Haitian Creole

Monday, October 17, 2011

Se kan w pran ou konnen wi!

Mè wi pitit! Lè ou pran nan twa rwa!

That's why you should always read the fine prints, however disguised they are :)

Piyay (pee-yah-y) (n.) → freebie, giveaway, handout

Fè piyay (v.) → to invade, to loot, to plunder, to pillage

The words "piyay" comes from the French "pillage" which means looting, free-for-all, pillaging.

Examples:
The man offered me $500 for the car. He must have thought that this is a freebie.
Mesye a mande m $500 pou machin nan. Li te panse se piyay.

During the riot they looted the store. There's nothing left.
Pandan dezòd la yo fè piyay sou magazen an. Pa gen anyen ki rete.

You'll hear these expressions often.
This is not a handout!
Sa se pa piyay non!

Haiti is not there for the taking.
Ayiti pa pou piyay.

The thieves plundered the house.
Vòlè yo fè piyay sou kay la.

They raped the girl.
Yo fè piyay sou tifi a.

Pitit mwen se bo fi, mwen bon papa tou.

bofi → stepson, son-in-law

bòpè → stepfather, father-in-law

I'm not sure I understand what you mean here. This sentence, just as you have it, translates in English as:

Pitit mwen se bo fi, mwen bon papa tou.
My child is handsome/pretty girl, I am good father too.

Did you mean?
Piti mwen se bofi, mwen se bòpè tou.
My child is a stepson/son-in-law, I am a stepfather/father-in-law too.

Ask me anything

"Mezi lajan w, mezi wanga w", Is that about voodoo?

No. (well, maybe for some people)
It is an Haitian Creole expression which is about doing the best with what you've got.

Expression:          Mezi lajan w, mezi wanga w.
Literal meaning:   The measure of your money, the measure of
                            your voodoo/witchcraft/sorcery.
Meaning:              Your success is as deep as your pockets.

to say I did not...is it, mwen pa te fe or pat fe?

Both are correct.
One sentence is uncontracted: (Mwen pa te fè)
And the other is contracted: (Mwen pa t fè)

One little note*
Do you mean "I did not do." or "I did not do it"?

I did not do.
Mwen pa te fè. (uncontracted)
Mwen pa t fè. (contracted)

I did not do it.
Mwen pa te fè li. (uncontracted)
Mwen pat fè li. (contracted)

When "I did not" is used as an auxillary, it doesn't translate in Creole.

Examples:
I did not undestand.
Mwen pa te konprann. (uncontracted)
Mwen pa t konprann. (contracted)

I did not go.
Mwen pa te ale. (uncontracted)
Mwen pa t ale. (contracted)

I did not sleep at all last night.

Mwen pa te dòmi menm yè swa. (uncontracted)

Mwen pa't dòmi men yèswa. (contracted)

Ask me anything

Kouman sa ye?

Kouman sa ye?

How is it?

How is that?

How is it going?

Ask me anything

What's the lowdown on "dirt"? When do you use "kras", "salte", or "pousyè"

To be specific, the following Haitian Creole words for "dirt" are translated in English in this manner:

Salte → impurity, filth, filthiness, sleaze, slime

kras → grime, gook, gunk, smudge, stain

Pousyè → dust, soot, smut, dust bunnies

labou → mud, sludge, silt

pouriti → rottenness, decay, pollution, spoliation, foulness

"To prevent" in Creole

Prevent (to keep from happening) → anpeche

The barricades prevent me from going through.
Barikad yo anpeche m pase.

The noise is preventing me from falling asleep.
Bri a anpeche m dòmi.

The medications are preventing me from loosing any weight.
Medikaman yo anpeche m pèdi pwa.

His bad conduct is preventing him from passing the class.
Move kondwit li anpeche li pase klas la.

Prevent (get protection from) → evite

Prevent heart disease by eating right.
Evite maladi kè lè ou manje byen.

She documented everything well. That prevented a lawsuit.
Li te byen dokimante tout bagay. Sa te evite yon pwosè.

Do you know how to prevent skin cancer?
Eske ou konnen kijan pou evite kansè nan po?

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Using the word "PRETEND" in a Creole sentence.

To pretend → fè kòmsi, pran pòz, fè sanblan

1. She's pretending to be sick.
    L'ap fè kòmsi li malad.
    L'ap pran pòz li malad.

2. You are pretending to work.
     W'ap fè kòmsi w'ap travay.
     W'ap pran pòz w'ap travay.

3. He pretended to eat.
    Li te fè kòmsi l'ap manje.
    Li t'ap pran pòz l'ap manje.

4. She is pretending to be my mom.
    Li fè kòmsi li se manman m.
    Li pran pòz li se manman m.

5. He is pretending to read.
     Li fè kòmsi l'ap li.
     L'ap pran pòz l'ap li.

6. Pretend you are walking.
    Fè kòmsi w'ap mache.
    Pran pòz w'ap mache.

7. Pretend you are lost, so you could talk to her.
    Fè kòmsi ou pèdi, pou ou ka pale avè li.
    Pran pòz ou pèdi, pou ou ka pale avè li

8. Don't pretend you didn't hear me!
     Pa fè kòmsi ou pa't tande m non!
    Pa pran pòz ou pa't tande non!

9. Don't pretend you didn't know about this!
    Pa fè kòmsi ou pa't konnen sa!
    Pa pran pòz ou pa't konnen sa!

What's the best way to say, "run an errand?"

errand → komisyon, ale vini, monte desann

run an errand
fè yon komisyon
regle yon bagay
regle yon zafè
fè yon monte desann

1. I am going to run an errand.
     Mwen pral regle yon zafè.
     Mwen pral regle yon bagay.

2. She went out to run an errand for me. She'll be back soon.
     Li sòti ale fè yon komisyon pou mwen. L'ap tounen talè.

3. I went to run an errand for my Mom.
     Mwen te ale fè yon komisyon pou manman m.

4. I'm going to run some errands downtown.
    Mwen prale fè yon ti monte desann lavil.

5. I went out to take care of a few things.
     Mwen t'ale fè yon ti ale vini.

For better or for worse (in Creole)

For better or for worse.
Lè sa bon oswa lè sa pa bon.
http://sweetcoconutstootsiz.blogspot.com/2011/10/for-better-or-for-worse-in-creole.html