deal in town?"... couldn't you use "ye" at the end for that without the extra "ki"? How is that different from "Where is the grocery store?"

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    7. Same method goes.... It depends on how you use the determiners.

      Where is the store?
      Ki kote magazen an ye?
      or
      Ki kote ki gen yon magazen la a?

      Where is the best deal in town?
      Ki kote ki gen bon obèn nan vil la?
      or
      Ki kote bon obèn nan vil la ye?

      When is your birthday?
      Kilè fèt ou ye?
      or
      Kilè ki fèt ou?

      Delete
  2. Oooohhh ok. Thank you!

    ReplyDelete