Bonjou! Learn to Speak Haitian Creole

Bonjou! ...Mèsi! ...E Orevwa! Search for English or Haitian Creole words translation. Also search the whole site for expressions, idioms and grammar rules. And ask questions about the language in the ASK QUESTIONS HERE section.

Most requested translations added here for your convenience: I love you → Mwen renmen w. I miss you → Mwen sonje w. My love!Lanmou mwen!

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

I will teach you a lesson ( when you threat someone)

There are many ways to say this:
as a threat.....with the intention of getting at someone (in revenge)...
W'a gentan konnen.
M'ap fè w konn sa'm peze.
M'ap montre w sa'm peze.
M'ap regle avè'w.

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

This makes no sense to me 'piti piti plen kay' meaning 'limyè'. Poukisa se limyè?

Wi, piti piti plen kay te ka nenpòt bagay, men depi lè m te ti kakat, m'ap tire kont - se repons sa a yo toujou bay.  Tout jenerasyon Ayisyen ki te vin anvan m yo, se repons sa a ki te sifizan pou yo.
Pou mwen menm, li vle di limyè piti, se vre, men li kapab ranpli yon gwo kay.

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

Thanks fo adding that expression twalet deba in previous post; "KISA VLE DI FE TWALET EGZAKTEMAN"; I saw this expression in a book "...Tout plezi foutbol se nan fe gol, pa vre? Fe twaletdeba gadyen an." I'm sure it's not said literally, but your explanation gives me a clear picture. I would have not found this a dictionary :)

Great.... a clever way to say that the goalie was beaten.

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

What's the best way to translate MOST as in -Most people in that building died-.

most pifò, twaka
most of the timeleplisouvan

1.  Pifò moun nan bilding nan te mouri.
     Most people in the building died.

2. Twaka machin ki te fèt nan Etazini se Ford yo ye.
     Pifò nan machin ki fèt Ozetazini se Ford you ye.
     Most the cars built in the USA are Fords.

3. Leplisouvan mwen pa menm konnen kote manje demen m ap soti.
    Most of the time I don't even know where my next meal will come from.

4.  M konnen pifò nan nou p'ap tounen ane pwochèn.
     I know most of you will not come back next year.

5. Pifò moun Ayiti pa gen twalèt ijyenik.
    Most people in Haiti do not have flushing toilets.

6.   Pifò moun ki te nan reyinyon se te rezidan katye a.
      Most of the people in the meeting were residents of the neighborhood.
Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

When people say 'pa respe figi w', does that excuse them so they can say a bad word? Doesn't that mean that 'out of respect for you' i'll tone down what I heard... or something like that? Which means that you can't repeat a bad word after you use this expression, right? mesi davans!

Do you mean: pa respè figi w, orespè figi w, orespè?
If yes, then people say that to warn you that something vulgar is coming.
For example:
Lè'm te pale avè l, li te di'm, orespè figi w, pe dyòl mwen.
When I spoke to him, he told me to, pardon the vulgarity, shut up.

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

Can you say 'mwe gen krentif' instead 'mwen pè'?

Wi ou kapab. Dapre wout konvèsasyon w vle pran, gen plizyè fason ou kapab di sa.

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

Eske gen yon mo kryeol pou viagra? mwen vle esplike ayisyen kisa li ye?

Viagra se Viagra.  Se non medikaman an, non?
Ou kapab di yo ke Viagra se yon remontan ki fè gason kanpe kin.  Men m pa gen yon tradiksyon Kreyòl pou medikaman sila a.

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

Monday, April 29, 2013

How do you say "knuckles" in Creole? Also "Fist"?

knucklesjwenti dwèt
fist → pwen sere
to punch s.o. → bay kout pwen
a punch (a hit) → yon kout pwen

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

Did I say it grammatically correct?

"Did I say it grammatically correct?"
"Eske gramè a bon?"
"Eske gramè a kòrèk?"
"Eske gramè m bon?"

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

"Mwen menm m pral(e) dejene nan otel la nan Potoprens avek ou mwen menm". Poukisa se"mwen menm" repete nan fen fraz la anko? Mesi anpil.

Some people do talk like that as a way to emphasize "as for me".  But the sentence is better written with just one "mwen menm".
"Mwen menm m pral(e) dejene nan otel la nan Potoprens avek ou mwen menm". 
"As for me I'll go have breakfast in the hotel with you."

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

Is there an idiom for "Treat others the way you want to be treated"?

The Haitian Creole version (also an idiom) says:
"Sa ou pa vle pou ou, ou pa dwe vle li pou lòt."
"Sa w pa vle pou ou, ou pa dwe vle l pou lòt."
Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

Sunday, April 28, 2013

I am leading a mission team to Haiti (this will be our 3rd trip). I would love for the team to try to learn a Christian song in Creole. I have tried to find a song with both English and Creole Lyrics AND with something to listen to in Creole with no luck. Do you have any suggestions? Thank you. Melissa

Youtube is the best place to look for that.  I guess knowing the title of these songs in Creole would help too :).  Here is a link to a few of them.  Some of them may have the Creole lyrics (written on the screen) too.  I hope that helps.

http://youtu.be/PzIiP73gwwI (I know he lives)
http://youtu.be/i80AtzGLN60 (He hiddeth my soul)
http://youtu.be/IxTD7jsisHQ (Holy is the Lord)
http://youtu.be/679D_wlb7OE (You are Alpha and Omega)
http://youtu.be/pn_UouVt-Yw (Lord Reign in me)
http://youtu.be/I4ibbKW4L6k (Open the eyes of my heart)
http://youtu.be/FtDPPXxS_O8 (He is able)
http://youtu.be/HSF2HNoAF2o (I am a friend of God)
http://youtu.be/zFYLhVHPD9M (Priye ak lafwa, rete tann Pray with faith and wait)  a beautiful song that touched me :)
http://youtu.be/TbkrNFHRer8
http://youtu.be/8Ao0BtefaVU
http://youtu.be/6gvfS4pbRQk (You are my all and all)
http://youtu.be/cW5kE8Fsyw8 (you are my all and all)
http://youtu.be/bV4CWjBukAg (I stand before your throne to worship you)

http://youtu.be/GHswD_OBwxw (How great thou art)  Even though this one is in French, we do have the Creole version in the French-Creole songbook.

http://youtu.be/Nyqb2JcjTE8 (I'm not alone)
http://youtu.be/mocyuukq92A
http://youtu.be/nEuBQfIsfxk (I want o know you more)
http://youtu.be/X1E4Lia03R8 (Here I am to worship)
http://youtu.be/6gvfS4pbRQk (God has blotted them out)
http://youtu.be/IdMqRXdgfDY (Wòch la woule)
Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

Is there another way to say 'half way' other than MWATY CHEMEN as in you're half way there. thanks

half way mwatye wout, mitan chemen

"Ou mwatye rive."
"Ou nan mwatye wout."

