Based on your last answer about zel sapat, does sapata then mean that you beat someone with your sandals?

It does not necessarily have to be "beaten with sandals". Sapata yon moun means that the person was beaten up real good, knocked down, whipped, etc....

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

What does “zèl sapat” means?

"What does “zèl sapat” means? “Zèl sapat, poté kouto,  Zèl sapat poté chapo,  Zèl sapat poté dlo, Zèl sapat poté siwo, Zèl sapat poté sa’w vlé. I am referring to one of the Ti Manno’s song in DP Express."

zèl sapat (flip flops, sandals) makes a lot of noise, but they can be really flimsy and unstable, aren't they?   So zèl sapat has very little worth.

The same as bri sapat, lots of noises, lots of hype, lots of puffs .... with no substance.

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

What does "son de blé" mean in H.creole? Thanks Mandaly.

The 'ble" is wheat. You will find the coarse wheat in Haiti which looks like grains of rice. Haitians sometimes cook it like rice.
Son de ble (or some people write sondeble) is the fiber, the grain husk that some Haitians use to feed their pigs, goats, etc.....

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

What does “wetan’m metan’m” mean? “Ou se wetan’m metan’m”

Usually wetan m metan m is said of a piece of clothing, shirts, pants, skirts, etc..., that you wear a lot because it might be the only one you own or ... you may just love to wear it ...everyday.

So we call that piece of clothing wetan m metan m (from wete mete), which means ou wete l (you take it off), maybe just to wash it, and then ou mete l (you put it back on) immediately afterwards.
That's how, sometimes in Haiti, you might suspect that someone is on hard times. You see them wearing the same shirt every day, at every function. Sometimes people make fun of them and say, "Chemiz sa a, se yon wetan m metan m?"

I see that System Band uses it as an endearing term "ou se wetan m metan m" meaning you are all I have.

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

I love your creole word of the day and the example that accompanies it. I have just learned a lot of new words off of it. Keep it up!

Mèsi wi :)

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

Hello Mandaly, I'm curious, can you speak, read, and write in French fluently?

Yes.
Most Haitians that have gone to school in Haiti up to, at least 6èm ane can write and read French well. They would be more fluent in French if they spoke it at home, but usually they don't. They usually speak Creole at home and everywhere else.
Two of my sisters were born in French Guiana, When my mom finally brought them home to Haiti, they did not know Creole, so the household spoke French at home for a few years. I attribute my fluency to that.

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

Mandaly here's a sample of the sentence "e pou sa ou kriye tout kriye sa", what's ...kriye tout kriye....?

..kriye tout kriye sa a ... so much crying, all this crying (in context)

Was this sentence a question?
Other ways to say this would be ...
Poukisa ou fè tout kriye sa a?
which is the same as:
"Se pou sa ou kriye tout kriye sa a?"
Is that why you cried s much?

So you can use this form with other verbs/nouns combination.
Poukisa ou fè m mache tout mache sa a?
or
Poukisa ou fè m mache anpil konsa?

one more example:

M pa konprann poukisa ou bezwen pale tout pale sa a.
or
M pa konprann poukisa ou fè tout pale sa a.

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

What are words for "to scam or to screw or to fuck someone" For example, " He scammed(screwed, fucked) me out of a hundred dollars"

As long as it's not sexual, you can use pete, blo or blofe, woule, lolo, plimen, etc...
If it's sexual (screw, fuck) then you'd use plimen, taye, konyen, koupe, frape etc....

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

Explain me this proverb please. "Yo pa voye wòch sou mango vèt.”

"Yo pa voye wòch sou mango vèt" or sometimes you'll also hear "Se sou mango mi yo voye wòch"
means Don't bother doing what you're doing because your effort will be fruitless.

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

What word is usually used for "pinch"? As in, "Don't pinch me!" (said when a child runs up to you and pinches you to see if your skin turns pink.)

For the term To pinch we say in Creole penchen, pichkennen, pichkannen, zongle,  or pense

Don't pinch me
Pa pichkannen m.

Stop pinching me.
Sispann zongle m.

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

Awesome! Go Chili!

mwen kontan, mwen se chilean, travay ak sekreté,
nan lopital, mwen aprann kreyol pou dé haysien ki vini nan chili. 

