Bonjou! Learn to Speak Haitian Creole

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Showing posts with label what's wrong. Show all posts
Showing posts with label what's wrong. Show all posts

Kilès ki gen rezon? Who's right?





Listening exercise. Click on the play button and follow along :)


O Ti Mari ou rantre bonè jodi a.
Ti Mari you're home early today.

Men wi. Mwen fatige. M pral kouche pou yon moman.
Yes I'm tired. I'm going to lie down for a while.

What's wrong?

Nothing's wrong.

Cheri m konnen w trè byen. Sa’w genyen? Poukisa figi w fennen konsa?
Sweetie I know you very well. What's wrong? Why the sad face?

A! Se pa anyen ditou.  M pa gen anyen.  M'anfòm.
It's nothing at all. Nothing's wrong. I'm fine.

Ou di w anfòm men figi w pa sanble sa.  Pale avè m non.
You say you're fine but your face doesn't look it. Talk to me won't you?

Dakò. Te’m rakonte w sa’k pase m. Di m kilès ki gen rezon.
Ok. Let me tell you what happened to me. Tell me who's right.

M’ap koute w.
I'm listening.

Jodi a nan travay la nou te genyen yon miting.
Today at work we had a meeting.

Anhan.

Bòs mwen t’ap fè yon prezantasyon an Kreyòl enpi yon anplwaye etranje  ki te la panche bò zòrèy mwen pou mande m tradui sa bòs la t’ap di a. Sa’w kwè m fè?
My boss was making a presentation in Creole and a foreign employee that was there leaned in my ear to ask me to translate what the boss was saying. What do you think I did?

Ou te ede anplwaye a?
You helped the employee?

Men wi . Mwen tradui sa bòs mwen an t’ap di a.  Sa w kwè k rive?
Yes. I translated what my boss was saying. What do you think happened?

Bòs la mande w fè silans,
He told you to be quiet?

O o men wi! – Se kòmsi w te la.  Bòs la fè m yon sèl malonèt devan tout moun – li di m pe bouch mwen.  Mwen vin santi m tankou yon timoun yo rale zorèy li.
Yes! it's as if you were there. He insulted me in front of everyone. He told me to shut up. I felt like a reprimanded child.

Bòs ou an  gen rezon wi cheri. Ou pa ka pale pandan l’ap pale tou – si tout moun ap pale, pa gen moun k’ap koute. Se youn oubyen lòt. Ouswa w’ap pale ouswa w’ap koute. Ou pa ka fè toulede alafwa.
Your boss is right sweetie, you can't talk while he's talking. If everyone is talking no one is listening. It's one or the other. Either you're talking or listening. You can't do both at the same time.

O o sou bò ki moun ou ye menm?
Whose side are you on?

Mwen sou bò w cheri – men eske ou ta renmen gen yon odyans k’ap pale pandan w’ap fè yon prezantasyon?
I'm on your side sweetie. But would you like to have an audience talking while you're doing a presentation?

Non men fò’w konprann sa’ m t’ap fè a te enpòtan tou.
No but you must understand that what I was doing was also important.

Menm si sa, pa fè yon lòt sa w pa ta renmen yo fè w. Ou konnen sa trè byen.
Even then, "Don't do unto others, what you wouldn't want done unto you". You know that very well.

Bon kòm mwen wè se kritike ou vle kritike m jodi a, mwen pral kouche kouche m. Ou mèt kouche sou sofa a aswè a.
Since I realize that all you want to to is to criticize me today, I'm going to lie down. You may lie down on the couch tonight.

O o Cheri! Mwen te fè erè. Se ou ki gen rezon.  Se ou ki va toujou gen rezon.
Oh Sweetie! I was wrong. You were right. You will always be right.

A! li twò ta pou chanje lide.  Pase bòn nwi sou sofa a.
It’s too late to change your mind. Have a good night on the couch.



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

What does sak genyen mean in creole

Sa'k genyen? (contracted)
Kisa ki genyen? (un-contracted)
What's going on?

'wrong' as in "I asked her what's wrong." "I knew something was wrong."

I asked her what's wrong."
Mwen mande li sa li genyen.

I asked her, "What's wrong?"
Mwen mande li, "Sa ou genyen?"

I knew something was wrong.
I knew something was wrong with him/her.
Mwen konnen li te gen yon bagay.

I knew something was wrong.
I knew something had happened.
Mwen konnen gen yon bagay ki te rive.

I knew that something wasn't right.
Mwen konnen gen yon bagay ki pa't dwat.
Mwen konnen gen yon bagay ki pa't kòrèk.
Mwen konnen gen yon bagay ki pa't mache.

