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!

Showing posts with label expressions and idioms. Show all posts
Showing posts with label expressions and idioms. Show all posts

Sunday, March 2, 2014

Tèt Chaje! (E anpil anpil lòt ekspresyon)

Not every Haitian Creole expression in this audio post can be translated word for word.

Download link:
http://limanecasimi.audioacrobat.com/download/2b1b5975-db17-152c-90ea-e1b2c93ced65.mp3

Click to listen to audio: http://www.audioacrobat.com/play/WYLsvX1S


Sa se istwa Toto ak Janèt.
This is the story of Toto and Janet.

Toto ak Janèt se te misye ak madanm.
Toto and Janet were husband and wife.

De mesyedam sa yo se te pwason kraze nan bouyon.  Yo te damou nèt.
These two people were like two peas in a pod.  They were totally in love.

Men sa’k vin pase. Toto te konn travay vennkat sou vennkat. Li pa janm gen tan.  Li pa janm la.  Janèt menm te bouke rete pou kont li nan kay la.  Chak jou se te konsa. Donk, ou konnen, Lè chat pa la rat pran kay.
Here's what happened.  Toto used to work around the clock.  He never had time.  He was never there.  Janet, herself, was tired of staying home alone in the house.  Everyday it was like that.  So, you know, when the cat's away the mice come to play.

Wi machè! Misye te vin sispèk madanm ni ka ap ba li zokloJanèt toujou demanti mari l. Konsa yon jou Toto ba l yon kou sipriz.  Li rantre lakay sanzatann.
Yes! He suspected that his wife may have been cheating on him.  Janet always denied it.  So one day Toto surprised her.  He came home unexpectedly.

Lè Toto rantre nan kay la, sa l wè l pa ka pale.  L’al pantan sou yon move sipriz. Yon lòt nèg….
When Toto got into the house, he was speechless.  He came upon a bad surprise.  Another man...

Sa w tande a, de je kontre manti kaba.  Tout kaka chat deyò.  Toto pran chenn.  Li fin deraye. Li rale yon kouto.
Just like you heard, Janet was cornered.  All secret was out.  Toto got really mad.  He lost it completely.  He pulled out a knife.

Lòt nèg la wè kouto a. Tout jwèt se jwèt, kòchèt pa ladan l. Li ranmase rad li, o o! toutouni an,  li di “pye sa m te manje m pa’t ba w!”. Li chape poul li.
The other man saw the knife, it was not a game anymore.  He picked up his clothes, all naked, he asked his feet to take him as far away as possible.  He split.

Toto menase Janèt ak kouto a. Janèt menm ranmase tout zafè li.  Li kite kay la ak kanè bank mari li blanch.  Li kite misye sou po bouda l.
Toto threatened Janet with the knife.  Janet picked up her belongings and emptied out the house and her husband's bank account.  She left him penniless.

Tèt chaje! Toto pèdi ni sak ni krab. Li pèdi lanmou. Li pèdi madanm. Li pèdi  lajan li. Li pèdi diyite l. Ou konn tande yo di gason pa kriye. Ah! tande ak wè se de, misye te kriye kon yon ti bebe.
It's a dilemma indeed!  Toto lost everything.  He lost his love.  He lost his wife.  He lost his money.  He lost his dignity.  You hear they say that men don't cry.  Well, seeing is believing, he cried like baby.

Depi lè sa a Toto pran lavi a ak degou.  Li te toujou kenbe espwa ke yon jou Janèt va tounen vin jwenn ni.
Since then Toto had a distaste for life.  He always held hope that one day Janet will come back to him.

Men se pa sa ki te fèt. Janèt pa’t ka viv ak sa l te fè a.  Dezespwa anpare l.  L’al lage tèt li devan yon tap-tap.
But that's not what happened.  Janet couldn't live with what she did.  She was overcome with despair.  She went and threw herself in front of a tap-tap.