Yo estoy
muy contenta me encanta esta pagina, estoy estudiando creole, para ayudar a los
imigrantes haitianos que llegan a Chile.

Mandaly says:

Keep it up!

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

Would "lakolèt" and "fè lakolèt" mean "offering/collection" and "to take up offering/collection" in a church context respectively? ...

Would "lakolèt" and "fè lakolèt" mean
"offering/collection" and "to take up offering/collection" in a church context
respectively?  For example, "In the protestant church, they take up
offering/collection every Sunday" Have you also heard of  "kèt", "ketay/ketaj"
and "fè kèt", "kete" to mean "offering/collection" and "to take up
offering/collection" respectively? Also, what are words for "usher" in the
church context in creole? And what are other words for "offering/collection" and
"to take up offering/collection"?

Yes, we use kèt and lakolèt or fè kèt and fè lakòlèt
It does not necessarily have to be in a church setting.
I haven't used the other terms that you have up there, that does not mean that they don't exist.

And the word that I have used for usher is ofisye.

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

Hello Mandaly, how would translate these phrases (Top/upper left-hand corner, middle left-hand side, bottom/lower left-hand corner, top/upper right-hand corner, middle right-hand side, bottom/lower right-hand corner) in creole? For example, "Write your name on the top/upper right-hand corner of the page" or "Click on the start button on the bottom/lower left-hand corner of the desktop"

corner - kwen, pozisyon
top/upper - nan tèt, anwo, 
bottom/lower - anba, 
left hand corner - nan pozisyon goch, sou bò goch
right hand corner - nan pozisyon adwat, nan kwen adwat, sou bò dwat
middle - nan mitan

upper left-hand corner - anwo nan pozisyon goch, anwo nan kwen agoch, anwo sou bò goch
bottom right-hand corner - anba sou bò dwat, anba nan pozisyon dwat

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

In your blog, it’s says that “malatchong” in creole means fake but what does boul malatchong means? I think it is related to the lottery if I refer to the song of Nemours Jn Baptiste.

malatchong - yes it means fake, bogus, also something which involves, trickery,  a sham, fraud, etc...
yon boul malatchong - yon boul fo manmit, bagay magouy

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

What are verbs for "to pride oneself in/on something"? For example, "She pride herself in her ability to spot a shoplifter" or "I pride myself on my ability to find compromises"

to pride oneself in/on .... - tire satisfaksyon nan ..., pran fyète nan ...., jwenn satisfaksyon nan ....

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

"The leaders of the parish" = "Chèf pawas yo" or "Chèf pawas la"? (Not "the leader of the parishes" nor "the leader of the parish" nor "the leaders of the parishes".) I'm looking for a rule or strategy that will work with any similar phrase (e.g. "the keys of the kingdom", "the principles of the lesson").

I see what you mean, it's hard to determine whether the first or the second word is plural in Creole when we say:
1. the leaders of the parish - chèf pawas yo
2. the principles of the lesson - prensip leson yo
3. the keys of the kingdom - kle wayòm yo
4. the students of the chemistry class - elèv klas chimi yo
5. the workers of the store - travayè magazen yo

If it is important for you to differentiate which is plural, then you can say
1. chèf yo nan pawas la
2. prensip yo pou leson an
3. kle yo pou wayòm nan
4. elèv yo nan klas chimi an
5. travayè yo nan magazen an

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

What does “assorossi” means in creole.

I think you mean 'asosi". Te asosi? non?
Here's a link for te asosi on the blog: te asosi.  Be sure to check the comment section as it may answer some of the questions that you have.

Dakò. Mèsi.

http://sweetcoconuts.blogspot.com/2011/05/te-asosi.html

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

Hey Mandaly, great blog! My question is What is bonkou and can you use it in a sentence? thanks

bon kou (or bon valè)  may be used as adjective or adverb means plenty, considerable amount, quite a few

Te gen yon bon kou moun nan miting lan jodi a.
There were quite a few people at the meeting today

Misye travay vit. Li gen tan fè yon bon kou travay nan lakou a.
He works fast. he's already done a lot of work in the yard.

