Haitian Bread

Pen Ayisyen (yum!)

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Best way to translate "legitimate" in: Are all your papers legitimate?

Legitimate → anrèg ( from French: En règle which means valid, in order)

Are all your papers legitimate?
Eske tout papye ou anrèg?

Others words that translate legitimate in Creole: bon, anfòm, kòdyòm, otantik, kòrèk

I love you joseph

I love you Joseph.

Mwen renmen ou Jozèf.

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what is a "famine" in kreole?

famine → grangou, famin

hunger → grangou (n.)

hungry → grangou (adj)

Grangou is used as adjective and noun.

example:

I am hungry

Mwen grangou.

There was a great famine throughout the whole region.

Te gen yon gwo grangou nan tout rejyon an.

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"to lead" as in: "to lead a life"

To lead → mennen

She lead a peaceful life.
Li t'ap mennen yo vi pezib.

They lead a miserable life.
Yo t'ap mennen yon vi mizerab.

I want to go somewhere where nobody knows me, where i would have freedom to be myself.

Translating that...

Mwen vle ale nan yon plas kote okenn moun pa konnen mwen, kote ma va gen libète pou m devni nenpòt sa mwen vle.

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eske soulie ladann tou

You mean:

Eske soulye yo ladan l tou?

Are the shoes in there too?

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How old is too old for a teddy bear?

Are you kidding me?!
One's never too old to seek comfort

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what does map gade mean

M'ap gade
I'm looking.
I'll look.

M'ap gade ou.

I am looking at you.

M'ap gade li.

I am looking at him/her/it.

What are you looking at?

Kisa w'ap gade?

Why are you staring at me?

Poukisa w'ap gade m konsa?

Sometimes, Creole speakers use "m'ap gade" to mean: "I'll look into it"  or "I'll think about it"

Example:

I'll see.

M'ap gade

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living the good life.

living the good life → mennen (v.), alèz kòm blèz (v.), byen mennen (v)

She's living the good life.
L'ap mennen.
or
Li alèz kòm blèz

Edith won the lottery last year.  Now she's living large.
Edith te genyen nan lotri ane pase.  Kounye a l'ap byen mennen.

We're living well.
N'ap byen mennen.

They're living the good life.
Y'ap byen mennen.

Creole synonyms for byen mennen:  byen viv, boloze, nan luil


The expression byen viv is also used to translate:  to treat well, to be considerate

1.  Her husband treats her right.
     Mari li byen viv avè l.

2.  They treat me well.
     Yo byen mennen avè m.

3.  Does he treat you well?
     Eske li byen boule avè w?

Creole synonyms for treat well, be considerate of:  byen viv avèk, byen boule avèk, byen mennen avèk

annafè → have business with?

annafè (v.) → have business/dealings, to intermingle, to have relations

1. Mwen pa annafè ak moun tankou w.
    I don't deal with people like you.

2.  Pa al annafè ak moun sa yo non!
     Don't you get mixed up with these people!

3.  You don't even know who you dealing with.
    Ou pa menm konnen ak ki moun ou annafè?

4. What kind of people are you dealing with?
     Ak ki kalite moun ou annafè la?

5.  Who are you dealing with?
    Ak ki moun ou annafè la?

5.  If I knew she was married I would not have had relations with her.
     Si mwen te konnen li te marye, mwen pa ta annafè avèk li.

6.  When you deal with crooks, you act like a crook.
     Lè ou annafè ak vòlè, ou aji tankou vòlè.

Creole synonyms for annafè (v.):  fè biznis, melanje, makònen

Paspouki in Creole is?

Paspouki → unfairness, favoritism, discrimination

Example:
You're playing favorite.
W'ap fè paspouki.
Ou nan paspouki.

I don't play favorites!
Mwen pa nan paspouki!

The teacher is discriminating against his students.
Pwofesè a nan paspouki avèk elèv li yo.

Other Creole synonyms for paspouki are: patipri, pasyalite, balans panche, moun pa

how do u say i am newly divorced?

I am newly divorced.

Mwen fèk divòse.

Mwen fèk kite ak madanm/mari mwen.

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Thanks for a very clear explanation of when to use/not use contracted pronouns. - Dory

Great Dory! Glad to hear from you :)

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Why do "Machann lèt" and "Machann sik" become cuss words at times?

Machann lèt (milk merchants) and machann sik (sugar merchants), usually women, are not cuss words.  But in the flea markets, these merchants do have a reputation of being loudmouthed, temperamental and belligerent.  So, some people use it as an insult to call others by these names.