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

How would you translate "Grace House" for the name of a child care home? Lakay Gras? Kay de Gras? Other ideas?

I like Kay de Gras and Lakay Gras
which opens possibilities for:
Mezon de Gras
Mezon Lagras
Kay Lagras

and there are other synonyms for "kay": Fwaye, Rezidans, or Plas
Fwaye Lagras
Rezidans Lagras
Plas Lagras

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

I am pasting this sentence here: "Louvri fèy zòrèy nou pou n manyè tande lè m ap pale." What is "fey" and "manye" here. I do know both words, but don't understand them here.

fèy (leaf) means flap here.
manyèat least see the link for "manyè"

Louvri fèy zòrèy nou pou n manyè tande lè m ap pale
Open the flap of your ears so that you may at least hear me when I speak.

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

What are words for 'gamble(noun and verb)' and 'gambling'? "The sailors had taken many gambles with the sea I took a gamble that stock prices ....

"What are words for 'gamble(noun and verb)' and 'gambling'? "The
sailors had taken many gambles with the sea I took a gamble that stock prices
would rise." or "I took a gamble that stock prices would rise." or " and "The most
characteristic form of English gambling is betting through a bookmaker." and "He
gambled his reputation on the outcome." What are words for 'hustle(noun and
verb)'?" "The guy tried to hustle me into buying into a bogus real estate deal."
or "The guards hustled the prisoners into the jail." and "He finally got wise to
his hustle and threatened to call the police." or "Steve showed a lot of good
hustle today in practice."
 

to gamblepran chans, pran ris (pran risk), parye, fè paryaj
a gamble→ chans, ris (risk), aza, paryaj
to hustle → bouskile, pouse,  bourade
hustling → sakaj, tapaj, aktivite, bourad

1.  Anpil Ayisyen te pran chans ak lavi yo lè yo te pran kanntè pou vin Etazini.
     A lot Haitians took a gamble on their lives when they got on a boat to come to the US.

2. She's paying a gambling debt.
    L'ap peye yon dèt li te fè nan paryaj.

3. We hustled our way to the front of the stage.
     Nou te bourade moun pou n rive devan podyòm nan.

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

cynical, sarcastic, sarcasm, ironic, irony

to be sarcastic → ridikilize, pase nan betiz, fè mokri
sarcastic (cynical, ironic) → ridikil, ap fè mòkri, sou mòk
sarcasm  → ridikilizasyon, derizon, mòkri
irony → derizon

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

Eske 'we pa we' vle di menm bagay kom 'kout ke kout'?

Yes, basically.

wè pa wè (whether ou show up or not, whether you're here or not, ready or not)
1. Wè pa wè, antèman an pou katrè (expression)
    Ready or not the funeral is for four o'clock.
    meaning: Death waits for no one.

vle pa vle (like it or not)
2. Vle pa vle, fò w demenaje kay la nan twa jou.
    Like it or not, you must move out in three days.

kout ke kout (no matter what)
3. N'ap suiv Jezi kout ke kout.
    We'll follow Jesus no matter what.

bout pou bout (little by little, eventually)
4. Bout pou bout, n'a rive.
    Little by little, we'll make it.

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

Eske ou tradwi fraz sa a pou mwen: "Li t ap souke nan van ki t ap vante a cheve l kite koulè lò"? Mesi

Li         []  t ap souke    [] nan van    [] ki t ap vante          []  a
He/she [] was shaking  []  in wind    [] that was blowing   [] the

cheve  []  l            [] ki te koulè        []  lò
hair     [] his/her    [] that was color  [] gold

She was waving her golden hair in the wind that was blowing
Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

Kisa vle di 'fe twalet' egzakteman?

twalètto take a bath, to clean up, to wash up, to take care of your hygiene
fè twalèt can also mean to wash up your private parts, especially when Haitians say fè twalèt deba (which applies mostly to women).
Fè twalèt deba (for many since there's no running water) will consist of sitting on chamber pot that is filled with water and ... you know... take good care of the V. 

Examples:
See how we use it like a pronominal verb with the pronouns after it (underlined).

1. Al fè twalèt ou.
    It's like saying: Go wash yourself up.  or Go do your wash (lit.)   
    Go wash up.

2. Mwen poko fè twalèt mwen.
    I haven't washed up yet.

3.  Kilè li te gen tan fè twalèt li?
     When did she have the time to wash up?

4. Al fè twalèt de ba w.
    The same goes here with the pronouns.  They will follow "deba".
    Go wash up.

5.  Chak maten manman tifi a fè'l al fè twalèt deba l nan larivyè a.
      Every morning the girl's mother have her wash up in the river.
    
Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

Ki sa ki tout siyifikasyon pou mo 'nève' a?

nève (or enève) (intransitive) → to become very angry, to be mad, to be upset
nève (or enève) (transitive) → to irritate s.o,  piss off

1. Misye te nève, donk li ba chen an yon kout pye.
    He was mad, so kicked the dog.

2. Gen moun ki p'ap travay ki resevwa bon asirans lasante.  Mwen menm, m'ap travay di e m pa menm gen mwayen pou al kay dantis chak ane.  Sa nève'm.
     There are some people who aren't working who receives good health insurance.  I'm working very hard and can't even afford a yearly dental visit.  This pisses me off.

Also, nève can also be use to translate nervous (as in nervous system)
3.  Maladi a te atake system nève li.
     Maladi te atake tout nè li.
     The disease attacked his nervous system.

and of course, we have the word neve (without the accent on the first "e") which is Creole for nephew.
Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

Saturday, April 27, 2013

What's the Haitian Creole word for 'to give up'? "He was surrounded, so he gavehimself up." or "They gave up the search when it got dark." or "He gave up his seat to an old man." or "I gave up my faith years ago." or "OK, I give up, you

There are many ways you can say "to give up" in H. Creole.
to give upsede, abandone, bay legen, bat ba, kite sa, lese tonbe

1. He was surrounded, so he gave himself up.
    Yo te sènen li donk li bay legen.
    bay legen, bat ba → to cede, to surrender, to yield

2. to give up something
     abandone bagay la
     kite bagay la tonbe

3. Give it up.
     Kite sa.
     Lese l tonbe.

4. He gave up his faith years ago.
    This one seems to say that he's abandoned his faith years ago.
    Li abandone relijyon li kèk ane pase.

5.  I give up. You win.
     more like .....I surrender
     M bay legen.  Se ou k genyen.

6.  He gave up his seat for an old man. 
     Li abandone plas li pou yon mesye pèsonaj.
     Li kite plas li bay yon mesye pèsonaj.
     Li sede plas li bay yon mesye pèsonaj.