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

There is a system band song named dom laj. In the chorus, they are saying “dom laj, dom laj, pli laj passé yon layé” . I don’t know if I spell light right but I just want to know what does it mean and especially what does layé means in this context?

A laye is a round, flat sifter basket (does not usually have a handle).

Manno Charlemagne also sings a song; Do m laj pase yon laye tou.

It's an expression which means I can handle whatever you throw at me. I can carry a big load, I'm not afraid to carry a burden. Compris?

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

What does “choumoumou” means in creole? Does it mean soft or softly?

No. Where I come from it means very short or tiny person.
In what context was the choumounou used?


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

Is "kevledi" a synonym for "setadi"? Are there other expressions for "that is to say" in creole? Does the word "namely" belong in this category? For example, "There is always one person stuck with cleaning up the mess, namely me" or "They brought lunch, namely sandwiches and sodas"

Yes, they basically mean the same..... ki vle di, sètadi.

In that same category we also have kòm ki dire, kòm kwa dire which means namely, as if to say

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

Hey Mandaly! What does it mean to "tonbe lwa"?

It could either mean to be possessed by the loa, or to dance in a highly spirited way as if possessed by the loa.

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

Hi, just wondering if in kreyol if they have a way to say a woman is thick? mesi :)

Thick as in overweight?
If yes, then you can use gra or gwo.

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

What does 2 gidon means in creole?

Actually it's 'lage de (2) gidon' which means to go after someone without giving them a break, to pursue tirelessly, to persist or also to harass.

You can say:
to pursue someone
lage de (2) gidon dèyè yon moun
or
lage de (2) gidon nan kò yon moun.

An example could be that you promised a friend that you'll lend him your bike and the friend keeps calling you day and night to ask you to bring him the bike. In Creole, you'd say, "Misye lage de gidon dèyè m pou m pote bisiklèt la ba li."

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

Awkward social question: so last time I was in Haiti the people were all surprised that at my age I’m not married and they decided to help me out by showing me the single ladies in the village and asking “ou renmen li?” Seeking a graceful way to extract myself from the situation I latched onto the fact that the first couple ladies were much too young to make an appropriate match for me, however there were no translators around and so I had to wing it in trying to convey that. I wasn’t sure how to say ‘she’s too young’ so I tried the closest thing I thought might communicate that general idea and said “li pa laj.” They got the general gist but I’m wondering did I actually communicate what I intended or something totally different? Is there a better way I could have said this? Mèsi.

Oh man... that must have been awkward for you :)

"Li pa laj" could mean that "She's not of age."
You could also say, "Li twò jenn pou mwen." - "She's too young for me."
or you could just say, "Mèsi, men m ap tann Bondye chwazi pou mwen" or "Mwen poko deside fè afè."
Best of luck.

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

J’aimerais savoir ce que signifie “ Ti tendresse” en créole?

Bonjour mon ami.

Ti tandrès, en créole peut se traduire comme souplesse, affection, gestes delicats et doux, et mème amour.

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

ATIYAYO BON POU VERTIGES?

Hmmm... Li ta pi bon si w mande yon doktè.

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

Eske gen yon lòt mo kreyol ou kapab itilize pou yon moun ki renmen bay manti, tankkou yon mantè?

Wi, moun sa a se yon mantò, yon koken oubyen ou gendwa rele l rizyèz tou.

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

What are verbs "to shut down (someone or something) or to shut (someone or something) figuratively?

To shut down (someone or something) - anpeche, fèmen bouch (yon moun), pa bay (yon moun) bouch pou pale. koupe (yon bagay) sèk.

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

You asked:

... "to guilty somebody into
doing something" or "to guilt-trip someone" For example, "I only went because
she guilted me into it" .....

Mandaly says:

I would use "fòse" or "Bay remò pou fè yon bagay"

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

What are words for "whatever" as an interjection in creole? For example, "Parent: 'For the last time, brush ...

What are words for "whatever" as an
interjection in creole? For example, "Parent: 'For the last time, brush your
teeth!' Child: 'Whatever!'" or "Speaker: 'Do you want to go uptown?' Response:
'Whatever!'" or "Friend: 'Bob isn't coming tonight.' Friend 2:
'Whatever!'"

