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Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Is "kwoke" a bad word? Which word do you use instead?

Absolutely not. Kwoke is not a bad word.

I think the problem with the word "kwoke" and other similar colorful words in Haitian Creole is that they don't sound French enough.
If we want to speak Creole, I think we should use Creole words.

kwoke (v.) - embrace, hug

whatdoes mayoute mean?

Mayoute - could be a proper name or a given nickname.

Ask me anything

Thank You, God

Thank you, God - Mèsi Bondye

!Well written!

Well written!
Byen ekri!
Byen konpoze!
or
Byen kominike!

i like this one a lot !have confident!

I like this one a lot!
Mwen renmen sa a anpil!

I am confident.
Mwen sèten.

!i see three guys walking!

I see three guys walking!
Mwen wè twa(3) nèg kap mache!
Literally, I see three guys that is walking.

'kap' is contraction of 'ki ap' which means 'that is'.

I live in illusion?m viv nan ilizyon oubyen m viv nan ilizyon an?

The first one is better.

illusion → ilizyon, desepsyon, konfizyon
I live in an illision. - map viv nan ilizyon.

Kisa ou genyen

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

Asking questions with the WH- words (Part 2)

what, when, which, who

Asking questions with the wh- word, when the wh- word is the subject.
Example:
What
happened next?
When is a good time to see you?
Which is the best one?
Who did this?

Haitian Creole equivalent
what → kisa ki
when → kilè ki, or what + time+ ki
which → ki + subject + ki
who → kilès ki

What - Kisa
Kisa ki is often contracted to sa k' or sak

1. Kisa ki nan machin nan?
    What's in the car?

2. Kisa ki fè ou kontan?  or
   Sak fè ou kontan?
   What makes you happy?


3. Kisa ki nan pòch ou?  or
   Sak nan pòch ou?
   What’s in your pocket?


4. Kisa ki pase? (literally, 'what has passed?')  or
    Sak pase?
   What’s happening?

5. Kisa ki genyen? (Literally, 'what that has?' or 'what do we have?')  or
    Sak genyen?
    What’s going on?


When, what time, what month, what year, what day, etc... → kilè ki
1. Kilè ki fèt ou?
    When is your birthday?

2. Ki mwa ki pi kout?
    What month is shorter?


Which → ki + subject + ki
1. Ki liv ki pi bon?
    Which book is better?

2. Ki kay ki pi gwo?
    Which house is bigger?


 
Who can be translated as either Kilès, kiyès, or kimoun
1. Kilès ki fè sa?
    Who did this?


2. Kimoun ki nan machin nan?
    Who’s in the car?


3. Kimoun ki manje pen an?
    Who ate the bread?


4. Kimoun ki di ou sa?
   Who told you that?


5. Kilès ki vle ale anvan?
   Who wants to go first?


6. Kilès ki papa ou?
    Who's your dad?


7. Kilès ki la?
    Who’s there? (this question answers to a knock on the door.)

Asking questions with the WH- words (Part 1)

Asking questions with the WH- words with the help of auxillary verbs (do, did, will, should, etc...)

what → kisa
when → kilè
where → ki kote, kibò
which → ki, kilès
who → kilès, kiyès, or kimoun
why → pouki, poukisa


In Haitian Creole, place the wh- word at the beginning of the sentence, followed by the inquiring sentence in the appropriate tense.

1. Kisa ou renmen?
    What do you like?

2. Kisa ou pral fè?
    What will you do?

3. Kilè ou te ale?
    When did you go?

4. Kibò ou prale?
    Where will you go?

5. Kibò ou te jewnn li?
    Where did you find it?

4. Ki jou ou prefere?
    Which day do you prefer?

5. Kilè ou te rele?
    Who did you call?

6. Poukisa ou te bay manti?
    Why did you lie?

what does Sa Se Peche mean ?

Sa se peche. - This is a sin.  This is immoral.  or This is wrong.

How do you say "I hate being away from you. Please talk to me"

I hate being away from you.
Mwen pa renmen rete lwen ou.

Please talk to me.
Pale avè m, tanpri.

Hi. How do you say in Haitian Creole "I love my baby" or "I love my baby-girl"?

Baby girl, in Haitian Creole, may be translated as the endearing name of your choice:

Baby girl (as in darling, precious angel, sweetheart)
ti lezanj, chouchou, kòkòt, ti cheri

I love my baby girl.
Mwen damou pou ti lezanj mwen an.

Monday, July 18, 2011

ak mwen

ak mwen → with me

Other ways to say "with me" in Haitian Creole:
avèk mwen
avè mwen
avè m
ak mwen menm
Ask me anything

konnen, konn → to know

To have knowledge of → konnen 
To be familiar with → Konnen
To know → Konnen

'konnen' is also contracted as 'konn'.

Konnen and konn means the same thing: to know.
Example:
1.  M konnen kibò ou prale.
     I know where you're going.

2.  Li konnen mwen trè byen.
     She knows me very well.

3.  M pa konn misye sa.
     I don't know this man.
______________________________

To know how to, to be able to → konnen, konn
Example:
1. Li konn pale Angle.
    He knows how to speak English.

2. M pa konn danse.
    I don't know how to dance.

3.  Eske ou konn naje?
     Do you know how to swim?
____________________________

to be used to, routinely, habitually → konnen, konn
Example:
1. Li konn pale avè m.
    She routinely speaks to me.

2. M konn wè li chak maten.
    I usually see him every morning.

3.  Li konn peye m chak vandredi.
     He usually pays me every Friday.

4.  M konn fè $40/jou.
     I usually make $40/day.

5.  Eske ou konn manje lakay li?
     Do you sometimes eat at her house?