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!

Saturday, September 30, 2017

Do you have, or know where I can obtain some short stories in Haitian Creole, to practice? I'm finding it a bit difficult to practice and expand my vocabulary just from the phrases. The phrases are really great, but I'm advancing a bit and would like to push forward!

Anfòm! Mwen kontan tande ke w ap avanse nèt nan kreyòl la. Ou kapab tcheke sit wèb EducaVision an. Yo genyen anpil liv ki genyen kont ak istwa ladan yo. Ou kapab koumanse avèk liv Mod Fontis la, Istwa ak Kont Kreyòl. Genyen anpil bèl ti kont nan liv sa a.
Kontinye konsa!

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

My husband and I will be celebrating our 1st anniversary next month. He (Haitian) and I (from the US) adore each other and have a good relationship, but it's like any other relationship plus communication challenges. What phrases do you think are most important to know for great communication in a marriage?

Congratulation on your first anniversary.... yay!
I pray that you have many more happy years.

Marriage is a wonderful thing. Two is always better than one.
They say that the key to communication is listening. I will add that honest communication (saying what you mean and meaning what you say... ) which appropriately matches the body language is as important.  I am not sure that there are specific Creole words you can use that'll make communication in your marriage better, but speaking from the heart is a great way to start.

Kenbe la!


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

Hi Mandaly, Thanks so much for providing this great resource! I have two questions for you today - is "Vin jwenn mwen" the right way to say "Come to me"? And is "Tati" used as a less formal version of "aunt"? Thanks again for all you do!

Thank you.

Yes. Vin jwenn mwen means Come to me.

Likewise:
Al/ale jwenn li. - Go to him/her
Ale jwenn papa w - Go to your dad.
Ale jwenn manman w - Go to your mom.


Yes, tati is an endearing name for aunt.


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

What does sankoutcha (sankoutya) and manfouben mean?

I got your email about the word 'manfouben' .... yes, lazy is right. :)

sankoutya - is being thoughtless, irresponsible, shameless, or with no care in the world

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

Friday, September 29, 2017

What's the differences and real meanings of lonje and alonje?

Lonje and alonje are synonymous. They mean to make longer

Èske w kapab alonje janm pantalon sa a pou mwen? - Can you lengthen these pants for me?

Lonje does have other meaning, such as to extend, to hand something

Lonje bokit la ban mwen - Hand me the pail.
Li lonje men l ban mwen - He extended his hand to me.

Lonje kò  means to lie back, to take easy, to lounge
M pral fè yon ti lonje kò m la a. - I am going to relax a litle bit.

Lonje dwèt - to poin
Lonje dwèt ou pou montre de ki moun w ap pale a?
Point to show me who you are talking about.


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

Which phrase is correct to say I wanna reach my goals! M vle atenn objektif mwen M vle jwenn objektif mwen M vle ranpli or akonpli objektif mwen M vle fè objektif mwen

The first one... definitely :)

Mwen vle atenn objektif mwen.

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

How do you say, "What is...." For example: What's the phone number? What's the difference? Just anything really that involves using "What is" followed by the rest of the sentence.

There are many ways to start questions with what/what is in Haitian Creole

Being specific - You can start the question with Ki .... 
What's your phone number - Ki nimewo telefòn ou?
What's the difference - Ki diferans lan?
What was the story that you told me yesterday? - Ki istwa ou te rakonte mwen yè a?
What is your choice? - Ki chwa w?
What is the meaning of life? - Ki siyifikasyon lavi a?

Nonspecific
What is life? - Kisa lavi a ye?
What is this/that? - Kisa sa ye?
What is a taco? - Kisa yon taco ye?
What is a meme? - Kisa yon meme ye?
What is a kokoye? - Kisa yon kokoye ye?

Other phrases starting with what....
What's wrong with you today?! - Sa k pase w jodi a?
What the hell is wrong with you?! - Sa  pase w la?!
What's wrong? - Sa w genyen?





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

Wednesday, September 20, 2017

Hi Mandaly, what is the difference between t ap and te when t ap is used in the following manner? And why isn't te used instead? Ki jan manman ak papa m t ap santi yo si m t al sèvi nan yon lòt peyi? or Si w t ap viv nan epòk la, eske w t ap fè menm jan ak Pyè? Thanks!

t ap (te ap) or (ta ap) are you used to express the past progressive (te ap) or modal verbs (ta ap). Te is used to express the simple past tense.

Look at your examples below, and their translation, and you'll see why using t ap is more appropriate.

Your example:

Kijan manman ak papa m t ap santi yo si m t al sèvi nan yon lòt peyi?
How would my mother and father have felt if I went to serve in another country?

as opposed to using te

Kijan manman ak papa m te santi yo si m t al sèvi nan yon lòt peyi?
How did my mother and father feel if I went to serve in another country?



