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Wednesday, May 3, 2017

How is the imperative formulated in creole with "to be" verbs followed by adjective and/or reflexive?

You asked:
How is the imperative formulated in creole with "to be" verbs followed by adjective and/or reflexive?

"Be good!"
"Be kind!"
"Be courageous!"
"Be vigilant/cautious!"
"Be intelligent/smart!"
"Be yourself!"

Does the past imperative exist in creole?

"Be up at six o'clock in the morning."
"Have this report done by 6 in the evening."
"Have this room clean when I get back home."

What is the grammar structure for imperative in the first and third person in creole?

"May he/she rest in peace."
"May god bless you."
"May you/ he/she/they be blessed."

I know that "annou" translates the third person imperative as a command, but what about expressing the imperative in the third person and other persons as a permission? Can "annou" express request or permission as well?

"Let/make us leave."
"Let/allow them in."
"Let/allow us see the album."


Note that some of the examples are my own and the others are taken from various grammar sources.


Mandaly says:
Thanks for your question. 
When it comes to translating in English, sometimes it's best not to try to have a word for word translation. Sometimes the English language uses the verb to be, but the Creole translates does not use the same sentence structure.
Think Creole :)

"Be good!" - 
Konpòte w byen!
Se pou w konpòte w byen!
Fè moun debyen!
Se pou w fè moun debyen!

"Be kind!"

Se pou w janti!

"Be courageous!"

Se pou w brave!
Se pou w gen kouraj!

"Be vigilant/cautious!"

Se pou w veyatif!
Se pou w fè atansyon!
Se pou w rete sou piga w!

"Be intelligent/smart!"

Louvri je w!
Pa fè sòt!

"Be yourself!"

Rete jan w ye a!
Pa chanje!
________

"Be up at six o'clock in the morning."
Leve a sizè nan maten.
Se pou leve a sizè nan maten.

"Have this report done by 6 in the evening."

Pare rapò sa a anvan sizè diswa.

"Have this room clean when I get back home."

Se pou w netwaye chanm sa anvan m tounen.
or 
Se pou w fin netwaye chanm nan distans pou m tounen.
_____

"May he/she rest in peace."
Repoze an pè.
Se pou l repoze an pè.
Ke li repoze an pè.

"May god bless you."

Ke Bondye beni w.
Se pou Bondye beni w.

"May you/ he/she/they be blessed."

Se pou ou/li/yo beni.


For permission you may see "kite" or "pèmèt or penmèt"

Let them in.
Kite yo rantre.

allow me to see ...
kite m wè
or
penmèt mwen wè


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

1 comment:

  1. Is the verb "lese" also used when expressing permission?

    ReplyDelete