Did anyone see you? (Creole)

Did anyone...?

Eske gen moun...?

or

Eske gen okenn moun...?

Did anyone see you?

Eske gen moun ki te wè w?

Eske gen okenn moun ki te wè w?

Did anyone talk to you?

Eske gen moun ki te pale avè w?

Eske gen okenn moun ki te pale avè w

Did anyone help him?

Eske gen moun ki te ede l?

Eske gen okenn moun ki te ede l?

Did anyone talk about it?

Eske gen moun ki te pale de sa?

Eske gen okenn moun ki te pale de sa?

Ask me anything

Comparing Simple Past and Present tense.

Compare the Haitian Creole sentence construction in the simple past and present tense.
Also, see audio about past tense: http://sweetcoconuts.blogspot.com/2011/04/its-all-in-past.html

1.
Present tense:   M pale Kreyòl. (I speak Creole)
Past tense:        M te pale Kreyòl.  (I spoke Creole)

2.
Present tense:    Mwen wè ou. (I see you)
Past tense:         Mwen te wè ou. (I saw you)

3.
Present tense:     Nou konprann li. (We understand it)
Past tense:          Nou te konprann li. (We understood it.)

4.
Present tense:      Yo pa gen lajan. (I don't have any money.)
Past tense:           Yo pa te gen lajan. (They didn't have any money)

5.
Present tense:       Jij la pa la. (The judge is not here.)
Past tense:            Jij la pa te la. (The judge was not here.)

6.
Present tense:      Mwen kontan. (I'm happy.)
Past tense:           Mwen te kontan. (I was happy.)

7.
Present tense:      Sa se kay mwen. (This is my house)
Past tense:           Sa se te kay mwen. (This was my house)

8.
Present tense:      Li bo li. (He kisses her.)
Past tense:           Li te bo li. (He kissed her)

9.
Present tense:      Mwen chante yon chante. (I sing a song)
Past tense:           Mwen te chante yon chante. (I sang a song)

10.
Present tense:      Ou bouke. - (You are tired.)
Past tense:           Ou te bouke. (You were tired)

It's All In The Past

It's All In The Past

Link to download this audio clip: http://limanecasimi.audioacrobat.com/download/f403ed11-42d6-bb5f-f83d-9136aa04d50d.mp3

Click the play button.  Listen and read along.



Bonjou mèdam e mesye! 
Good day ladies and gentlemen!


"te" is indicative of the simple past tense.

1. Mwen te ale lavil.
    I went downtown.

2. Mwen te rankontre yon ti fi.
    I met a little girl.

3.  Li te tris.
    She was sad.

4.  Mwen te mande li, "Kisa ou genyen?"
     I asked her, “what’s wrong?”

5.  Li pa te pale Kreyòl.
    She did not speak Creole.

6. Li te pale Angle.
    She spoke English.

7.  Mwen pa te konprann li.
    I didn’t understand her.

8.  Li pa te konprann mwen.
    She didn’t understand me.

9.  Nou te chita.
    We sat down.

10.  Manman li ak papa li te vini.
    Her mother and her father came.

11.  Yo te kontan wè li.
       They were happy to see her.

12.  Yo te remèsye mwen.
       They thanked me.

13.  Epi nou te di orevwa.
      And then we said goodbye.

Track: Karese Mwen by Marie-José

Exercise 17 - answers to Exercise 16

Translate in Haitian Creole.

1. Lulu forgot her suitcases.
Answer: Lulu bliye valiz li yo. OR Lulu te bliye valiz li yo.


2. Nènè went to town yesterday.
Answer: Nènè te ale lavil yè.

3. Journalists swarmed over her like flies.
Answer: Jounalis te tonbe sou li tankou mouch.

4. I saw you on top of the roof last night.
Answer: Mwen te wè ou sou tèt kay la yè swa.

5. The repairman fixed the leaky faucet.
Answer: Bòs la te repare tiyo a.

Translate in English.

6. Nou pa te patisipe nan kominyon an maten an.
Answser: We did not participate in the communion this morning.

7. Nou mete tout valiz yo sou kamyonèt la.
Answer: We put all the bags in the "little pick-up".

8. Li pase tout nwit la ap pale nan telefòn.
Answer: He/She spent the whole night talking on the phone.

9. Nou netwaye tout kay la nan de minit.
Answer: We cleaned the whole house in two minutes.

10. Nou tale nan makèt maten an. Nou achte anpil manje.
Answer: We went to the market this morning. We bought a lot of food.

Exercise 16 - Past tense

Thank you to everyone who continue to learn this exciting language!
Review the lesson on past tense before doing this exercise.
http://sweetcoconuts.blogspot.com/2010/03/lesson-22-past-tense.html

Translate in Haitian Creole.

1. Lulu forgot her suitcases.

2. Nènè went to town yesterday.

3. Journalists swarmed over her like flies.

4. I saw you on top of the roof last night.

5. The repairman fixed the leaky faucet.

Translate in English.

6. Nou pa te patisipe nan kominyon an maten an.

7. Nou mete tout valiz yo sou kamyonèt la.

8. Li pase tout nwit la ap pale nan telefòn.

9. Nou netwaye tout kay la nan de minit.

10. Nou tale nan makèt maten an. Nou achte anpil manje.

Lesson 22 - Past Tense

Past tense of the verb  TO BE

The past tense of the verb To Be is formed by adding te after the subject.

She was a nurse.  - Li te yon enfimyè.

Jonas was my friend.  - Jonas te zanmi m.

This was a bird.  - Sa te yon zwazo.

It was a book - se te yon liv

It was a sad day - se te yon jou tris

Those were Journalists.  - Sa yo te jounalis.

Jo was a great singer.  - Jo te yon gran chantè.
____________________________________

Part I - Here is a little practice. Translate the following sentences.

1. This food was good.

2. Cedò was a friend.

3. That was an airplane.

4. It was a big day.

5. I was happy.

Find your answer key at the bottom of this page.

_____________________________________

Past tense of OTHER VERBS


Past tense = Subject + Te + Verb

*Sometimes people will omit the “te” and just use the present tense when talking of the past.
Examples:
She fell. - Li te tonbe. (or sometimes, 'li tonbe')

We went - nou te ale

I did it - m te fè li

Monète ran fast - Monète te kouri vit

he knocked at the door - li te frape pòt la
___________________________________________

Part II - Let’s review: Please translate the following.

1. I understood

2. we loved it

3. she spoke well

4. we sat together

5. they ate it

6. She went to Haiti this morning.

7. We gave her a big kiss.

8. They cried.

9. She called us when she arrived.

10. She saw a lot of trees.

Find answer key at the bottom of this page

Part I -1.manje sa te bon    2.Cedò se te yon zanmi    3.sa se te yon avyon     4.se te yon gwo jou    5.m te kontan


Part II - 1.m te konprann    2.nou te renmen l    3.li te pale byen    4.nou te chita ansanm    5.li te manje l    6.Li te ale Ayiti maten an    7.Nou te ba li yon gwo bobo    8.Yo te kriye    9.Li te rele nou lè li te rive    10.Li te wè anpil pye bwa