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

Friday, April 26, 2013

How would you say "I didn't like the car." Also what are the contraction and long forms for negatives? Ex: pa't = pa te. Thanks

I didn't like the car.
Mwen pa te renmen machin nan.
Mwen pa't renmen machin nan.

negatives: long form and contraction
past tense
Mwen pa't konnen. (contraction)
Mwen pa te konnen. (long form)
I didn't know.

Future
Mwen p'ap kapab ale. (contraction)
Mwen p'ape kapab ale. (contraction)
Mwen pa ap kapab ale. (long form)
I will not be able to go

Progressives
Mwen p'ap etidye kounye a. (contraction)
Mwen pa ap etidye kounye a. (long form)
I'm not studying now.

Mwen pa t'ap dòmi lè w te rantre yèswa. (contraction)
Mwen pa te ap dòmi lè w te rantre yèswa. (long form)
I was not sleeping when came in last night.

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

In one of your previous posts, I learned a new expression 'ti tak'. .....

In one of your previous posts, I learned a new expression 'ti tak'.
It pushed me to make a list of other expressions that express the same
meaning,which I have collected:
ti kal, ti zing, ti gout, ti moso, ti kras, ti
bab, ti chikèt, ti(yon) filèt, ti lougal, ti (yon)kwendak, ti pwèlyèm, ti yota,
ti yik, ti tak
. I know that haitian creole is a rich language; so, are there
other expressions of small quantity that exist that is not on that list? I feel
like there are more; I hope there are more.


Of course, there's always more in Creole :)
I wish I knew them all.  The more you travel to different regions of the country, the more you'll learn.
I'll add a few to your list:
ti lòsyè
ti kraze
ti krabinay
ti zuit
minizuit
miniminizuit
I think they also say piti piti zuit

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

What are words for 'somewhat' or 'slightly'? "He felt somewhat .....

"What are words for 'somewhat' or 'slightly'? "He felt somewhat
awkward in his suit." or "Our work has progressed somewhat." or "The course is
somewhat more difficult than I was told it would be."  or "He weighed slightly
less than his wife who was a foot shorter."


somewhat → yon ti jan
slightly → yon ti jan, enpe, yon ti kras, lejèman

1. "He felt somewhat awkward in his suit."
    "Li te yon ti jan malalèz nan kostim li an."

2. "He weighed slightly less than his wife who was a foot shorter."
    "Li te peze lejèman mwens pase madanm ni ki te kèk pous pi kout pase l."


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

What are words for 'to lead to'? "Drug use often leads to crime." or "Poor eating habits may lead to health problems." or "Continued hatred of a certain group of people will one day lead to genocide."

to lead tokoze, lakòz

"Poor eating habits may lead to health problems."
"Move rejim alimantè kapab koze pwoblèm lasante."

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

What are some words for 'bane' and 'boon' respectively?

"What are some words for 'bane' and 'boon' respectively? "The bane of
my existence."  or "Fighting this war in the Middle East is a bane to the
American economy." and "Finding the dry cave was a boon to the weary travelers."
or "Anesthetics are a great boon to modern surgery."


banelamizè, kalamite, bosko, devenn
boonbenediksyon, avantaj, bone, koutchans


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

What are words for 'woods'? "I was lost in the woods."

woodsbwa, raje

I was lost in the woods.
Mwen te pèdi nan raje a.

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

How does one translate "what does the subject on abortion has got to do with writing about black slaves?" Emphasis on "got to do". What are ways to say it?

has to do withgen pou wè ak, ki relasyon ki gen ant, ki koneksyon ki gen ant

1. What does one has to do with the other?
     Kisa youn gen pou wè ak lòt la?

2. "What does the subject on abortion has got to do with writing about black slaves?"
     Kisa ekri sou esklav nwa yo gen pou wè ak koze avòtman an? 
     Ki koneksyon ki gen ant ekri sou esklav nwa yo ak koze avòtman an?
Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

Thursday, April 25, 2013

What are words for 'update(nouns and verbs)'? "There is some news update on the Boston bombings." and "The Windows operating system updates itself every day."

update v. (in the news) → mete okouran
an update (in the news) → yon nouvèl devlopman
update n. (software) → mizajou
automatic update → mizajou otomatik
to update  (software)→ aktyalize

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

What are words for "step'? " ........

What are words for "step'? "The first step is to think about what
you want to write about. The second step is to do some research on your chosen
topic. The third step is to take notes on what you find to support your
arguments. The fourth step is to write a draft. The final step is to compose the
final product."
What are words 'step' in this sense? "The reputation of a man depends on the
first steps he makes in the world."

Steps pa (pace of feet)
First stepspremye pa
He tool his first steps. → Li te pran premye pa li yo.

Steps faz, etap, tranch (level, phase, part)
What you describe in the first part of your questions might be translated as faz, etap or tranch.
Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

How does one say 'outline(essay, term paper, etc)' in creole? Also, how does one say 'thesis statement' in creole?

an outline yon ekspoze, yon apèsi
to outline souliyen, mete an gran liy

Outline the important points.
Mete pwen enpòtan an gran liy.
Souliyen pwen enpòtan yo.

thesis tèz
thesis statementtèz prensipal la

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

What are words for 'consecutive days' and 'alternate days'? "I go to school on consecutive days but I go to the gym on alternative days."

consecutive daysjou suivi, joun apre lòt
five consecutive dayssenk jou suivi, senk jou youn apre lòt
alternative daysjou altène, jou altènatif yo.

"M'al travay lendi, mèkredi ak vandredi, e mwen pran klas Kreyòl nan jou altène yo."

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

Google di ‘konkou’ vle di ‘contest’ men gen anpil lè m te wè mo sa-a nan yon fraz epi siyifikasyon sa-a pa t fè sans. Èske ‘konkou’ gen lòt siyifikasyon?

Mwen pa ka panse a lòt siyifikasyon pase contest, competition, tournament, championship etc...

Ou kapab itilize li tankou yon vèb lè ou di bay konkou, pote konkou.  La a, li vle di: to help, to support, to sponsor, to collaborate with

Pa egzanp:

1. Lè te gen tranblemanntè Ayiti a, anpil peyi te pote konkou.
    A lot countries had come to help during the time of the earthquake in Haiti.

2. N'ap pote konkou bay Legliz la.
    We will help the church.

3. Vin pote nou konkou.
    Come help us.


Genyen yon lòt mo an Kreyòl ki ekri konsa: koukou.
koukou (owl) → vle di tou, yon moun ki lèd anpil, yon moun ki pi lèd pase yon makak, yon moun ki nan yon move kondisyon

Si yon Aysiyen rele ou "koukou", sa se yon gwo ensilt...

