Exercise 54 - What is your New Year resolution? Tell me in Creole!

Hi everyone! - Allo tout moun!

What is your New year Resolution for the year 2011?

Write your New year's resolution in Haitian Creole and then translate it in English.
Examples:
Ane sa, m pral li de liv. (This year i will read two books)
Nan 2011 m pral retounen lekol. (In 2011 I will go back to school)
Ane sa mwen ak madanm mwen pral vizite yon peyi etranje. (This year me and my wife will visit a foreign country)
Rezolisyon mwen ane sa se pou m souri pli souvan. (My resolution this year is to smile more often :)

I don't do well with New Year resolution. I usually get very lazy about it by mid-year. So I will post about something that I can keep up with.

Thanks! Hope to read about your New Year's resolution soon.

It's ok to post anonymously.

Exercise 53 - How do you say this in Haitian Creole?

What is the Haitian creole expression you're looking for? Thanks for asking!

Take a quiz on Common Haitian Creole expressions.  See how you do.  Here is the link:
http://hosted.onlinetesting.net/HaitianCreole/login.pl



First of all, how do you say "how do you say" in Haitian Creole?
How do you say... in Haitian Creole? - kòman ou di...an Kreyòl??
How do you say...in Haitian Creole? - Kijan ou di... an Kreyòl?

1. How do you say A LOT ON MY PLATE
a lot on my plate - anpil sou do m
I got a lot on my plate - m gen anpil sou do m
he's got a lot on his plate - li gen anpil sou do l

2. How do you say ADD FUEL TO FIRE
add fuel to fire - met abse sou klou

3. How do you say AGAINST ALL ODDS
against all odds - malgre tout

4. How do you say AHEAD OF THE GAME
ahead of the game - gentan byen lwen

5. How do you say ALL HELL BROKE LOOSE
all hell broke loose - tout satan lage chèn

6. How do you say AROUND THE CLOCK
around the clock - lajounen kou lannwit
24/7 - vennkat sou vennkat

7. How do you say AS SOON AS POSSIBLE
asap - osito ke posib

8. How do you say ASKING FOR TROUBLE
asking for trouble - chache zo grann ou

9. How do you say - BACK TO SQUARE ONE
back to square one - retounen a zero

10. How do you say BACKED INTO A CORNER
backed into a corner - kore nan yon kwen
he backed me into a corner - li kore m nan yon kwen
they backed him into a corner - yo kore li nan yon kwen

11. How do you say BALLS (courage, manliness, nerves)
balls - kran, gason sou ou, nen nan figi w
you got to have balls to ride the HULK at Universal Studios.
Fòk ou gen kran pou monte HULK la.
You got balls showing your face here after what you did!
Ou gen gason sou ou pou vini la aprè sa ou te fè a!

12. How do you say BE ON THE LOOKOUT
be on the lookout - mete sou pinnga, mete an gad
You should be on the lookout tonight - Mete w sou pinga w aswè a
Nadi needs to be on the lookout - Nadi bezwen mete l an gad

13. How do you say BEHIND SOMEONE'S BACK
behind someone's back - dèyè do
behind my back - dèyè do m
behind her back - dèyè do li

14. How do you say BEHIND THE TIMES (OLD-FASHIONED)
behind the times - pa a la mòd

15. How do you say BETTER LATE THAN NEVER/BETTER ONE THING THAN ANOTHER
better late than never - pito sa pase malgre sa

16. How do you say BITE YOUR TONGUE
bite your tongue - mande Bondye padon

17. How do you say IN BROAD DAY LIGHT
in broad day light - nan gwo la jounen

18. How do you say BY WORD OF MOUTH
by word of mouth - nan radyo dyòl

19. How do you say CALL IT QUITS
call it quits - kite sa, kraze sa
we called it quits - nou kite sa

20. How do you say CHEAP
cheap - di, chich, wòklò
she's cheap - li di


21. How do you say CONDOM
condom - kapòt, gan lanmou, pwoteksyon, protèj


22. How do you say CONGRATULATIONS
congratulations! - felisitasyon!
congratulations! - bravo!
congratulations! - Mè konpliman!

23. How do you say CHEATING
cheating - pa chat, bay zoklo

24. How do you say COST AN ARM AND A LEG (a hiked-up price, expensive)
an arm and a leg - tèt nèg (literally means a negro's head)
That thing cost me an arm and a leg! - bagay sa koute tèt nèg!