Anbilans te vini, men pa’t gen anyen yo te ka fè pou sove l.
The ambulance came, but there was nothing they could do to save her
Janèt al bwachat.  Toto pran nouvèl la.  Se te abse mete sou klou.  Toto pran kabann, li pa janm leve.  Chagren touye l.
Janet died.  Toto heard about it.  It was a bad situation that became worse.  He became ill in bed, and never recovered.  He died of a broken heart.
Mezanmi o! Ala de tèt chaje.
Man! What a dilemma!
Enhen! Pawòl nan bon ti manmit nou ba w la.
Uh huh! We told you the story accurately.
Track: Jou Ouvè by Malavoi

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

Thursday, January 10, 2013

How does "TOUT BRAV NAN SIMITYE" and "KRAPO ANTERE MANMAN'L" mean the same thing?

I think the second one is Kapon antere manman li.
Both expressions are about cowards outliving brave people.

Tout brav nan simityè.
All the braves are in the cemetery.
You know the braves are the heroes that run to the front line of the battle and ultimately die, while the cowards hide safely under a rock.
This expression also means that a living person is a "cautious" person.

the second sentence,
Kapon antere manman l
The cowards bury their mother.
You know, cowards live long enough to bury their parents.  But brave people, intrepid and fearless as they are, get buried by their parents.

Did you make the connection between the two expressions?
Now my question is, Is there an English equivalent for these expressions?  Thanks :)

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

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

And this expression, I'd like to know more about it: Mwen pote ou sou do m enpi w ou di m ou pile teta.

M pote'w sou do'm, enpi ou di'm ou pile teta.
I carry you on my back, and then you tell me you stepped on a tadpole.
basically this means:
I know more than you.
I'm in a better position to make knowledgeable decision here.
This is my turf, my domain, my call.

If you really think about it, "If i carry you on my back" how would you know what the ground feels like, or how could you step on anything?

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

Houngan ba w pwen an, li pa di w monte kokoye san kenbe

Mèsi :)
Sa se yon bèl ekpresyon Kreyòl Ayisyen.

Houngan an ba w pwen, li pa di w monte kokoye san kenbe.
The voodoo priest gives you a charm, but he doesn't tell you to go up a coconut tree without holding tight.

So I guess you really can't blame the voodoo priest if you fall off. The voodoo priests never give refunds :)
This basically means to always be safe and take precautions no matter how invincible you may feel.

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

Jwe pezemen? in English

Jwe pyezemen → do one's best, try very hard, do whatever possible

1. Madanm nan te jwe pyezemen pou l fè timoun li yo rantre a letranje.
   The woman did her best to bring her kids overseas.

2. Ou te jwe pyezemen pou yo revoke m nan travay la.
    You did everything possible so that I would be fired me from the job.

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

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

maladi ou genyen an, se pa li ou di doktè

Yon ekpresyon Kreyòl

Maladi w genyen an, se pa li w di doktè
The ailment you have is not the one you tell the doctor
to beat around the bush
To complain about one thing when you really mean to complain about another.

example:
Your wife complains about the house being too small when, in fact, she really wants her mother-in-law moved out of the house.
Maladi l genyen an, se pa li l di doktè

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

Sunday, January 6, 2013

Inosan peye pou koupab

Wi. Inosan peye pou koupab.
Sa rive souvan.  Sa rive toupatou.
Nou plenyen anpil chak kou n wè yon pòv inosan pran chatiman yon koupab.
Men malerezman sa rive chak jou.
Sa rive nan lekòl, lè yon pwofesè pini tout klas la pou zak youn ou de nan elèv yo.
Sa rive nan peyi Etazini, lè klas mwayen an ap peye pou goumandiz mesye Wall Street yo.
Sa rive Ayiti, lè abitan peyi a ap soufri poutèt move gouvènman mesye antèt yo.
E yo di, sa te rive Jerizalèm lè yon nonm te peye dèt peche lemonn sou yon kwa.

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

Thursday, January 3, 2013

"Madanm nan monte taptap la, li te move kou kong." What is MOVE KOU KONG? thanks

Move kou kong (expression) Mad as hell, very angry, furious
Why was she angry? Did she not find a good seat on the tap-tap?