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

"Ayisyen nan bouch pa anpeche w etranje sou papye?" Eske sa pale de trayizon?

M pa kwè.  M panse li vle di ou pa abandone peyi w ak tradisyon w senpleman paske ou natiralize.
Ou se etranje sou papye, men yo se Ayisyen nan san.

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

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

I've come across the creole word "boy"... possibly a food or cooking ingredient.. DO you know what it is?

bat fe red? Misye bat fe red.

bat fè rèd? → to pump iron, to lift weights, to be into muscle building

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

si yon moun di "li ap bat bouch li", eske sa vle di li ap manje onswa li ap pale?

Mezanmi o! Sa difisil anpil :)

Pou mwen menm, premye bagay ki vin nan tèt mwen se yon moun k'ap pale anpil, ki ap pale san rete.

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

Some Verb tenses in Haitian Creole

OK! I am trying to gather together and sort into a chart all the Kreyol tenses. What I have so far is: Simple Present-(speak) pale Present Progressive-(speaking) ap(a) pale Conditional-(would speak) ta pale Conditional Future-(was going to speak) ta pral Simple Past (spoke) te pale Past Progressive (was speaking) te ap (t' ap) pale Simple Future (going to speak) ap(a) pale, pral pale, (a)va pale, al pale, Simple Future (will speak) a pale Present Negation (don't speak) pa pale Past Negation (didn't speak) pa te (pa t) pale Future Negation (will not speak) pa pral ou pa ap (p' ap) pale Do I have them all? And are they in the right categories? Whew! :)

There are more tenses in Haitian Creole :)
Let me just rewrite the ones that you have (in Creole) and maybe add a couple more:

tan prezan / prezan senp (present tense)
Ou pale Kreyòl.
You speak Creole.

prezan imedya  / pwogresif (Progressive)
W'ap pale Kreyòl.
You are speaking Creole.

patisip prezan (present perfect)
Ou pale Kreyòl pandan ventan e kounye a ou pral aprann Franse.
or
Ou te pale Kreyòl pandan ventan e kounye a ou pral aprann Franse.
You've spoken Creole for twenty years, and now you will learn French.

tan enperatif (Imperative)
Pale avè l pou w ka konnen sa'k te pase.
Se pou w pale avè l pou w ka konnen sa'k te pase.
Speak to him so that you know what happened.

Ke Bondye beni w.
Se pou Bondye beni w.
May God bless you.

pase senp (past tense)
Ou te pale Kreyòl.
You spoke Creole.

pase anteryè (past perfect)
Mwen te pale avèk li anvan li te monte machin nan.
I had spoken to her before she boarded the car.

pase / enpafè(Past progressive)
Mwen t'ap pale avè li lè polisye yo te rive.
I was speaking to him when the police arrived.

fiti senp (Future)
Ou pral pale Kreyòl trè byen lè w konplete kou a.
Ou va pale Kreyòl trè byen lè' w konplete kou a
W'ava pale Kreyòl trè byen lè w konplete kou a.
W'a pale kreyòl trè byen lè w fini konplete kou a.
W'ap pale Kreyòl trè byen lè w konplete kou a.
You will speak Creole very well when you complete the course.

fiti anteryè (Future perfect)
M te pral pale avèk li, men li refize gade 'm.
I ws going to speak to her, but she refused to look at me.

tan kondisyonèl prezan (conditional)
Ou ta pale Kreyòl pi vit si w ou te fè pli szefò.
You would speak Creole faster if you had made more effort.


tan Kondisyonèl pase (Past conditional)
M ta pral pale Kreyòl avèk madanm nan si l pa't joure m.
I would have spoken Creole to her if she hadn't cursed at me.


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

Ki sa vle di alafendèfen?

alafendèfen (from French à la fin des fins)
in the end
in the long run
finally
eventually

Also in Creole, anfennkont, boutanfen, finalman, desideman, alalong, evantyèlman, pou fini

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Is the word for 'elf' farfade? What does 'goumandiz' mean

farfade (farfadet?) in French, yes.

Do you mean "elf" as in mystical creatures in H.Creole?  If yes, then Haitians are more likely to say louten, louten ak bab, lespri, baka, lezanj (as long as we're talking about mystical creatures)

goumandizgreed, gluttony

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

what is fè mikalaw?

fè mikalaw → to abound, to be plentiful
Another word we use is agogo or fè kenken

Manje fè mikalaw nan fèt la.
Te gen manje agogo nan fèt la.
Manje fè kenken nan fèt la.
There were plenty of food at the party.

Jounalis fè mikalaw devan lopital.
There were many reporters in front of the hospital.

Boutèy byè vid fè kenken tout atè lakay fanm nan.
There were many empty beer bottles all over the floor at the woman's home.

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

Can you explain "wayan" in Creole?

Do you mean the interjection "Wayan!" that some people say while pulling down one of their bottom eyelids with their index finger?

Wayan! (or Ou p'ap sis!)
It means You ain't gonna get nothing!

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Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Kisa vle di 'ayewodwòm'?

Will you translate this for me please? "Anketè yo di, blesu li a, sanble kòmkidire se li ki ta tire sou pwòp tèt li." Mèsi.

ankèt → investigation
anketè → investigator
blesi (not blesu) → injury, wound
kòmkidire (or kòmkwadire) → as if, seemingly
tire → to shoot (with a gun or rifle)
pwòp tèt → own self

"Anketè yo di, blesi li a, sanble kòmkidire se li ki ta tire sou pwòp tèt li."
"The investigators say, his injury, seems as if it's him who would shoot at his own self."
"The investigators say, his injuries seem as if they were self inflicted."
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I see that to say GET OUT (or as you put it 'get the hell out'), you can say SOTI LA or RALE KO LA. I came across another creol word that meant GET OUT (jedpi or gepi?). Do you have other terms for the same expression? mesi.

Get out! (Scram!)
Bat zèl ou!
Disparèt devan m nan!
Pati!
Fè m pa wè w!
Kraze rak!
Degèpi!
Dekanpe la!
Bay teren an!
Bay tè a!
Rache manyòk ou!
Fann kò w non!
etc...

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

I see the term 'ayibobo' can be used for "halleluia or congrats" My friends say I shouldn't use it because it's voodoo related. But my dictionary made no mention of any restrictions for this term.

Yes, it's Halleluiah, Bravo, Congrats in voodoo circle.  It's not for Christian use.  Someone might kicked you out of church if you start screaming Ayibobo!.  They'd think that you are possessed by a loa :)

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

What is SOUSOU in Haitian Creole? Someone told me it means money. I'm here to tell you when I used it, people did not know what I was talking about.