25. How do you say I DARE YOU, I CHALLENGE YOU
I dare you - m defann ou, men kwa manman m men kwa papa m vin pile l"
Men kwa manmam m, men kwa papa m, vin pile l" is more of a daring challenge. It literally means, "here's my mother's cross and here's my father's cross, come and step on it (if you can)"

26. How do you say DO YOUR BEST
do your best - fè tout sa w kapab

27. How do you say DOWN IN THE DAMPS
down in the damps - pa nan san
I am down in the damps - m pa nan san m
he's down in the damps - li pa nan san l

28. How do you say DOWN TO EARTH
down to earth - san fason

29. How do you say DOZING OFF
dozing off - kabicha

30. How do you say DRUNK
drunk - sou, plen tafya
she's drunk - li sou
you're drunk - ou plen tafya

31. How do you say A DRUNK
a drunk - tafyatè, wiskimann, kaka kleren
he's a drunk - li s'on tafyatè

32. How do you say ESCAPES ME
escapes me - chape m

33. How do you say EASY AS PIE
easy as pie - fasil tankon dlo
easy as pie - dlololo

34. How do you say EASY DOES IT
easy does it - pran san w

35. How do you say EVERY NOW AND THEN
every now and then - detanzantan

36. How do you say EXCUSE ME
excuse me - eskize m

37. How do you say FACE TO FACE
face to face - je nan je, bab pou bab

38. How do you say FIREWORKS
fireworks - fe datifis

38/5.  How do you say YOU'RE FIRED!
you're fired! - m revoke w
I got fired - yo revoke m
She got fired - yo revoke li
IBM fired me - IBM revoke m

39. How do you say FOR THE TIME BEING
for the time being - pou le moman

40. How do you say FREELOADER
freeloader - woulibè, opotinis

41. How do you say FROM NOW ON
from now on - koumanse kounye a

42. How do you say GET TO THE POINT
get to the point - di sa wap di a

42.5.  How do you say GET WELL
get well - pòte w byen
43. How do you say GUT FEELING
gut feeling - presantiman

44. How do you say HAVE FUN?
Fun - plezi, anmizman, banbòch
Let's have fun! - An nou anmize nou
Have fun! - Anmize ou byen!, or Pran plezi ou! anmize kò w!
Banbòch is used to translate fun in Haitian Creole if you mean clubbing, drinking, dancing the night out, etc... could also mean sexual fun.
They had fun all night - Yo banboche tout nan nwit.

45. How do you say HAPPY HOLIDAYS
happy holidays - Pase yon bon sezon fèt. (Literally: Have a good holiday season)
New Year's Eve - (31 Desanm) tranteyen desanm, vèy jou de lan
We're going to church on New Year's Eve - Nou pral legliz la vèy jou de lan.
We're going to watch the fireworks on New Year's Eve - Nou pral gade fe datifis tranteyen desanm.
-Happy New Year! - Bònn Ane!
-Thank you, same to you - Mèsi, a ou menm tou.
(if you're going to wish Happy New Year to a Haitian, you might as well add these words to your "wish": prosperity, longevity. It's customary to wish a Haitian prosperity and longevity every New Year)
You'd say: Bònn Ane! pwosperite ak lonjevite pou ou ak tout fanmi ou.
New Year's  day is also Haiti's Independence Day.
If you want to wish them Happy Independence Day!, you'd say: Bònn fèt lendepandans!

January 1st is not just the first day of the New Year for Haitians. It is also their Independence day. Haitians, then slaves brought from different parts of Africa to replace the indians, revolted against the French. Jean-Jacques Dessalines, who led the revolt, became the first president of the very first black republic. It was january 1st, 1804.
The customary food for Haitians on January 1st is squash soup.
Squash soup was one of the french delicacies that the slaves were not allowed to have before 1804.

Easter - Pak
Happy Easter! - Bònn fèt pak!

Happy Valentine's Day! - Bònn fèt Sent valanten! or Bònn fèt Valanten!

How do you say HAPPY BIRTHDAY
birthday - fèt, anivèsè
Happy birthday! - Bònn fèt!

46. How do you say HANG IN THERE
hang in there - kenbe la

47. How do you say MY HANDS ARE TIED
my hands are tied - de pye m nan yon grenn soulye

48. How do you say HARD AS ROCK
hard as rock - rèd tankou ke makak (literally means, "as stiff as a monkey's tail"

49. How do you say HATS OFF
hats off - chapo ba, ochan, bravo, konpliman,felisitasyon
You did great, hats off to you! - ou byen fè, chapo ba!

50.How do you say HAVE A HEART TO HEART
have a heart to heart - gen yon tèt a tèt

51. How do you say HIT THE ROOF
hit the roof - deklannche

52.  How do you say HONEYMOON
honeymoon - lin de myèl
We're going to Bora Bora for our honeymoon - Nou prale Bora Bora pou lin de myèl nou


53. How do you say I MISS YOU
I miss you - m sonje w

54. How do you say IN ANY CASE
in any case - antouka

55. How do you say GO THROUGH THE HOOPS
go through the hoops - pase nan je zegwi

56. How do you say IF IT WEREN"T FOR
if it weren't for - si se pat pou

57. How do you say IF I WERE YOU
if I were you - si m te ou
if i were you i would forget about it - si m te ou m ta bliye sa

58.How do you say IMPOTENT / ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION
impotent - fè bèk atè, pa gen apeti, enpotans
Do you have ED? - Eske ou fè bèk atè fasil?
Doctors, most Haitians would be uneasy talking to you about their sexual woes or experience. They will not look at you in the eye when talking on that subject. So, get the clue if he keeps saying, "I have no appetite..." when you think you got all the "gastro" stuff covered.