Istwa pa'm :)
Papa m pa't genyen yon bon eksperyans lè li te vwayaje nan peyi Etazini.  Nan ane swasant yo, li te sibi anpil diskriminasyon.  Lè li te retounen Ayiti, li te move kou kong.  Li te di, "Mwen p'ap janm retounen nan peyi Etazini ankò."

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

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

How is expression "w'a gentan konnen" used exactly?

It's used as a warning.  It means "Soon, you'll know"  as if to say "you just wait and see" or "you won't know what hit you" or "Soon you'll see how wrong you were."
It is also used with other pronouns, as in "L'a gentan konnen" or "Y'a gentan konnen"
In Case you didn't know this, the ('a) after the pronoun is a contracted form of the future form "va" or "ava"
Examples:
W'a gentan konnen (Ou va gentan konnen or W'ava gentan konnen)
Y'a gentan konnen (Yo va gentan konnen or Y'ava gentan konnen)

Here's an example of the usage.
1.  W'ap pase granmoun nan betiz kòm si ou p'ap janm vyeyi.  W'a gentan konnen.
     You're making fun of the older generation as if you'll never grow old.  You wait and see!

2. Tout lekòl kontan ak nouvo trezorye a.  Yo pa konn si se yon vòlè li ye.  Y'a gentan konnen.
    The whole school is happy with the new treasurer.  They don't know that he's a crook.  Soon they'll know how wrong they were.



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

Zo granmoun pa pran

Non, zo granmoun pa pran.

It's a way of saying "Be careful, if you fall and break a bone, there might not be a recovery"

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

Saturday, December 29, 2012

Kite m mele m / Sa pa gade m?

Ki te mele m  
Sa pa gade m
I don't care.

They also say:
Kite mele m avè w! (I don't  give a danm about you)
or
Kite mele bouda m see link

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

Saturday, October 20, 2012

se nan chimen jennen yo kenbe chwal malen

Chak chwal malen genyen yon chimen jennen sou wout yo.  Chwal la te mèt galope jan li vle, bay payèt jan li vle, yon jou li va kwense nan chimen jennen.

Se nan chimen jennen yo kenbe chwal malen.
It is on a narrow path that they'll capture the wild horse
Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

Saturday, September 15, 2012

I am looking for examples of idioms in Creole. Phrases that when translated literally would not be understood very well. For example in English one can say, "I have a bone to pick" which has nothing to do with picking bones, but about confronting someon

I can think of a few.  Here they are:

1.
gate san (used as a transitive verb)
literally: spoil blood
meaning: upset
Ou ap gate san'm.
You're upsetting me.

2.
Sou de chèz (used as adverb)
Literally:  on two chairs
meaning: thoroughly, in depth, in great details, quickly
M'ap ba ou li sou de chèz.
I'll give it to you in great details.

3.
Chape poul (used as verb)
Literally: to escape one's chicken
meaning: to escape, to run away, to flee
Li te chape poul li.
He ran away.

4.
al bwa chat ( used as inrtansitive verb)
Literally: go wood cat
Meaning: to die.
L'al bwa chat. or (l'al bwachat)
He died.

5.
Ale nan peyi san chapo (used as intransitive verb)
Literally: go in country without hat
meaning: to die.
Li ale nan peyi san chapo.
He died.

6.
achte figi (used as transitive verb)
Literally: to buy one's face
meaning: to flatter someone
Mwen p'ap achte figi'w.
I will not flatter you.

7.
met dlo nan diven (used as verb)
Literally: put water in wine
Meaning: calm down, simmer down, relax
Si'w pa met dlo nan diven'w, wa di bagay ou pa dwe di.
If you don't calm down, you'll say things you're not supposed to say.

8.
pran nan twa wa (used as intransitive verb)
literally: take in three kings
meaning: to be in trouble, to be stuck, to be in a jam
Mwen pran nan twa wa.
I'm in a jam.

9.
pran fil (used as intransitive verb)
literally: take thread 
meaning: to succeed, to become popular, to flourish
Biznis li a pran fil.
Her business is flourishing.