When Haitians say "sou", they might be talking about money, as in Mwen pa gen yon sou. I don't have a penny.

Sousou (or ti sousou) is a butt-kisser, someone who flatters another usually to get something in return.
As verb we say fè ti sousouto flatter, to kiss ass

Here's an example of the usage in a sentence:
1.Fanfan ap fè ti sousou dèyè madanm nan.  Petèt l'a voye yon zo atè a pou li.
   Fanfan is kissing the lady's butt. Maybe she'll throw a bone at him.

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What does pitit deyo mean? and also what does enmene moi mean?

pitit deyò → illegitimate child
enmene moi (FYI: That's not Creole) take me, lead me

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do you have a list of phrases in Kreyol that can be used on cards for children?

Monday, April 22, 2013

'li si piti pase sa' You can use 'si' as comparison? How do you translate it? Thanks

I haven't used it for comparison.
I am not sure we can use it that way.
We do use it when we say "so", "so much" .
as in:
Li si bèl.
Nou te si tèlman bouke.
Li si tèlman wo.
Yo te si tèlman fèb yo pa't ka mache.

Perhaps the author meant It is so much smaller than that.


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Tanpri tradwi fraz sa-a pou mwen. 1. Li do wè sa k nan tèt li. (sa vle di 'do'?) 2. ...te gen yon ja ki te kache la. (Does 'ja' mean jar?) 3. yo tounen anwon tankou toupi (toupi?) Mèsi

do (dwe) → must, must have
1. Li do wè sa'k nan tèt li.
    He/she must have seen what's in his/her head.
    He/she must have read his/her thoughts?????

2. I think "ja" might have originated form "jar" (money jar)
    In Creole it means a stash, a stash of money, a treasure, a stash of treasure, a fortune
    Usually we say yon ja lajan
    ...te gen yon ja ki te kache la.
    ...There was a treasure hidden there.

3. toupi (or topi) → tops (the toy), spin top
    Yo tounen anwon tankou yon topi.
     They turned round and round like a spin top.
   
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How would you say 'call me right back".

Haitian Creole for:
Call me right back.
Rele m tousuit.

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"Nou pa bezwen touye yo nonk." Ki sa vle di 'nonk'?

Bonjour Mandaly. Mwen we ki ou te pase yon bon weekend nan fet ou. Bon fet :) My question is about the word KONT. Although you've posted about all the possible translation for it Haitian Creole word KONT, I'm not too sure what it stands for here: 'Nou danse kont nou.' This sounds like we dance against our will - which does not fit in the story that I'm reading? And would give other examples please?

Mèsi anpil.

All the possible translations that I had given for the H. Creole word kont are:
1.
kont → against
Aswè a Tampa Bay Buccaneers ap jwe kont New York Jets.
Tonight the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will play against the New York Jets.

2.
kont → fable
Rakonte m yon kont tanpri.
Tell me a story please.

3.
kont → argument
Mwen pa vle nan kont avè w aswè a.
I don't want an argument tonight.

4.
pou kont → alone, by self
Mwen prale pou kont mwen.
I will go by myself.

5.
sou kont → in the care of 
Mwen kite timoun yo sou kont manman m.
I have left the kids on the care of my mother.

6.
kont → enough, sufficient, plenty
Nou bezwen san dola anplis pou fè lajan vwayaj la kont.
We need one hundred dollars more to have enough money for the trip.

In the sentence that you have, we'll use the translation in #6 to make sense of it.

kont, in front a noun, will mean plenty of as in:
kont danse (plenty of dancing)
kont plezi (plenty of enjoyment)
kont manje (plenty of food)
kont debòch (plenty of revelry)

And then you may also see a pronoun after that noun/verb/or the word kont:
Nou danse kont danse nou (we danced plenty or we did plenty of dancing)
Yo danse kont danse yo (They danced plenty or they did plenty of dancing)

Nou manje kont manje nou (we ate plenty or we did plenty of eating)
Ou dwe te manje kont ou (You must have eaten plenty)

Nou pran kont plezi nou (we enjoyed ourselves plenty)
Li pran kont plezi li (He enjoyed himself plenty)
Nou fè kont debòch nou (We had a lot of fun)


1. Nou danse kont nou.
    or sometimes you'll hear:
     Nou danse kont danse nou.
     We danced plenty.
     We danced all we could.

2. Nou te ale nan yon fèt.  Nou te manje kont nou.
    We went to a party.  We ate plenty.
     We went to a party. We ate all that we could.

3.  Manman timoun yo pa't la.  Yo fè kont dezòd yo.
     The kids' mom was not home.  The kids acted up plenty.
      The kid's mom was not home.  The kids got into plenty of mischiefs.

4. Mwen wè kont mwen.  Ou pa bezwen montre m ankò.
    I've seen enough (plenty).  You don't need to show me anymore.

5. Podyab Joe.  Machin li te pran pàn.  Li te mache yon distans 15 kilomèt pou rive lakay li.  Li te fè kont egzèsis li pou semèn sa a.
     Poor Joe.  His car broke down.  He walked a distance of 15 km to get home.  He's had plenty exercise for this week

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Sunday, April 21, 2013

WHAT IS JOUVAJOUVYEN?

Jouvajouvyen (jou-va-jou-vyen, lit. day-go-day-come) → the day will come, my day will come

1. Jou va jou vyen, se va tou pa'm tou.
    The day will come, it'll also be my turn.

2. Jou va jou vyen, m'ava gen machin pa'm tou. Lè sa a m p'ap bezwen mande woulib ankò.
    The day will come, I'll have my own car too.  Then I will not need to ask for rides anymore.

3. Jou va jou vyen, m'a vin wa.  Mwen va fè yo peye tout mechanste yo lè sa a.
    The day will come, I will become king.  I'll make them pay for all their wickedness at that time.

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Li mache si ou konn papa a. what does "si ou konn" stands for here?

Usually, when we use "si ou konn", it's for comparison.  A comparison to an idea/term that you are most likely familiar with.
Si ou konn (lit. if you know) → like you know, just like, like, as if it was, same way as


1. Li mache si ou konn papa a k'ap mache.
    He walks like you know the father walks.
    He walks like the father.

2. Li wonfle si w konn yon motosiklèt k'ap kouri.
    He snores like you know a motorcycle would ride.
    He snores like a roaring motorcycle.

3. Gran jenn ti gason sa a te kriye si ou konn yon bebe ki grangou.
    This big young guy cried as you know a hungry baby would cry.
    This big young guy cried like a hungry baby.