59. How do you say JUNK FOOD
junk food - fridòdòy, tyanpan

60. How do yo say JUST IN CASE
just in case - si an ka, si toutfwa

61. How do you say JUST IN THE NICK OF TIME
just in the nick of time - jis a tan

62. How do you say KEEP AN EYE ON
keep an eye on - voye je sou

63. How do you say KLUTZ, KNUCKLEHEAD, NOT SO BRIGHT
klutz - bègwè, bouki, kannannan, krebete, egare

64. How do you say LIKE FATHER LIKE SON
like father like son - tèl pè tèl fis

65. How do you say LITTLE BY LITTLE
little by little - tikal pa tikal, tikras pa tikras, piti a piti
Little by little we'll get there - Tikal pa tikal na rive

66. How do you say MAKE LOVE
make love - fè lanmou, fè bagay

67. How do you say MAKE UP YOUR MIND
make up your mind - pran desizyon w

 68. How do you say MERRY CHRISTMAS
christmas -nowèl or nwèl
Christmas eve - vennkat desanm, la vèy nwèl
Merry Christmas! - Jwaye Nowèl!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! - Jwaye Nowèl e bònn ane!

69. How do you say NAG
nag - plenyen, rablabla, babye, bougonnen, wounouwounou
she nags and nags all day - lap wounouwounou tout la jounen

70. How do you say NEGLIGENT, DISORGANIZED
negligent - vaykevay
He dresses negligently - li abiye vaykevay

71. How do you say NEVER MIND
never mind - ou pa bezwen okipe w, kite sa, bliye sa

72. How do you say ONCE UPON A TIME
once upon a time - vwala se te yon fwa
You may also start telling a tale by saying:
"*tim tim? Bwa sèch! ...vwala se te yon fwa" or
"*Krik? krak! ...vwala se te yon fwa"
*Note: the teller will say, "Tim tim? or Krik?" meaning (Are you ready?)
The listeners will answer, "Bwa sèch! or krak!" meaning (yes, we're ready!)
After they answer, "yes, we're ready!", then the teller will continue on and say, "vwala se te you fwa...the princess and the frog... etc...)


73. How do you say PAIN IN THE BUTT (non vulgar terms)
Pain in the butt - pongongon
She's a pain in the butt, she's a pest - Li se on pongongon

74. How do you say PENIS (non vulgar terms)
penis - gigit, grenn, pijon, pipich, ti koulout, yoyo

75. How do you say PUT ON THE SPOT (also OUT OF COMFORT ZONE)
put on the spot - jennen
you put me on the spot - ou jennen-m
I hate it when you put me on the spot like that - m rayi sa lè w jennen m konsa.

76. How do you say ROGUE
rogue - kowonpi, sankoutya, sanmanman

77. How do you say RAPE
rape (noun) - kadejak, vyòl, dappiyanp
to rape (verb) - vyole, fè kadejak, fè dappiyanp
were you raped? - Eske yo fè kadejak sou ou?
She raped me - li vyole m
Did he rape you? - Eske li fè kadejak sou ou?

78. How do you say SANTA CLAUS
santa claus- Tonton Nwèl
(Tonton Nwèl literally means "Uncle Noel")

79. How do you say SCREW LOOSE
screw loose - dejwe
She's got a screw loose - li dejwe


80. How do you say SEE YOU LATER
see you later - na wè pita, na wè

81. How do you say SPOILED ROTTEN, GO BAD
spoiled rotten - gate
The marriage went bad, they called it quits. - Maryaj la gate,yo kite sa.

82. How do you say SEXY.
Sexy (woman) - anfòm, byen kanpe, anpenpan
Sexy (man) - bo gason, bòzò, anfòm, byen kanpe
hooking up - fè zafè
They hooked up - Yo fè zafè

83. How do you say SEXY MOVES
sexy move - bwasay, bay yayad, gouyad, bay payèt
she was dancing sexily - li tap bay yayad

84. How do you say SLEEK (smooth, insincere, suspiciously suave)
sleek - mètdam, rizyèz

85. How do you say SPLIT
split - vole gagè, krazerak, fann kann, pran bwa
Salma Hayek saw the snake, she split! - Salma Hayèk wè koulèv la, li krazerak!
The prison doors fell, the prisonners split! - Pòt prizon yo tonbe, prizonye yo vole gagè!

