I don't understand "Sa sa ye la?" How could it mean "what is this?" Please, please explain.

Sa     |  sa   |   ye |  la    |  (contracted)

Kisa  |  sa   |   ye |  la    |  (uncontracted)

What |  that |   is   |  here |  (translation in English)

Thus,
Sa sa ye la? → What is that / this?

Sa sa yo ye la? → what are these/those?

Ki gagòt sa? (What is this mess?)

Yes.

Ki gagòt sa?
What is this mess?

What is this crap?
Ki tenten sa?
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Explain: "Ki sa sa ye"

Kisa → what
Ye → to be
sa → this, that, it

Kisa sa ye?
What is that?

Kisa sa yo ye?
What are those?

Kisa yo ye?
What are they?

Kisa li ye?
What is it?

When do you say Kisa vs Kisa ki?

What - Kisa
When “what” acts as a subject pronoun, we add “ki” after it.

1. What is in the car?

Kisa ki nan machin nan?

2. What makes you happy?

    Kisa ki fè ou kontan?

3. What’s in your pocket?

    Kisa ki nan pòch ou?

4. What is happening?

    Kisa ki pase?

5. What is going on?

    Kisa ki genyen?

6. What is inside that box?
    Kisa ki nan bwat la?

When “what” acts more as an interrogative pronoun, it may be used on its own.

7. What do you think?
    Kisa ou panse?

8. What did he say to you?

    Kisa li te di ou?

9. What can you do?

    Kisa ou ka fè?

10. What will you wear?

     Kisa ou pral mete?

11. What would you do with a million dollars?

      Kisa ou ta fè avèk yon milyon dola?

FYI:  It is important to know that "Kisa" is very often contracted to "sa".  So you may hear:

What do you want?

Kisa ou vle? or

Sa ou vle?

I know what you want.

mwen konnen kisa ou vle.  or

Mwen konnen sa ou vle.

FYI:  It is important to know that "Kisa ki" is very often contracted to "Sa k".  So you may hear:

What's up?

Kisa ki pase? or

Sa k pase?

What's going on?

Kisa ki genyen? or

Sa k genyen?

I know what happened.

Mwen konnen kisa ki pase.  or

Mwen konnen sa k pase.

Ask me anything

what's that

What's that? - Kisa sa ye? or Sa sa ye?

Ask me anything

Saying 'what" in Haitian Creole

Click on the play button.  Listen and follow along.



BONJOU!

'Kisa' is Haitian Creole for 'what'.

Example:
Kisa ou vle?
What do you want?

In both spoken and written Haitian Creole,  'Kisa' is contracted down to 'sa' most of the times.
Kisa → Sa
'Kisa' and 'sa' are interchangeable.


Example:
1. Kisa ou vle?
    Sa ou vle?
   What do you want?

2. Kisa ou bezwen?
   Sa ou bezwen?
   What do you need?

3. Kisa ou ka fè?
   Sa ou ka fè?
   What can you do?

4.  Kisa ki pase?
    Sa ki pase?
    Sa k pase?
  What's happenning?, what's up?

5. Di m kisa ou panse.
   Di m sa ou panse.
   Tell me what  you think.

6. M pa konn kisa pou m fè.
   M pa konn sa pou m fè.
   I don't know what to do.


7. Kisa sa vle di?
   Sa sa vle di?
   What does that mean?

8. Kisa sa ye?
   Sa sa ye?
   What is this?

(and in other sentences with 'what')

9. Kisa lanmou ye?
   What is love?

10. Sa lavi ye?
   What is life?

11. Sa yon 'wiki' ye?
    What's a 'wiki'?

Mèsi e pase yon bon jounen.
Thanks and have a good day.

Track: Kisa k Sekrè Lavi a by Sandra d'Haiti