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A great birthday

Apparently I had a big birthday surprise party this weekend and no one told me :)
My family (about twenty of them!) traveled from as far as 500 miles to come wish me a happy birthday.  They came bearing gifts and lots of smiles. Yes, I was VERY surprised and touched.  They pulled it off in a big way.  Mezanmi! It was a two-day celebration.  I want to say a big thank you for all the b-day wishes.  I could not asked for a better group of people who has my back and stick around through thick and thin.
my sisters and I
Back, from left to right: Lydie, myself, Emmanuelle
Front, from left to right: Claudia, Esther.
I am the oldest girl, by the way.

My brother, Ernest and I.
My other brother, Seth stayed back with his sick wife in the hospital.

My mom, in front, being a good sport.

All the birthday "wishers", with Mike and Emmanuelle behind the cameras.


Mèsi anpil tout moun :)

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My mom is telling me that L'huile de ricin and L'huile palma-christi

They are the same, as far as I know.  They are from the same plant.
Luil makresti is a little crude and does not have such a good smell.

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

Can you explain 'lan'. Sometimes I see it and sometimes I don't. It seems to replace 'nan' in all its meanings. Is this true?

It's one of the Haitian Creole singular definite articles.  It usually comes after words that have  nasal sound and end with a consonant.  Some people do use "lan" instead of "nan".
Some people say plim lan, madanm lan, machin lan instead of plim nan, madanm nan, machin nan.

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Bonjou! Bon dimanch! Tanpri di-mwen ki sa vle di:1. annega 2. ti tak ponmad 3. leve brip Mèsi :)

Dakò :)

1. annega → regarding, concerning

2. ti tak ponmad
    ti tak → a very small amount
   
    a. yon ti tak ponmad
        a small dab of ointment /pomade / hair grease

    b. yon ti tak dlo.
         a small amount of water.

3. leve brip
     brip → suddenly, abruptly, all of a sudden

     a. Li leve brip.
         He got up suddenly.
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Se Jès La ki Konte - It's the thought that counts

Download link for this audio (track not included in download)
Click here to download…

To listen to this audio, click on the play button and follow along :)
 

-Ki dènye fwa ou te resevwa yon kado ou te reyèlman apresye?
  When was the last time you received a gift that you really liked?

-Te m wè.  Nwèl pase, yon zanmi te fè m kado yon bèl foula.  Mwen te twouve li byen itil.
  Let me se.  Last Christmas, a friend gave me a nice scarf.  I found it very useful.

-Eh byen, kòm ou konnen, semèn pase se te fèt mwen.
  Well, as you know, last week was my birthday.

-Wi,  mwen konnen.  Eske ou te renmen kravat mwen te ba ou a?
Yes, I know. Did you like the tie I gave you?

-Wi.  Li ... te bon.   Wi, kòm mwen t’ap di w.   Yon bèl ti dam mwen renmen nan travay la te ban m yon kado pou fèt mwen.
   Yes.  It was ....alright.  Yes, as I was telling you.  A beautiful woman whom I have crush on at work gave me a birthday gift.

-O o! ou resi fè yon menaj?
  Oh you finally have a girlfriend?

-Non li poko menaj mwen.  Li pa menm konnen si m gen santiman pou li.
 No, she's not my girlfriend yet.  She doesn't even know that I have feelings for her.

-O o! sa w’ap tann?  Poukisa w poko mande l soti?
  Well, what are you waiting for?  Why haven't you asked her out?

-Enben koute sa m’ap eseye di w la avan.
  Well, listen to what I'm trying to tell you first.

-Wi. Dakò. Ou t’ap di m li fè w yon kado?   Kisa li te ba ou?
   Yes. alright.  You said she gave you a gift.  What did she give you?

-Li fè m kado yon chapo.
  She gave me a hat.

-Yon chapo?  Yon kado ki montre anpil konsiderasyon
  Oh. a hat?  A thoughtful gift 

-Pa si ou chòv.  M pa konn poukisa li ban m yon chapo
  Not if you're bald. I don't know why she gave me a hat.

-Sa ki gen mal nan sa?  Li ba ou yon kado ki montre li t'ap panse a ou.   Pa vre?
  What's wrong with it?  She gave you a hat which shows that she was thinking of you.  Isn't it true?

-Oubyen... li ban m kado a paske li fatige gade tèt kale mwen.
   Or... she gave me the hat because she's tired of staring at my bald head.

-W'ap mete pase genyen. Li fè ou yon kado. Se jès la ki konte  Kounye a se tou pa w.  Rele l pou  w remèsye l.  Eske ou gen nimewo telefòn ni?
  You're reading between the lines.  She gave you a gift.  It's the thought that counts.  Now it's your turn.  Call her so you can thank her.  Do you have her phone number?

-Wi.  Li te mete nimewo telefon ni nan yon papye anndan chapo a.
  Yes.  She put her phone number in a piece of paper inside the hat.

-O! yon bèl ti dam ke ou renmen fè w kado nimewo telefòn ni kachte nan yon chapo pou fèt ou, enpi w'ap kesyone motif li toujou?  
   O! a beautiful woman which you have a crush on gives you her telephone number wrapped in a hat for your birthday, and you're still questioning her move? 

-Eske ou panse li vle m rele l?
   Do you think she wants me to call her?

-Men wi! Li vle w rele l.  Pouki lòt rezon pou l ta ba ou nimewo telefon ni?
   Of course! She wants you to call her.  Why else would she give you her phone number?

-Alò dakò.  Mwen pral rele li.   Oh tann..... Eske w panse m ta dwe rele l jodi a oubyen demen?
  Ok then. I will call her.  Oh wait.... Do you think I should call her today or tomorrow?

-Gras lamizerikòd pou pòv ti malerèz la Bondye!  Nan kondisyon sa ti dam nan ap  fin granmoun anvan l resevwa apèl sa a!  Wi rele l kounye a!
  God help the poor girl!  In this way she'll be an old lady before she gets that call!  Yes, call her now!

Track: Kè Mwen Kontan by K-Zino 

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Saturday, April 20, 2013

How do you get the concept of 'away' in phrases like 'walked away', 'ran away', or 'flew away'?

We look at these phrasal verbs as expressions or terms which in turn are expressed by its own term in H. Creole. We do not usually translate the verb and then the preposition or adverb that comes after it as if it were two different words.
Some examples:

to walk away → kite
to run away → sove
to fly away → vole ale
to look away → detounen figi
to get away → chape poul, sove, or chape
to throw away → jete
to lock away → fèmen, anfèmen
to stay away → rete lwen

and its the same with other prepositions:
to look after → gade, siveye, pran swen
to run into → kontre ak, kwaze ak
to call off → anile
to turn down → rejte, refize
to break in → kase
etc...