86. How do you say STEER CLEAR OF
steer clear of - rete lwen, pa pwoche

87. How do you say SWEETHEART/ GIRLFRIEND / SWEETIE
sweetheart - boubout, menaj, doudou, kòkòt, cheri, chouboulout


88. How do you say RUCKUS
ruckus - woywoy, dezòd, kalanmplanm, deblozay
what's all that ruckus?! - Ki woywoy sa?!
88.25 How do you say TAKE CARE / TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF
take care - pran swen w
take care of yourself - pran swen tèt ou

88.5.  How do you say THANK YOU AND YOU'RE WELCOME
thank you! - mèsi!
you're welcome! - padekwa!
(Note that to use the welcome  as in "Welcome to my home!"  you would use the translation, "Byenveni lakay mwen!"  In this case the translation for welcome is byenveni.

89. How do you say TROUBLE
trouble - pwoblèm, zen, ka, traka, tchouboum
I'm in trouble - M nan traka
you're in trouble - ou nan ka

He got me in trouble - Li lage m nan zen
I got in trouble - m tonbe nan tchouboum

90. How do you say TURN ON(light up)
turn on - limen
turn on the light - limen limyè a


91. What about TURN ON(to excite), how do you say it?
turn on - mete sou sa
he turned me on - li mete m sou sa
you turn me on - ou mete m sou sa

92. How do you say UNDER THE TABLE
under the table - anba tab

93. How do you say VAGINA (non vulgar terms)
vagina - bòtbòt, foufoun, chòbòlòt,chouchoun, kòkòt, vajen

93.5. How do you say HAPPY VALENTINES' DAY 
Valentines' Day - Fèt Sent valanten
Happy Valentines' Day! - bònn fè sent valanten! or Bònn fèt Valanten!
I love you - M renmen w
I miss you - M sonje w
I'm in love with you - M damou pou ou
My little sweetheart - ti boubout mwen, ti kòkòt mwen

94. How do you say WASTE YOUR BREATH
waste your breath - pèdi tan

95. How do you say WATCH OUT / BE CAREFUL
Be careful! - Atansyon!
Watch out! - Atansyon!

96. How do you say YOU ASK FOR IT
you asked for it - se sa w tap chache
he asked for it - se sa li tap chache


97. How do you say YOU POOR THING! (indicating sympathy)
you poor thing! - podyab!

98. How do you say YOU REAP WHAT YOU SOW
you reap what you sow - sa w simen se sa w wè

99. How do you say ZERO IN ON
zero in on - preske rive

100. How do you say ZIP IT (non vulgar terms)
zip it - pe bouch ou, pe la

Exercise 52 - Answer to questions in exercise 51

These are the answers to the multiple choice questions in exercise 51.

CIRCLE THE BEST POSSIBLE ANSWER.

1. b. chichote

2. a. li

3. b. negative

4. c. te, past tense

5. b. mwen te li liv la yè. and c. mwen li liv la yè.

Exercise 51 - We're listening to a song (Krisifiksyon)

Bonjou!

Thanks for visiting my blog. I hope you are having lots of fun learning this language.
The point to the audio exercises is to help you develop an ear to the language and also gain fluency if you choose to sing along.
While learning this language, anything and everything you listen to(in creole) would be beneficial if you can at least learn 3 new vocabulary words.
Sung by Pierre Gardy Fontaine, you'll find the words of this song very clear and easy on the ears. Click on the link below or search through the Audio/Video Resources column to the left side of the screen click on krisifiksyon - Listen to it and/or sing along.
_______________________
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehP6uwO5hjg&fmt=22
1. Yo krisifye Jezi - They crucified Jesus
2. li pa mamòte - he didn't mumble
3. pou menm di yon mo - to even say one word
4. Pa yon mo - not one word
5. Yo kloure l sou yon kwa - they nailed him on the cross
6. Yo pèse l nan kòt li - they pierced him in his side
7. Yon rigòl san te koule - a stream of blood poured
8. Tèt li koube - his head bent down
9. li mouri - he died
10. Li pa t di yon mo - he didn't say one word____________________

CIRCLE THE BEST POSSIBLE ANSWER.

1. To mumble means to speak quietly and unclearly. To whisper also means to speak quietly. What is the Haitian Creole word for whisper?
a. mamòte
b. chichote
c. krebete

2. What do the "l" in lines 5 and 6 stand for?
a. li
b. lou
c. lan

3. In line 10, what does the word "pa" indicate?
a. past tense
b. negative
c. past tense and the negative

4. In line 10, what does the "t" stand for? what does it indicate?
a. to, negative
b. te, negative
c. te, past tense

5. Which two sentences may translate, "I read the book yesterday."? Choose two answers.
a. mwen te li liv nan yè.
b. mwen te li liv la yè.
c. mwen li liv la yè.

Exercise 50 - Answers to Exercise 49

I hope you had fun doing this exercise. Here are the answers.

