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 prepositions to and on. Show all posts
Showing posts with label prepositions to and on. Show all posts

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

To (as in a destination): I am walking to my room. (M'ap mâché nan chanm m? or M'ap mâché al chanm m?) Or something else? Also I'm confused by how I would say "off of": Get off of me. Fall off of the table. Etc.

I.
I am walking to my room – “M’ap mache al nan chanm mwen” is correct

You can also say: M pral nan chanm mwen  (I’m going to my room)

Adding the Creole verb “ale” helps to indicate that you’re walking towards the room.

M’ap mache nan chanm mwen meansI am walking in my room”

 
II.
You may add the verb “ale” to indicate that you are moving to …a direction.

Examples:

N’ap kondi al Miami instead of N’ap kondi Miami (We’re driving to Miami)

Mwen te mache al lakay instead of Mwen te mache lakay (I walked home)

 
III.
As far as the preposition “to” is concerned, it may not be translated in Creole in these cases:

Mwen pral lekòl (I’m going to school)

Nou prale lavil. (We’re going to town)

Eske ou  prale legliz jodi a? (Will you go to church today?)

Nou prale lakay. (We’re going home)

 

 IV.
And sometimes we use “NAN”

Nan may indicate at, to, to the, in, or in the
Examples:

Li prale nan mache. (He’s going to the market)

Mwen pral nan magazen an. (I’m going to the store)

Mwen pral nan konsè a. (I’m going to the concert)

Mwen pral nan fèt la. (I’m going to the party)

Mwen prale nan reyinyon an. (I’m going to the meeting)

Li nan travay.  (She’s at work.)

Mwen te wè li lopital la. Or M te wè l nan lopital la. (I saw her at the hospital)

 
V.
And finally… a little correction in your sentence :)

Say “chanm mwen” instead of “chanm m”

We don’t usually use contractions after consonants

Chanm mwen, not chanm m (my room) We don't use the contracted “m” after “chanm” because of the ending consonant “m” in “chanm

Liv mwen, not liv m (my book) We don't use contracted “m” after “liv” because of the ending consonant “v” in “liv

Kabann ou not kabann w (your bed) We don't use contracted “w” after “kabann” because of the ending consonant “n” in “kabann

Bagay li not bagay l (his thing)  We don't use contracted “l”  after “bagay” because of the ending consonant “y” in bagay)

Mwen prale avèk ou not Mwen prale avèk w (I will go with you)  We don't use contracted “w” after “avèk” because of consonant “k” at the end of “avèk

BUT you CAN say Mwen prale avè w (I’m will go with you) We use contraction “w” after “avè” because we have a vowel “è” at the end of “avè

You can also say:

Papa mwen or papa m (my father) because “papa” ends with a vowel “a”.  SO it's ok to use a contraction after a word that ends with a vowel.

Mwen renmen ou or Mwen renmen w (I like you) because “renmen” ends with the nasal vowel “en”

manman mwen or manman m (my mother) because “manman” ends with the nasal vowel “an”

Rele mwen or Rele m (call me) because “rele” ends with a vowel “e”   

 
VI.
OFF OF / OFF  may be translated with some Haitian Creole expressions.  We may use Haitian Creole terms "retire" or "wete" (to take away or take out), or "soti" or "sot" (out of)
Examples:

Get off of me  (Get off me?)– Soti sou mwen, wete (or retire) kò w sou mwen

   Soti sou mwen – get away from me

  Wete kò w sou mwen – remove your body from me, remove yourself from me, get away from me.

She fell off heavenLi tonbe sot nan syèl

He fell off the horseLi sot tonbe sou chwal la.

She fell off the bed. – Li sot tonbe sou kabann nan.

The spoon fell off the table . – Kiyè a sot tonbe sou tab la

Take your feet off the tableWete pye w sou tab la

He took off his hatLi wete chapo l.
He took the hat off the table. - Li wete chapo a sou tab la.

Keep off the grassRete lwen gazon an. (Rete lwen – Stay away)
Keep the car off the grass. - Wete machin nan sou gazon an.
Same as:
Get off me. - Wete w sou mwen or Sot kò w sou mwen or Soti kò w sou mwen.

She got off the car.Li te desann machin nan. (Get off – desann, soti)

I’m going to get off right here.M’ap desann la a.

(check LABELS at the bottom)
 

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

Thursday, October 20, 2011

nan

nan → Haitian Creole adverb and preposition

Nan in, inside

It's in the box.
Li nan bwat la.

She's in the room
Li nan chanm nan.

The car is in the garage.
Machin nan nan garaj la.


Nanamong, of

One of them
One among them
youn nan yo

Two of them
Two among them
de nan yo

A lot of them
many among them
anpil nan yo

Many of the girls did not come back.
Anpil nan fi yo pat tounen.


Nanat

She's at work.
Li nan travay.

Come pick us up. We're at the airport.
Vin chache nou. Nou nan aewopò a.

She's at a better place now.
Li nan yon pi bon plas kounye a.

I'll see you at the library.
Ma wè ou nan bibliyotèk la.

We were at the park when this happenned.
Nou te nan pak la lè sa te pase.