Hi. There's not a standard way to express such indifference in H. Creole. Some Haitians express it by 'tchuipe', some express it by 'boude' or 'fè bouch long', some say 'di sa w vle' oubyen 'ak bò dèyè m w ap pale'; but if you're looking for a standard translation for 'whatever' as it used in your example, you will not find one.

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

What are verbs for "to size someone or something up"? For example, "He sized up his opponent" or "The two men sized each other up" or "I often see them watching her and sizing her up"

Hi
For the English term size up I would you use tcheke, egzaminen, sonde or teste in H. Creole.

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

Creole Classes in Queens, NY Library.

http://www.caribbeanlifenews.com/stories/2015/9/2015-09-11-tm-creole-classes-cl.html

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

What are verbs for "to provide" in creole? For example, "It is difficult to provide for my family on minimum wage."

You can use, swen, pran swen, okipe or nouri.

"It is difficult to provide for my family."
"Li difisil pou  m okipe fanmi m."

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

Wap twouble sante m?

Jouk kote sante w ye a pou w ap kite moun twouble l, mezanmi o!

Twouble sante yon moun, se anniye l, deranje l, entenwonp li, djigèt lespri l.

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

Est-ce-que penyen lage gen lòt siyifikasyon autre que kwafi?

Wi.
Li vle di alèz (tankou yon moun ki mete l konfòtab, ki pa jennen, ki alèz kon blèz).

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

I had my friend write this for me after she said it. "Se Americain ou ye sorry ou nan pointe bouche ou". She said it means that I'm not sincere. Can you explain this for me? Thanks.

She is right about the meaning
..nan pointe bouche ou (written: nan pwent bouch ou) - at the tip of your mouth (meaning not from deep within)
as far as the sentence "Se Americain ou ye sorry ou nan pointe bouche ou" it means "You are American, your apology is not sincere"
Sorry to hear that she's got some bad sentiments toward you.

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

Bonjou Mandaly. Mwen se Ayisyen. how would you translate this quote to English, "sòt ki bay egare ki pa pran"?

Do they also use 'egare' for this expression? I often hear 'Sòt ki bay, enbesil ki pa pran'.
Anyway the translation to English is: You'd be a fool not to take/accept/take advantage of this.

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

Hello, I was wondering if you knew of any translators (such as google translator) that I could input a English word in at any time and hear the Creole pronunciation? Thank you

Of all the translator apps that can also 'speak' the translations, iHandy and Google Translator are the least frustrating. iHandy is cool, gets it right 60 to 70% of the time.

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

Hi I would like to find this song, can you help me please it's called. Vini non vini non pa di ou va gintan demain se pa pou piga ou konte sou li. Thank you

M ap kontinye chache rès la pou ou :)


Les Etincelles de l'Evangile
Marie Mirca Tangar

Kouri vin jwenn Jezi avan ke li twò ta

Pa rete, sa  w ap fè?

Jezi vle ba ou la vi

Sonje Bondye renmen w

Pinga ou reziste

Kisa li di ou fè

Pou kapab genyen lavi

Vini non, vini non

Pa di ou va gen tan

Demen se pa pou ou

Piga ou konte sou li

Sonje nan tan lontan, 

Se te toujou konsa 

Noe preche san ven tan, 

Pèsòn pa t vle kwè nan li 

Lè delij la rive, 

Tout moun te vle sove 

Li te twò ta pou yo, 

Piga w kite sa rive w

Nou menm ki kwè deja,

Kenbe pi fè m nan jezi

Lè lè a va rive

Pou na l rankontre mèt nou

Ala bèl sa va bèl

Pou moun ki nan jezu

Se va lajwa lapè

Pandan tout letènite

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

Bonjou Mandaly! I am pretty new at speaking Kreyol. On a recent trip to Haiti, we heard the word boadup (spelling?) a lot. I understand it as being a slang word for "broken". Is that correct. If not, what exactly does it mean. Thanks so much!

Hi,
I cannot think of a Haitian Creole word with similar spelling that would mean break or broken.
If, however, this word is used twice, like this (bodòp bodòp) it does describe the sound that a broken machine / equipment makes. In that case we use these terms in conversational context.

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