1. Mwen tande a zorey mwen. - I hear with my ears.

2. M pale avèk bouch mwen. - I talk with my mouth.

3. Karoline vire tèt li avèk kou li. - Karoline turns her head with her neck.

4. Lè m te rive lakay mwen, Nancy anbrase mwen avèk de bra li. -When I arrived home Nancy hugged me with her arms.

5. Fritz chita sou dèyè li. - Fritz sat on his buttocks.

6. Nou priye ak nanm nou. - We pray with our soul

7. Ou jwe pyano avèk dwèt ou. - You play piano with your fingers.

8. Nou renmen avèk kè nou. - We love with our hearts.

9. Yo tap danse ak ko yo. - They were dancing with their body.

10. Chyen an mode m avèk dan li - The dog bit me with its teeth.

11. Ti moun yo kalkile avèk tèt yo. - The kids thought with their head.

12. M te mache tout nan nwit sou de pye m. - I walked all night on my two feet.

13. Nou santi avèk nen nou. - We smell with our noses.

14. Mwen te wè Jean-Marie ak de je m. - I saw Jean-Marie with my two eyes.

15. Li te manyen m a men li. - He touched me with his hands.

16. Ti moun yo tap koute istwa a avèk zorey yo. -The kids were listening to the story with their ears.

17. Li bobo bebe a ak bouch li. - She kissed the baby with her lips.

18. Li gade mwen avèk zye li. - She looked at me with her eyes.

19. Li choute boul la avèk pye li. -She kicked the ball with her foot.

20. Lè l tande nouvèl aksidan an, li tonbe lapriyè ak tout nanm li. - When he heard the news about the accident he strated praying with all his soul.

Exercise 49 - Bodily functions

Salut tout moun!
Greetings everyone!

Today we are learning the name of some of our body parts.

But first, here is a list of verbs/functions.
anbrase - to hug
 manyen - to touch
gade - to look
koute, tande - to listen, to hear
pale - to speak, to talk
wè - to see
renmen - to love
choute - to kick
santi - to smell
mache - to walk
kenbe - to hold, to grab
jwe - to play
bobo, bo - to kiss
kalkile, panse - to think
danse - to dance
chita - to sit
mode - to bite
vire tèt - to turn the head
priye, lapriyè - to pray
ak, avèk, a - with
sou - on
tout - all
Here is a list of names of our body parts:
zye, je - eyes
kou - neck
pye - foot
nanm - soul
dan - tooth
bouch - mouth
nen - nose
zorey - ears
kè - heart
bra - arms
dèyè, bouda -buttocks
ko - body
tèt - head
dwèt - fingers
men - hand
___________________________
Select the name of a body part from the list and FILL IN THE BLANKS.
1. Mwen tande a ______________________ mwen.

2. M pale avèk ________________________ mwen.

3. Karoline vire tèt li avèk _____________________ li.

4. Lè m te rive lakay mwen, Nancy anbrase mwen avèk de ________ li.

5. Fritz chita sou _________________ li.

6. Nou priye ak ________________ nou.

7. Ou jwe pyano avèk _____________ ou.

8. Nou renmen avèk _________ nou.

9. Yo tap danse ak _________ yo.

10. Chyen an mode m avèk ___________ li

11. Ti moun yo kalkile avèk __________ yo.

12. M te mache tout nan nwit sou de ________ m.

13. Nou santi avèk __________ nou.

14. Mwen te wè Jean-Marie ak de __________ m.

15. Li te manyen m a __________ li.

16. Ti moun yo tap koute istwa a avèk ____________ yo.

17. Li bobo bebe a ak _________ li.

18. Li gade mwen avèk ___________ li.

19. Li choute boul la avèk ___________ li.

20. Lè l tande nouvèl aksidan an, li tonbe lapriyè ak tout ______ li.

As always, the correct answers will be posted in the following blog in no more than four days.

Exercise 48 - Answers to exercise 47

Salut tout moun! (Greetings everyone!)

With Thanksgiving behind us, Christmas is quickly approaching.
Hope you're thinking about adding a little Haitian Creole in your
Chritsmas greetings.

In the meatime, how did you do with the quiz from the previous exercise?
All the correct answers are posted here. Go head and check them agaisnt yours.

Kontinye pratike Kreyol! (Keep practicing Creole!)


1. c

2. a

3. b

4. b

5. c

6. c

7. a

8. a

9. c

10. a

11. b

12. b

13. b

14. a

15. c

16. b

17. c

18. a

19 a & c

20. b

Exercise 47 - A Multiple Choice Quiz

Allo! Salut! e Bonjou tout moun!
Hello! Greetings! and good morning everyone!I thought today was a good day to test your knowledge of the Haitian Creole language. So we'll do a little harmless quiz.