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Friday, April 19, 2013

what does the word "epav" mean in h. creole and please give at least 3 examples! thank you I've heard this word used ALOT especially in ayiti and Facebook

epav → a bum, a hobo, a tramp, a drifter who doesn't not have a fixed home

Here are your THREE examples :)

1. Fanm sa a se yon epav li ye.  Li dòmi lakay tout moun.
    This woman's a tramp,  She sleeps at everybody's house.

2. Bann epav!  Al chache travay pou n fè.
    Bunch of bums!  Go find some work to do.

3. Si w'ap mache fè epav lakay tout moun, w'ap pèdi respè'w.
    If you're loafing around at everyone's house, you'll lose your respect.

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please give the creole translation of Read your Bible pray everyday and you will grow strong

"Read your Bible pray everyday and you will grow strong"
"Li labib ou, priye chak jou e ou va byen grandi"
_______________


Read your bible, pray every day
Read your bible, pray every day
Pray every day (2 times)
Read your bible, pray everyday
And you’ll grow, grow, grow
And you’ll grow, grow, grow (2 times)
Read your bible, pray everyday
And you’ll grow, grow, grow


Li la bib ou, priye chak jou
Priye chak jou (2 fwa)
Li la bib ou priye chak jou 
E ou va grandi
E ou va grandi (2 fwa)
Li la bib ou priye chak jou
E ou va grandi

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Will you translate these phrases for me. 1. cheche kraze-rak; 2. lage koukouwouj; and 3. li dewoule a di. Also I know what 'nan kad' means but I am having trouble puting the right English words to it. Can you help? Mesi mesi anpil anpil!!

Dakò :)

1. "chache kraze rak"
    Kraze rak (degèpi or chape poul) → to escape, to break away, to flee, to decamp
    Chache kraze rak → to atempt to flee, to try to make a run for it, to try to break away

2. lage koukouwouj (fè koukourouj) → to hunt for someone, to go after someone
    
3. Li dewoule a di → (I'm not too sure what this exact sentence mean)
    dewoule → unravel, happen, or unroll
   if you had "dewoule a di", I would translate it as "the beginning is tough" or "Getting started is tough".
   but that's not what we seem to have here.

4. Nan kad.
    "kad" → frame, framework, affiliation, league
    Thus the verb "ankadre"→ to frame, to structure

     a. kad yon foto. 
         frame of a picture

     b.  Mwen pa nan kad moun sa yo.
          I'm not affiliated with these people.

   
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Thursday, April 18, 2013

Èske w ta eksplike sòti tankou yon 'helping verb'? Pa egzamp ki sa vle di egzakteman 'li sòti pè'?

"Li soti pè" sounds to me like "He became a priest."

Other than to go out, to go outside, to come out
Soti or sot is used to say to come from:

1. Mwen soti New York.
    Mwen sot New York.
    I come from New York.

2.  Mwen fèk soti lavil.
     Mwen fèk sot lavil.
     I just came from town.


You can use "soti" as a verb helper here too:

3. Mwen sot wè li.
    I just saw her.

4. Mwen sot pale avè li.
    I just spoke to her.

5. Nou sot benyen nan larivyè a.
    We were just bathing in the river.
     We just come from bathing into the river.


Soti is also used to say to come out as, to become:
6.  Tout timoun ou yo soti byen.
      All your children have become well behaved/grounded kids.

7.  Mwen mete pen yo nan fou a, yo tout soti tou boule.
     I put the bread in the oven, they came out all burned.


We can also use soti to say from one thing to another, from one place to another
8. soti nan yon kote ale nan lòt la
    to come out of one place and go into another.

9.  Mwen te kondui sot New York ale Miami nan yon jou.
     I drove from New York to Miami in one day.

10. Nou te mache soti nan ri Touusaint rive nan ri Dessalines.
      We walked from Toussaint Street to Dessalines Street.

11.  Aswè a n'ava priye soti nevè nan aswè rive jouk senkè nan maten.
       Tonight we'll pray from nine p.m. until five a.m.

12. Distans pou nou kondui soti lakay nou rive lopital la, li te gentan akouche bebe a.
     By the time we drove from our house to the hospital, she already had the baby.

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Is it grammatically correct to say "Eske ou gen kichòy pou mwen?"

"If you see me as a Macoute, then I'm a Macoute. If you see me as gay, I'm gay. What you think of me is no problem, as far as I am concerned. You have the right to think what you want. I know who I am, and that's the main thing."

By "...gay...", do you means "...homosexual..."?
Or did you mean "...a jolly person..."?
I'm translating it here as homosexual. That's what it looks like to me.

"Si w gade m tankou makout, donk se sa mwen ye.  Si w gade m pou masisi donk se sa mwen ye tou.  Annega mwen menm, sa'w panse osijè mwen pa trakase m. Ou gen dwa panse sa w vle.  Mwen konn ki moun mwen ye, e se sa ki enpòtan"

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I'm a bit confused about the placement of pronouns; I thought they usually follow the noun, but then I found this line from RAM's song "Fèy": 'Jou ou wè'm tonbe a, se pa jou a m'koule'. Is this grammatically correct or am I just missing some rule?

From the looks of it, all the pronouns in this sentence are subject pronouns.

Jou |  ou wè     |  m tonbe   |  a    | se pa    | jou a      |  m koule
day |  you see  | I  collapse |  the |  it's not |  the day | I  fail / deteriorate / fail
The day you see me fall is not the day I failed

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

Is there a Creole equivalent for the interj Eew!, or will that work in Creole too?

Pafwa lè m' li nouvèl-la m wè yo ekri non peyi-yo nan plizyè fason. Pa egzamp lè yo ekri United States yon fwa yo ekri 'Lezetazini' lòt fwa 'etazini' epi lòt fwa tou 'Ozetazini'. Yo trete lòt non peyi yo konsa tou. Ki lès ki diferans-la ant chak youn?

That's a direct results of the French spelling.
French for United States is Etats Unis, thus the H. Creole term Etazini.
French for THE United States is Les Etats Unis, thus H. Creole term Lèzetazini.
and French for IN THE United States is Aux Etats Unis, thus the H. Creole term Ozetazini

many other Haitian Creole words are a combination of French definite article (le, la, les),  French prepositions (à, a la, aux) and French terms.
orevwa (from French Au revoir) → goodbye
ozanj (from French aux anges)→ to be elated
ozabwa (from French aux abois) → to be desperate
alafen (from French à la fin) → finally
alamen (from French à la main) → by hand
lajounen (from French la journée) →  day


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

M' fèk li yon pakèt pawòl nan kèk ti kont Kreyòl (pi presize nan kat kont) ki m' pa ka jwenn yo nan Google (oubyen si m' te jwenn yon signifikasyon li pa fè sans). Tanpri souple èske w' ta ede-m? Men yo ye: 1. kalbas (pou pòte dlo) 2. Kòmè 3. Mouri frèt 4. Rechany 5. Kichòy 6. Manzè 7. Palto 8. Woukoutoukoutou tanmanniga (nan yon chante). 9. Li pa tande pe menm. 10. Òfelin 11. Rale (lè yon figi rale). 12. Bòs (nan yon do) pitikouya sarafino (yon chante) 13. Koube. 14. Bagèt. 15. Lougawou 16. Modi 17. Douvan 18. Miri 19. Rigwaz 20. Kranponnen Mèsi mèsi

Hi :)
When you say "Here they are", no need to add "ye".
We simply say:  Men yo. (Here they are.)