10.
rache zèb anba pye (used as transitive verb) 
literally: cut grass under someone's feet
meaning: prevent someone from succeeding
Fè atansyon ak Fito, se zèb l'ap koupe anba pye'w.
Be careful of Fito, he's trying to make you fail.

11.
tet nèg (used as adjective)
literally: head of man
meaning: expensive
Mont sa koute tèt nèg.
This watch is expensive.

12.
Bat laponyèt (used as intransitive verb)
literally: beat arm (wrist)
meaning: masturbate
Gason kanson pa bat laponyèt.
Real man don't masturbate. (this is just a sentence example)

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

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

What is 'kase tèt tounen'?

Kase tèt tounen is an expression that means to turn around, to suddenly go in the opposite direction.

Examples:

1. Li kase tèt tounen.
    He turned around.

2. Li t'ap prale nan magazen an. Lè li reyalize li te bliye lajan li, li te kase tèt tounen.

3. Li t'ap kondi machin nan sou wout la.  Lè li te wè lapolis yo devan li, li te kase tèt tounen.

4. Avyon an te deja rive nan mitan wout, men pilòt la te kase tèt tounen lè yon pasaje te fè kriz kadyak.
Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

Thursday, November 10, 2011

"Fè dèyè" is expression for ?

Literally: making buttocks, growing a butt
Meaning: gaining weight

It is not meant to be offensive.
Some people might even take it as a compliment. 

Example:
Bagay yo dwe ap mache byen pou Mimine. L'ap fè dèyè.
Things must be going well for Mimine.  She's gained some weight.

You might also hear:
Fè vant → growing a belly
same expression

Monday, November 7, 2011

the early bird catches the worm

The early bird catches the worm.

Pi bonè se gran maten.
The earliest time is always early morning (Literal)

Malè avèti pa touye kokobe.
A danger predicted will not kill the handicap (Literal)

Pye kout pran devan.
People with short legs, start walking early. (Literal)

Je fon kriye anvan.
Deep eye sockets , cry first (Literal)

Is this alwyas true?

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Brown noser (Haitian Creole)

Brown noser → ti sousou
to suck up to → fè ti sousou, or  fè ti sousou nan pye

What a back-scratcher!
Ala yon ti sousou!

Stop sucking up to him.
Sispann fè ti sousou nan pye l.

If Fefe didn't suck up to the boss, he would have lost the job a long time ago.
Si Fefe pa't fè ti sousou nan pye patron an, li ta pèdi travay la lontan.


Creole synonyms for ti sousou: reskiyè, restavèk, tyoul

Demaske w sou mwen (translate please)

Not such a nice thing to say to someone.

Demaske → unmask

Demaske w sou mwen.
literally: Unmask yourself from me.
meaning: Get out of my face.

Mwen bezwen demaske li sou mwen.
literally:  I need to unmask him/her from me.
meaning: I need to get rid of him/her.

Demaske w la!
literally: Unmask yourself from here!
meaning:  Get lost!

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Twokèt. Sa se twokèt la!

Twòkèt is a protective cushion that people use to put on their heads to help them carry a heavy load (on their heads).

A twòkèt may be made out of cloth or leaves (especially leaves from a plantain tree).

To make a twòkèt, you would take a long piece of cloth, twist it around like if you were wringing it. Then coil it around into a circle.

I am not sure of the English translation for the Creole word twòkèt.
I would appreciate you sharing it with me if you know it.

People would use a twòkèt to carry their marchandise to the market, to carry their laundry, their suitcases, etc....
I have seen people carry 6-7 chairs on their head to the market.  Their twòkèt must have been a very good one :]

The expression you hear often is:

Expression:           Sa se twòkèt la, chay la dèyè.
Literal meaning:   This is the "twòkèt", the load will follow.
General meaning: You ain't see nothing yet, the worse is yet to
                               come.  or
                                The worst is yet to comeor
                                If you think the "twòkèt" is heavy, wait till you
                               get the actual load.