You may also take this quiz online where you will find out your test results immediately.  Just click on the following link:
http://hosted.onlinetesting.net/HaitianCreole/login.pl

CHOOSE THE BEST POSSIBLE ANSWER.

1. A word in Haitian Creole that means "sweet" is
a. bon
b. sik
c. dous

2. "Papa m malad." What does "m" stand for?
a. mwen
b. mechan
c. malouk

3. What does "m" in #2 mean?
a. I
b. my
c. me

4. "Ti moun yo grangou." What does "yo" mean?
a. They
b. The
c. Them

5. You want to know your Haitian neighbor's name. So you ask her,
a. Ki jan w ye?
b. Ki jan w pale?
c. Ki jan w rele?

6. What do the "w's" in #5 stand for?
a. wo
b. wè
c. ou

7. You are in Haiti and you want to buy some groceries. You would most likely go:
a. nan yon mache
b. nan yon jaden
c. nan yon legliz

8. You're walking the busy streets of Haiti looking for a bathroom. You see a busy machann, and you ask her
a. Ki kote twalèt la ye?
b. Ki moun ou ye?
c. Ki sa wap fè la?

9. A "machann" is a
a. police officer
b. Red Cross worker
c. street vendor

10. "Pa fè m sa." What does "Pa" indicate?
a. Negative
b. Past tense
c. Future tense

11. What does "m" mean in #10?
a. I
b. me
c. My

12. What does the sentence in #10 mean?
a. I will do this.
b. Don't do this to me.
c. I did this

13. "M pè." means
a. I do
b. I'm scared
c. I can

14. "Dlo a bon pou bwè". What does the "a" after the word "dlo" stand for
a. It's a singular definite article
b. It's a plural definite article.
c. It's a preposition

15. What does the Haitian Creole sentence in #14 mean?
a. The water is at the spring
b. The waters run to the spring
c. The water is good to drink

16. I want to ask a yes/no question. Which Haitian Creole word will I use in front of my question?
a. Ki
b. Eske

17. So I decided to ask my Haitian friend, "Do you eat oranges?" and I say,
a. Ki zoranj ou manje?
b. Eske ou manje zoranj yo?
c. Eske ou manje zoranj?

18. "Paper or plastic?" What are two ways to say "or" in Haitian Creole?
a. ou and oubyen
b. o and ou
c. o and oubyen

19. So, what are the two translations for "Paper or plastic?". Choose two answers.
a. Papye ou plastik?
b. Papye o plastik?
c. Papye oubyen plastik?

20. Translate: The big red car.
a. Gwo wouj machin nan.
b. Gwo machin wouj la.
c. Gwo machin wouj nan.
You will find the answers to these questions in the next blog :)

Exercise 46 - Answer to questions in exercise 45

Bonswa tout moun! (Good evening all!)

I hope you had spent some time in exercise 45.
I also hope you had spent some time listening to the song.
You will be seeing a lot of the words and sentences from that song in the next few exercises (written or videotaped).

Are you finding the Haitian Creole language exciting to learn?!
...don't answer that :)
_________________________________
These are the answers to the questions from exercise 45
1. In line 1 what does "m" stand for?
b. mwen

2. What is the definite article in line 2?
c. la
3. What words do you use to ask a question with "when"?
a. ki lè

4. If the contraction form was not used in line 6, how would that sentence be written?
a. mwen di li pou li ban mwen yon souri

5. If the contraction for was not used in line 11, how would that sentence be written?
b. mwen poze men mwen sou kè mwen

6. Sila is the Haitian Creole word for:
c. the one, or that

7. Pote kole is the Haitian Creole word for:
a. put our heads together

8. In line 21 what do "k" stand for?
c. stands for "ki" which means "that, who, or which"

9. In line 27, "w" stands for:
b. "ou" which means "you"

10. "ap" indicates
c. Most likely the future

Exercise 45 - We are singing "Se La Vi"

This piece sung by the group Alabanza is celebrating life. It's a good sing along song. In time you'll learn it.

PLEASE, HAVE FUN LEARNING THIS SONG!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0Hmcv41Tr4
Click on the above link or choose Se La Vi from the Audio/Video Resources column on the left of the screen and listen to it. Then you can come back to do the following exercises below. Thanks.
_______________________________________________

Song, translation and exercises.