And the other example:

Si w t ap viv nan epòk la, èske w t ap fè menm jan ak Pyè?
If you were living in that period, would you do the same as Peter?

as opposed to using te (simple past tense indicator)

Si w te viv nan epòk la, èske w te fè menm jan ak Pyè?
If you lived in that period, did you do the same as Peter?



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

Sunday, September 17, 2017

what does this word this sentence mean? Vin Gade manze kap fe show boubou'n

Looks like someone is exposing herself ... "show boubou'n" means that she's exposing or flashing her genitals. The sentence means 'Come and see how the girl is exposing herself'

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

How would you say "picky" in creole? Like, "That's all we have, don't be so picky!"

picky - difisil, egzijan
to be picky - fè egzijan

That's all we have, don't be so picky!
Se tout sa nou genyen, sispan fè egzijan!

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

Friday, September 15, 2017

Bonjou Mandalay, Eske ou gen sijesyion pou liv debutan? Maman m se ayitien, papa m se kanadyen. Mwen ka komprann kreyòl là pou yon konvèsayon nòmal, dekontrakté. Men mwen vlé apwofondi konesans mwen. Mwen vlé aprann su éritaj mwen, sa a trè enpòtan pou mwen. Mwen etidye plizyè lang nan lekòl, men mwen te toujou wont paske manman m se ayitien, et mwen pa ka byen pale oswa li lang fanmi mwen. Mèsi anpil :) Maroussia

Bonswa wi Maroussia,
Genyen plizyè ti liv 'Kont ak Istwa' Ayisyen ke ou kapab li. Yo trè enteresan. Li ka pi avantajye pou w ale nan libreri a pou w kapab tcheke liv yo, ak pwòp zye pa w. Konsa ou va gen yon bon lide ki liv ki pi bon pou ou.
Mwen wè ou fè anpil efò nan lang lan, dapre jan ou ekri - Tanpri, pa fatige tèt ou, pa wont. Se efò w ap fè a ki konte. Trè byento ou va kouran nan lang nan.

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

Wednesday, September 13, 2017

Koman yo di "Bawon Samdi possessed somebody?"

Ou vle an angle oswa kreyòl?
Ou ban m fraz la an de (2) lang wi :)

An angle: The person has been possessed by Bawon Samdi.
An kreyòl: Bawon Samdi monte moun nan.
Ou kapab di tou: Moun nan posede. Bawon Samdi monte l.

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

Can you explain to me the differences between "sonje" and "manke"? What are the best contexts with which to use them?

You must be asking this in reference to 'missing' someone?

We do not use 'manke' to translate 'miss' as in to feel sadness due to the absence of someone.
We only use 'sonje' in this case.

M sonje manman m. - I miss my mother.
M sonje ou. - I miss you
Nou te sonje w anpil pandan absans ou. - We missed you a lot during your absence
Nou sonje w anpil anpil. - We miss you terribly.
Mwen sonje lakay. - I miss home.

And of course you can use 'sonje' to say 'recall/remember'. example:

Mwen sonje jan li te konn ap chante tout tan. 
I remember how she used to sing all the time.

Ou pa sonje m non?
Don't you remember me?

Mwen pa sonje.
I don't recall.

Èske ou te sonje klete pòt la?
Did you remember to lock the door?

Concerning 'manke', we use it to translate to be short of or lack of, or come close to being...

Bis la manke frape m.
The bus almost hit me.

Li manke tonbe.
He almost fell.

Manje a manke sèl.
The food is lacking in salt.

Nou manke pran nan magouy kat kredi sa a.
We almost fell for this credit card scam.




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

Sunday, September 10, 2017

what is antekre? this is word is nowhere in any kreyol dictionaries I've checked. It was used as "antekre ou manje deja", thanks!

It means I thought or I was under the impression that
Sometimes you see it as ou kwè, ou te kwè, on te kwè

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

Hello, this question goes for both gender but could you list some key phrases/words necessary for getting a haircut? Things like "bring the sides all the way down" etc. Thank you!

to get a haircut - taye cheve
baber - kwafè
going to the barber - ale kay kwafè
bring the sides down - raze sou kote yo
sideburns - pafouten
doing the neckline is called fè tyas
you can ask for a blocked neckline and say - fè tyas la kare
You can ask for a rounded neckline and say - fè tyas la won
Shave the beard - taye bab la

COMMENTS:

E kijan yo rele "receding hair"? Cheve chankre, petet?

Mandaly  June 28, 2019 12:08 says:
Dabitid nou di 'tèt chòv'.
Wi, konn gen moun ki di cheve chankre, fontèn kale, onswa fontèn ayewopò, men, receding hair se definitivman yon tèt k ap chòv :)

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

How can I say he's careless in creole?

Hello! I was wondering if you would be willing to translate a letter/poem that I have from a friend. What would be the best way to go about this? I absolutely LOVE your blog and all that you do. It has been such a huge resource for me! Thanks,