Nan → in amount of time

In two hours, we will see the results.
Nan dezèdtan, na wè rezilta yo.

We'll get married in six months.
N'ap marye nan six mwa.

Meet me in one hour.
Vin rankontre m nan inèdtan.


Nan to

She went to the market.
Li ale nan mache a.

We're going to the soccer game.
Nou prale nan match  foutbòl la.

We're going to the movies tonight.
Nou prale nan sinema aswè a.

She went to the party.
L'ale nan fèt la.

When we die, we'll all go to heaven.
Lè nou mouri, nou tout prale nan syèl.

Ask me anything

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Preposition "on"

On → sou.

He sat on the chair.
Li te chita sou tab la.

She lied down on the bed.
Li te kouche sou kabann nan.

They came on a shabby boat.
You te vini sou yon vye bato.

Monday, June 13, 2011

Prepositions: AT, TO, ON, IN

AT
Use the Haitian Creole words "nan" or "kay/lakay" in places where you used "at" for directions and locations.
Example:
1. I am at school. - Mwen nan lekòl la.

2. I am at the party. - Mwen nan fèt la.

3. We are at the concert. - Nou nan konsè a.

4. I am at a crossroad. - Mwen nan yon kafou.

5. I'm at the doctor's - Mwen kay Doktè.

6. I'm at my mom's - Mwen kay manman m.

7. They are at the inauguration . - Yo nan inogirasyon an.

8. Turn at the curb and go through the gates.
    Vire nan koub la, e antre nan baryè a.

9.  I saw her at the funeral. - Mwen te wè li nan antèman an.

10. It happened at the worst time. - Sa rive nan pi move moman an.


Use the Haitian Creole "a" when telling time and asking questions with "at". 
Examples
1. At what time are you coming? - A kilè wap vini?

2. At five.  - A senkè.

3. At what temperature? - A ki tanperati?

4. At what age? - A ki laj?

To
The preposition "to" is dropped in sentences that involve directions and locations, and infinitive clauses.
1. I will go to mexico - M prale Meksik.

2. I'm going to church - M prale legliz.

3. I hope to see you . - M espere wè w.

4. I tried to talk. - M eseye pale.

You may also use Haitian Creole word "nan"  to translate preposition "to" in places where you could also use "at".
1. I'm going to church - M prale nan legliz la.

2. She went to the party. - Li ale nan fèt la.

3. I am going to my Mom's. - M prale kay manman m


Use Haitian Creole word "a",  when using phrases such as: "from... to..."
1. From my dad to my mom. - De papa m a manman m.

2. From me to you. - De mwen menm a ou menm.

3. From John to Stacy. - De John a Stacy.

ON
The Haitian Creole word "sou"  usually translates the preposition "on".
Examples;
1. The letter is on the table. - Lèt la sou tab la.

2. Sit on this chair. - Chita sou chèz sa.

3. Put this dress on. - Mete rad sa sou ou.

In
The Haitian Creole word "nan", or "anndan" usually translates the proposition "in"
Examples:
1. She lives in a box. - Li rete nan yon bwat.

2. Put the books in your bag. - Mete liv yo nan valiz ou a.

3. In what year where you born? - Nan ki ane ou te fèt?

4.  In what month? - Nan ki mwa?

5.  You're in trouble. - Ou nan problèm.

Also see other preposition exercises at the following links:
Preposition to
prepositions at, in, from

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Exercise 34 - Answers to Exercise 33

Here they are. The answers to questions in Exercise 33.
Please note the prepositions in the English translations.

1. Ki jou Zette te ale lekòl? (what day did Zette go to school?)
Answer: Zette te ale lekòl lendi. (Zette went to school on Monday)

2. Ki kote Zette te ale madi? (Where did Zette go on Tuesday?)
Answer: Madi Zette te ale nan plaj la. (Tuesday Zette went to the beach)
3. Kombyen zanmi Zette te fè madi? (How many friends did Zette make on Tuesday?)
Answer: Li te fè twa(3) zanmi madi. (She made three friends on Tuesday.)

4. Eske Zette te renmen fim nan? (Did Zette like the movie?)
Answer: Non. Li pa te renmen li. (No. She didn't like it.)

5. Ki jou Zette te ale nan konsè a? (what day did Zette go to the concert?)
Answer: Zette te ale nan konsè a jedi. (Zette went to concert on Thursday)

6. Ki kote Zette te ale vandredi? (where did Zette go on Friday?)
Answer: Vandredi Zette te ale kay yon dantis. (On Friday Zette went to a dentist)

7. Ki jan dantis la rele? (What was the dentist's name?)
Answer: Li te rele Felix. (His name was Felix)

8. Ki kote Zette te ale samdi? (where did Zette go on Saturday?)
Answer: Samdi Zette te ale nan yon jwèt foutbòl. (On Saturday Zette went to a soccer game)

9. Ki kote Zette te ale dimanch? (where did Zette go on Sunday)
Answer: Dimanch Zette te ale legliz. (On Sunday Zette went to church)

10. Kisa Zette ak Fanò te fè dimanch? (What did Zette and Fanò do on Sunday?)
Answer: Yo te marye. (They got married)