1. Chak maten lè m leve

2. Mwen wè solèy la klere
3. Mwen met(mete) jenou mwen atè
4. Epi m kòmanse priye

5. Mwen di l mèsi pou lavi
6. Mwen di l pou l ban m you souri
7. Pou m bay tou moun mwen kontre,
8. lanmou li ban m pataje
9. Souvan mwen remake
10. mwen ta vle bliye l
11. M poze men m sou kè m
12. m’ap santi bip bip bip

13. Se la vi
14. Pa gen pèsònn ki gen dwa retire l
15. San pèmisyon sila ki te kreye l, O O O se lavi

16. Se la vi
17. An’n selebre sila ki te kreye l
18. An nou pote kole pou pwoteje l, O O O se lavi
19. Gen sa ki pa respekte l
20. Y’ap mache kraze brize
21. Sa k' finn koupe tout pye bwa
22. yo pa wè y’ap rache lespwa

23. Gen lòt ki pa apresye l
24. Plezi fè yo gaspiye l
25. Ti kout ti krak y’ap rale
26. Pou fè kòm si y’ap vole
27. Poutan si w remake ou ta vle bliye l
28. poze men w sou kè w, w’ap santi bip bip bip

1. In line 1 what does "m" stand for?
a. mwa
b. mwen
c. move

2. Which is the definite article in line 2?
a. mwen
b. wè
c. la

3. What words do you use to ask a question with "when"?
a. ki lè
b. ki chak?
c. ki maten?

4. If the contraction form was not used in line 6, how would that sentence be written?
a. mwen di li pou li ban mwen yon souri
b. m di li pou l ban m yon souri
c. mwen di l pou li ban mwen yon souri

5. If the contraction form was not used in line 11, how would that sentence be written?
a. mwen poze men m sou kè mwen
b. mwen poze men mwen sou kè mwen
c. m poze men mwen sou kè mwen

6. "Sila" is the Haitian Creole word for:
a. Silas, or that
b. God, or that
c. the one, or that

7. "Pote kole" is the Haitian Creole word for:
a. get our heads together
b. light pole
c. bring a pole

8. In line 21 what does "k" stand for?
a. stands for "ki" which means "who, what, or where"
b.stands for "ki" which means "when, what or where"
c. stands for "ki" which means  "that, who, or which"

9. In line 27, "w" stands for:
a. "ou" which means "were"
b. "ou" which means "you"
c. "ou" which means "we"

10. "W'ap santi bip bip bip", what tense is "ap" indicating here?
a. most likely the past
b. most likely the present
c. most likely the future

Scroll down for the answers.







Answers

1. In line 1 what does "m" stand for?
b. mwen
2. What is the definite article in line 2?
c. la

3. What words do you use to ask a question with "when"?
a. ki lè

4. If the contraction form was not used in line 6, how would that sentence be written?
a. mwen di li pou li ban mwen yon souri

5. If the contraction for was not used in line 11, how would that sentence be written?
b. mwen poze men mwen sou kè mwen

6. Sila is the Haitian Creole word for:
c. the one, or that
7. Pote kole is the Haitian Creole word for:
a. put our heads together
8. In line 21 what do "k" stand for?
c. stands for "ki" which means "that, who, or which"

9. In line 27, "w" stands for:
b. "ou" which means "you"

10. "ap" indicates
c.  Most likely the future

Exercise 44 - Adjectives (answers to exercise 43)

In the previous exercise we were trying to figure out the adjectives. I gave you a few sentences to translate in Haitian Creole. Here are the answers

Answer 1 The ugly smelly shoe - Soulye lèd santi a.
(Both "lèd" and "santi" are adjectives that follow the noun. And "a" is the singular definite article. Remember that the definite article is determined based on the word it follows.)

Answer 2: The ancient yellow house - Ansyen kay jòn nan.
("ansyen" is one of these adjectives that come before the noun. "jòn" follows the noun. All the colors (as an adjective) will always follow the noun. And "nan" is the singular definite article).

Answer: 3:  The little pretty girl- bèl ti fi a.
(Both "bèl" and "ti" are adjectives that come before the noun. "a" is the definite article.)

Answer 4: The rusty old car - Vye machin wouye a.
("Vye" is an adjective that comes before the noun.  "wouye" will come after the noun. "a" is a definite article.)

Answer 5: The huge ugly box - Gwo bwat lèd la.
("Gwo" always come before the noun.  "Lèd" will come after the noun. ."la" is a definite article.)

Exercise 43 - Adjectives

Some adjectives occur before the noun: this is a list of the most frequently used adjectives that occur before the noun:

all                            tout                                                      

any                         nenpòt                

bad                        move                    

big                          gwo                      

good                      bon                       

great                     gran                                                     

humongous        katafal                

last                         dènye                   

many                    anpil

old                          vye

other                     lòt

pretty                    bèl         

same                     menm

several                  plizyè

small                     ti

huge                      gwo

young                   jèn

some                     kèk

The other adjectives usually follow the noun.  Here's a list of five adjectives which follow the noun.
dirty - sal
yellow - jòn
rusty - wouye
ugly - lèd
smelly - santi


See more on adjectives
___________________________________________
Let's translate these sentences: Study the placement of the adjectives.