Tell me what is wrong. What did I do wrong? and What is wrong? (in Creole please)

What's wrong?
Sa ki genyen? (non-contracted)
Sa'k genyen? (contracted)
Use either one

What did I do wrong?
Kisa mwen fè ki mal?

What did I do to you?
Kisa mwen fè w?

Did I hurt you?
Eske mwen atriste w?

Did I do something wrong?
Eske mwen fè yon bagay ki mal?
or
Eske mwen fè yon move bagay?

what does saw genyen ti manman mean?

Sa'w genyen? → (contraction for: kisa ou genyen?)What's wrong?

Sa'w genyen ti manman? → what's wrong little lady?
"Ti manman", here, must be a nickname /special name you're used to.

Sak gen la

Sa'k gen la?
What's going on here?

Other ways to say "what's going on here?"

What's going on here?
Sa k genyen la?
Sa k'ap pase la?
Sa k'ap fèt la?
The letter "k" in the above sentences is a contraction for Creole relative pronoun "ki".

Another way to say "what's up?" in Creole

Sa ki genyen? (uncontracted)
Sa'k genyen? (contracted)
What's up?
What's happening?
What's going on?

Sa ou genyen? (uncontracted)
Sa'w genyen? (contracted)
What's wrong?
What's up with you?
What's going on with you?

Sa li genyen? (uncontracted)
Sa'l genyen? (contracted)
What's wrong with him?
What's going on with him?

Sa John genyen?
What's wrong with John?

Mwen pa gen anyen.
Nothing wrong with me.

Li pa gen anyen.
Nothing wrong with him.

Sa'w fout genyen?
What the hell is wrong with you?

What's wrong?

What's wrong?
Kisa ki genyen?
Sa'k genyen? (contracted)

What's wrong with you?
Kisa ou genyen?
Sa ou genyen? (contracted)

What's wrong with him/her?
Kisa li genyen?
Sa li genyen? (contracted)

What's wrong with them?
Kisa yo genyen?
Sa yo genyen? (contracted)

What's going on?
Kisa ki ap pase?
Sa kap pase? (contracted)
Sa'k genyen?

What's going on here?
Sa'k genyen la?  or
Sa kap pase la?  or
Sa kap fèt la?

what's wrong

What's wrong?
Kisa ki genyen?  or
Kisa ou genyen?

What's wrong with you?
Kisa ou genyen?

What's wrong with him/her?
Kisa li genyen?

Kisa ou genyen

Kisa ou genyen? - What's wrong? What's up with you?

'Am I Right' or 'Am I Wrong?'

Am I right? - Eske mwen korèk?
Is that right? - Eske se sa?
Isn't that right? - Eske se pa sa?
Am I wrong? - Eske mwen twonpe m?

What's wrong with you?

Scenario A
You walk up to a sad little girl.  She's crying silently.  You want to ask her what is wrong, but she only speaks Creole.  You'd say in Haitian Creole:
1. Kisa w genyen? - what's wrong?
2. Sa w genyen? (contracted form of #1)
3. Ti pitit, kisa w genyen? - Little one, what's wrong?
4. Ti pitit, sa w genyen? (contracted form of #3)


Scenario B
You are the best man.  The groom, who only speaks Creole, is getting cold feet.  He tells you he doesn't think he can go through with the wedding.  You'd say in Haitian Creole:
5. Kisa w genyen? - what's wrong?
6. Sa w genyen? (contracted form of #5)
7. Kisa ki genyen? - What's going on?
8. Sak genyen? (contracted form of #7)
9. Kisa ki pase? - What's going on?
10. Sak pase? (contracted form of #9)


Scenario C
Your best friend dad just got admitted to the hospital for emergency surgery.  You want to ask what's wrong with his dad.  You'd say,
11. Kisa li genyen? - What's wrong with him?
12. Sa l genyen? (contracted form of #11)
13. Kisa papa ou genyen? - What's wrong with your dad?
14. Sa papa w genyen? (contracted form of #13)

Scenario D
You just brought your broken car to the shop.  You want to ask the Creole-speaking mechanic, what's wrong with the car.  You'd say:
15. Kisa li genyen? - what wrong with it?
16. Sa l genyen? (contracted form of #15)
17. Kisa machin nan genyen? - What wrong with the car?
18. Sa machin nan genyen? (contracted form of #17)
19. Kisa machin mwen an genyen? - What's wrong with my car?
20. Sa machin mwen an genyen? (contracted form of #19)
21.Kisa machin ou a genyen? - What's wrong with your car?
22. Sa machin ou a genyen? (contracted form of #21)


Scenario E
Your Creole-speaking spouse is obviously mad at you and hasn't spoken to you in two days.  If you're brave enough, you may ask:
23. Sa ou genyen, cheri?