 1. kalbas (pou pòte dlo)  → calabash, gourd.  The Calabash is of the gourd family of vegetables.  They are usually oval shaped, or as round as a medium pumpkin or squash.  They are picked, gutted through a small hole at the spot where the stem would be, dried and used as water container.  Beggars sometimes cut them in half after they are gutted, and use them as a bowl to beg for money or food.  It is also call a kwi when it's in a bowl shape. Poor people use those as plates to eat also.  Some people use them as a bowl to feed dogs.

2. Kòmè (or makòmè) → female friend, female buddy

3. Mouri frèt  (or mouri sibit) → to die cold, to die suddenly

4. Rechany (or derechany) → a spare, extra parts, clothes, extra clothes

5. Kichòy  (or bagay) → thing, something
   
a. Mwen gen yon kichòy pou ou.
    I have something for you.

 b. Ban m yon ti kichòy.
    Give me something.

 c.  Mwen pa gen kichòy pou m ba ou.
      I don't have nothing to give you.

  d. Fè yon ti kichòy pou mwen.
      Do something for me.
   

6. Manzè (or Manmzèl, mademwazèl, madmwazèl) → unmarried woman, Miss.
   
  a. Manzè Sarah malad.
      Miss Sarah is ill.

7. Palto  → a jacket, a parka

8. Woukoutoukoutou tanmanniga (nan yon chante).  → not a meaningful word
     "WoukoutoukoutouIt's the noise that a dove or pigeon would make
     "tanmanniga (or tanmiga, or tanmigamiga)" is not a meaningful word (at least not in Creole),         people might use it in songs.  It might mimic the beating of a drum.

9. Li pa tande pe menm.
    He doesn't want to quiet down / stop at all.
    
    a. pe (verb) → to quiet down
    b. Li pe. → He quieted down.
    c. Tanpri, pe la. → please be quiet

10. Òfelin  → orphan

11. Rale (lè yon figi rale).
     
      a. rale → too pull
      
      b. figi rale → long face, face that looks depressed, sad, chagrined
     
      c. Poukisa figi w rale konsa?
          Why such a long face?

12. Bòs (nan yon do) 
      "Bòs" is a hump
      "Bòs nan yon do" is a hump in the back
      We also say do bosi hunchback

13. Koube
      to bow

      a. Do koube → having a curvature of the spine
     
       b. yon granmou k'ap mache do koube
           an old person walking with a curved back

       c. Mwen koube devan ou.
           I bow before you.

14. Bagèt → a stick
     
       a. yon bagèt pen → a stick of bread
     
       b. yon bagèt, yon bagèt maji → a wand
     
       c. Bagèt pye l byen long.
           Her skinny legs are long

15. Lougawou  → (lit. werewolf) evil people that go out at night with evil intentions.  It is said that they shed their skins and turn into all sort of animals (dogs, frogs, cats, ...). They are every kid's "monster under the bed" in Haiti. It's also a sorcerer.  Lougawou are also called zobob, dyab, chanpwèl, sanpwèl, move je, manbo, hougan.   

16. Modi   → to be cursed, or to curse (lay a curse on)
      
      a. Ou se yon moun ki modi.
          You are cursed.

      c. Bondye te modi li.
          God cursed him.

17. Douvan (or devan) → in front, in front of, forward
       
       a. N'ap vanse douvan.
           We're moving forward.

18. Miri → to mature, to become ripe

19. Rigwaz  → is a whip made of cow hide for disciplining kids usually.  They are sold at the Haitians market

20. Kranponnen   → to scare, to intimidate, to be intimidated

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

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Can you explain the use of "OU RIVE KOTE OU TE PRALE A"? I think it means "no" or "no, it will not happen" or something similar.

When it's used that in that way I think it's sarcasm.
It's a funny thing that Haitians always say.  Although literally the phrase means "you've reached your destination",  when used sarcastically it means "One is clearly mistaken", "one has misjudged", or "one is barking up the wrong tree"
Here are some examples:

1.  Si'w panse m'pral rete nan vye kay sa a, ou fin rive kote w ta prale a.
     If you think I'm going to stay in that shabby old house, you're clearly mistaken.

2. Si terowis yo panse yo ka desann Ameriken sou jenou yo, yo fin rive kote yo ta prale a.
    If the terrorists think that they can bring Americans to their knees, they have clearly mistaken.

3. Si manman m kwè m'pral mete rad lèd sa pou al nan fèt la, li fin rive kote l ta prale a.
     If my mom thinks that I'll wear that ugly dress to the party, she's clearly mistaken.

4. Si w panse m'ap kite w mache sou mwen, ou fin rive kote w ta prale a.
     If you think that I'm going to let you walk all over me, you are mistaken.

5.  Si nou panse m'ap pran Nana pou Sizàn*, nou fin rive kote n ta prale a.
     If you think that I can't differentiate between Nana and Sizàn, you're mistaken.
      This really means:     
      If you think I'm that dumb, you have underestimated me.

*Pran Nana pou Sizàn is an expression that means that someone cannot tell the difference between two clearly different things.
*Bay Nana pou Sizàn means that you're tricking someone into taking a fake/bad thing for the real /good thing.
An example:
6. Nou pa'p pran Nana pou Sizàn.
    We will not be tricked.
     I think former president Aristide said that a lot in his speeches.

7.  Yo ban nou Nana pou Sizàn.
      They tried to trick us.
      They did not give us the real deal.
   

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

Mesi anpil pou ede no pou aprann creol¡¡¡Mwe se chilen .Mwen bezwen konnen koman itilise mo "alo".mwen koute anpil ayisien komanse pale ave aló. Me si Soledad

Dakò. Padekwa :)

alò is Haitian Creole for then, thus or so in English and entonces in Spanish.
for example:
1. Alò di mwen, eske ou prale avèk nou?
    So tell me, are you going with us?

2. M'ap pati demen.  Alò se orevwa mwen vin di w.
    I'm leaving tomorrow.  So I've come to say goodbye.

3.  Alò, sa k'ap pase w la? Eske genyen yon pwoblèm?
     So, what's going on with you? Do you have a problem?

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