The small car - ti machin nan. (the adjective comes before the noun)

The rusty car - machin wouye a. (the adjective follows the noun)

The ugly car - machin lèd la. (the adjective follows the noun)

The big blue car - gwo machin ble a. (one adj comes before the noun and the other follows the noun)

The dirty yellow car - machin jòn sal la. (both adjectives follow the noun)
_______________________

Watch the following unlisted videos about adjectives before you continue with the following exercise.
Adjectives

More adjectives

PLEASE TRANSLATE.
1. The ugly smelly shoe._____________________________

2. The ancient yellow house.__________________________

3. The pretty little girl._______________________________

4. The rusty old car.________________________________

5. The huge ugly box._______________________________



Thanks.

Exercise 42 - Answers to exercise 41

Bonjou tout moun!
How are you doing so far with learning this new language?
Is it difficult, confusing, or just plain impossible?
Is it fun?
Do you get to practice speaking it?
Are you learning it in school, from friends, from a private tutor, or just on your own?

Whichever way you're doing it, I'm encouraging you to keep at it.
I remember when I first traveled to the USA. I was shoved into high school (the 11th grade) not understanding a single spoken word of English. I was going to High School in the morning and English School at night. It was not fun but by the end of that school year I was speaking English... not so perfectly but people could understand me and I could understand them.

So, kontinye konsa! keep at it!
__________________________
Here are the answers to exercise 41.
MATCH THE ABOVE ANSWERS WITH THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS.

1. Kote pwason yo rete? (where do fish live?)F. Nan lanmè a (In the ocean)

2. Ki kote valiz ou a ye? (Where is your bag?)D. Li nan machi-n nan (It's in the car)

3. Konbyen pitit ou genyen? (How many kids do you have?)G. M gen kat (I have four)

4. Ki koulè machin ou an? (What's the color of your car?)K. Li wouj (It's red)

5. Ki jan ti gason ou a rele? (What is your boy's name?)E. Phillip

6. Ki jou wap pati? (What day are you leaving?)A. Vandredi maten (Friday morning)

7. Ki mizik ou renmen? (What music do you like?)I. M renmen Reggae. (I love Reggae)

8. Ki jan de manje ou renmen? (What kind of food do you like?)J. M renmen vejetab (I love vegetables)

9. Ki jan de travay ou fè? (What kind of work do you do?)C. Mwen se yon ekriven (I am a writer)

10. Konbyen kay sa koute? (How much does this house cost?) B. $80,000.00

Exercise 41 - Some Questions and Answers

Bonswa!

Ki jan jounen ou te pase?

Have you listened to a Haitian song today? If not, put it on your To Do List. You got to train your ears to hear the language:)
_______________________________________________

Let's do some work. Here is your list of answers for today's exercise:


ANSWERS
A. Vandredi maten (Friday morning)
B. $80,000.00
C. Mwen se yon ekriven (I am a writer)
D. Li nan machin nan (It's in the car)
E. Phillip
F. Nan lanmè a (In the ocean)
G. M gen kat (I have four)
H. Nou te marye dezan pase. (We got married two years ago)
I. M renmen Reggae (I love Reggae)
J. M renmen vejetab (I love vegetables)
K. Li wouj (It's red)

MATCH THE ABOVE ANSWERS WITH THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS.

1. Kote pwason yo rete?

2. Ki kote valiz ou a ye?

3. Konbyen pitit ou genyen?

4. Ki koulè machin ou an?

5. Ki jan ti gason ou an rele?

6. Ki jou w ap pati?

7. Ki mizik ou renmen?

8. Ki kalite manje ou renmen?

9. Ki kalite travay ou fè?

10. Konbyen kay sa a koute?

Exercise 40 - Answers to questions in exercise 39

Answers to questions in exercises 39.

1. In lines 4 and 5, what Haitian Creole word does k' stand for. And what does is mean?
Answer: ki, it means that, who, or which

2. Based on Lines #2, 3, 4, and 5, how would you say, "There are girls who speak soft."
Answer: Gen ti fi ki pale dous.

3. According to line 4, the Creole word for velvet is:
Answer: Vlou

4. According to lines 7 and 8, how would you say, "My pocket is empty."
Answer: Pòch mwen vid.

5. Based on line 10.5, "I have nothing." is translated in Haitian Creole as:
Answer: M pa gen anyen.

6. What does the w in line 11 stand for? What does it mean?
Answer: ou. it means you.

7. Based on line 20 and 21, how would you say, "Let's eat."
Answer: An nou manje

8. Based on line 24, the Haitian Creole word for, "Side by side" is:
Answer: kòt a kòt

9. According to lines 25 and 26 how would you translate, "it's not a boy, it's a girl."?
Anwer: Se pa yon gason, se yon ti fi.

10. What is the Haitian Creole word for friend?
Answer: Zanmi

11.What does the "n" in line 29 stands for? What does it mean?
Answer: n stands for nou, it means we.

12.What does the "na" in lines 30 and 31 stand for? what does it mean?
Answer: na stands for nou ap, it means we will or we would.