m renmen li tou
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Monday, May 2, 2011
How do you express perfect tenses (have done, had done) in Creole? With 'te'? Adverbial expressions?
In Haitian Creole, we continue to use 'te' in past and perfect tenses.
*It's important to note that it's not uncommon for Haitians to omit the 'te' in past or perfect tenses, and speak of the past as if it was the present.
I have spoken to her.
Mwen te pale avè l.
We've told her about it.
Nou te di l sa.
I had tried to help them, but they refused my help.
Mwen te eseye ede yo, men yo refize sipò mwen.
I have been here since 6 o'clock. - Mwen la depi sizè. (without "te")
I have been here since 6 o'clock. - Mwen te la depi sizè. (with "te")
He has done a terrible thing. - Li fè yon move bagay.
He has done a terrible thing. - Li te fè yon move bagay.
Thank you for all you've done. - Mèsi pou tout sa ou fè.
Thank you for all you've done. - Mèsi pou tout sa ou te fè.
I have been waiting for you for 2 hours. - M te ap tann ou pou dezè d'tan.
Has she been sleeping all that time. - Eske li te ap dòmi tout tan sa?
We know how you feel, we had been there. - Nou konnen kijan ou santi ou, nou te la tou.
*It's important to note that it's not uncommon for Haitians to omit the 'te' in past or perfect tenses, and speak of the past as if it was the present.
I have spoken to her.
Mwen te pale avè l.
We've told her about it.
Nou te di l sa.
I had tried to help them, but they refused my help.
Mwen te eseye ede yo, men yo refize sipò mwen.
I have been here since 6 o'clock. - Mwen la depi sizè. (without "te")
I have been here since 6 o'clock. - Mwen te la depi sizè. (with "te")
He has done a terrible thing. - Li fè yon move bagay.
He has done a terrible thing. - Li te fè yon move bagay.
Thank you for all you've done. - Mèsi pou tout sa ou fè.
Thank you for all you've done. - Mèsi pou tout sa ou te fè.
I have been waiting for you for 2 hours. - M te ap tann ou pou dezè d'tan.
Has she been sleeping all that time. - Eske li te ap dòmi tout tan sa?
We know how you feel, we had been there. - Nou konnen kijan ou santi ou, nou te la tou.
Labels:
perfect tenses
Are you well? You looked sad last week.
Are you well? - Eske ou byen?- Eske w santi w byen?
You looked sad last week. - Ou te sanble tris semèn pase.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
What are some useful Creole superlatives - eg. "fantastic", "awesome", "great"?
expressions:
Bèl bagay! - Wonderful, Awesome
Se gwo koze! - Wonderful!, Awesome!
Fòmidab! - Wonderful!
Enkwayab! - Incredible!
Anfòm kou bas! - Great!, Excellent!
Efreyan! - Scary!, Frightening!, Ugly!
Chokan! - Shocking!
Bèl bagay! - Wonderful, Awesome
Se gwo koze! - Wonderful!, Awesome!
Fòmidab! - Wonderful!
Enkwayab! - Incredible!
Anfòm kou bas! - Great!, Excellent!
Efreyan! - Scary!, Frightening!, Ugly!
Chokan! - Shocking!
Labels:
superlatives
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Congratulations!
Felisitasyon!, Konpliman!, Mè konpliman!, Chapo ba!, Ou fè bon travay!
Labels:
cheers,
congrats,
congratulations
say welcome home
Welcome home - Byenveni lakay ou.
Welcome to my home - Byenveni lakay mwen.
Welcome to our home - Byenveni lakay nou.
Welcome to my home - Byenveni lakay mwen.
Welcome to our home - Byenveni lakay nou.
Labels:
welcome
Friday, April 29, 2011
If you didn't have to work for a living, either for someone else or for yourself, what would you do with your life?
I'd be a full time flower-painting fairy.
what does 'gen pou' mean? example: 'li gen pou vini?' seems like it means something like 'he wants to come, but has no plans to, or doesn't know when.' thanks!
'gen pou' is a determiner for the future tense. Like you said, it means 'plan to'.
M gen pou ale lavil. - I have plans to go downtown.
M gen pou ale lavil. - I have plans to go downtown.
Li gen pou vini aswè a. - She plans to come tonight.
Nou gen pou chante nan konsè a. - We plan to sing at the concert
Labels:
Future tense
Do you know of a really cheap way to call Haiti? (Not translation.. Just a question.)
Sometimes I'd use a pre-paid calling card. But they stack up quickly and I have to keep buying them. And sometimes I have 1 min left in one card and 3 min left in the other.
But I do have an international calling plan with my current cell phone service provider which I find that to be the cheapest.
But I do have an international calling plan with my current cell phone service provider which I find that to be the cheapest.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
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