a sneeze / to sneeze

a sneeze → estènen
to sneeze → estènye

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Bon sa w ka dim de viyet plack la? (english)

Well, what can you tell me about the tag's bumper sticker?

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Is there a difference in Creole btw "Do you want.." and "Would you like..." Someone told me they are translated the same?

Do you want ...? → Eske ou vle...?

Would you want...? → Eske ou ta vle...?

Would you like..? → Eske ou ta renmen...?

Do you want to know a secret?
Eske ou vle konnen yon sekrè?

Would you want to live forever?
Eske ou ta vle viv pou tout tan?

Would you like to know more?
Eske ou ta renmen konnen plis?

Gen yon moun ki di: lanmou gen menm fos ak lanmo (death). Yo pa pran konsey nan men moun ni pa gen moun ki ka gen kontwol yo. Se pou sa mwen diw mwen dako pou nou pale tout sa ki nan ke nou paske li pi fo pase nou.(in English)

Gen moun ki di:

Some people say:

Lanmou gen menm fòs ak lanmò.

Love is as supreme (strong or powerful) as death.

Yo pa pran konsèy nan men moun, ni pa gen moun ki gen kontwòl yo.

They don't answer to no one, and no one can control them.

Se pou sa mwen di w, mwen dakò pou nou pale tout sa ki nan kè nou.

That's why I tell you, I agree that we (should) talk about everything that's within our hearts.

Paske li pi fò pase nou.

Because it is stronger than us.

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hope in creole

hope (n.) → espwa, esperans

He's our hope.

Li se espwa nou.

You can't live without hope.

Ou pa ka viv san espwa.


hope (v.) → espere

I hope to meet you one day.

Mwen espere rankontre w yon jou.

Is this what you had hoped?

Eske se sa ou te espere?

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how to say, "And how are you?"

And how are you?

E kouman ou ye?

And you, how are you doing?

E ou menm, kouman ou ye?

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Tickle

to tickle → satouyèt, satiyèt

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What's on your mind?

What's on your mind?

A kisa w'ap panse?

Kisa ki sou kè w?

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not much

pa anpil

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M couche. M'ap couche. M te couche. M t'ap couche. I know that some refer to lying down to sleep and some ... don't. How do I stay out of trouble with "couche"?

Kouche in Haitian Creole generally means to lie down. If you start using kouche avèk, then we might be talking about some grown-up stuff.
In some instances, the context is a good guide.

Examples:
M te al kouche a sizè yèswa.
I went to lie down at six last night.

Nou te tèlman fatige, n'al kouche bonè.
We were so tired, we went to bed early.

Tanpri, kouche bwat la atè a.
Please, lay the box on the floor.

M deja kouche.
I'm already in bed.

Mwen te kouche ak yon tèt fè mal.
I went to bed with a headache.

Li toujou kouche nan menm chanm ak timoun yo.
She usually sleeps in the same room as the kids.

Nou te kouche ansanm.
We slept together.

Mwen fache anpil paske li te kouche ak madanm mwen.
I'm outraged that he slept with my wife..

Li pa't janm kouche ak yon gason.
She had never slept with a man.

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Hi. What does mean: pale mwen mal tout tan ou kapab

Pale m mal tout tan w kapab,

Criticize me as long as you can.

Belittle me as long as you can.

or

Put me down as long as you can.
Pale mal → put down, slander, criticize

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Nou tout egal ego. Egal ego means equal, right?

Wi wi.

Egal ego is an expression about equality.

Other expressions similar to egal ego are: menmman parèyman, menm bagay la, menm penpenp lan, de gout dlo.

Anonymous said....

I don't understand how to use those properly (i.e. in place of egal alone). Please give some examples. Also, what is penpenp?
November 30, 2011 12:00 PM

Mandaly said....

Yes, you could use some of these expressions in place of the word "equal". The ones you can use are:
equal → egal, egal ego, menm or menm bagay, menmman parèyman.

Example:
These two cups are equal (the same).
De tas sa yo egal ego.

You and your dad have the same mannerism.
Ou menm ak papa w se menmman parèyman.

You and your sister look so much alike.
Ou menm ak sè w la tankou de gout dlo.

penpenp is anything, a concept, circumstance, or object.

Chak jou se menm penpenp lan.
Every day it's the same thing.
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I said "M pa t we pyès moun la" and was told that "pyès" is out-of-date, that only old people will understand it, and that "okenn" is way better. Is this true?

"pyès" is not outdated. How could it be?

What you will find is that people from a specific region of Haiti tend to use "pyès" more than others.

You are correct to say: M pa't wè pyès moun la.

Other synonyms for pyès moun are: okenn moun, pèsòn

So, you could also say:

M pa wè okenn moun la.

M pa wè pèsòn la.

Also Creole speakers will use pyès to mean none as in:

There will be none of that.

P'ap gen sa pyès.

I have no money on me.
M pa gen pyès lajan sou mwen.

She doesn't have any children in Haiti.
Li pa gen pyès timoun Ayiti.

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I can't get these straight. What are hug and kiss, both as nouns and verbs?

to hug (v.) → anbrase, makònen avèk, or kwoke

to kiss (v.) → bo, bobo, or anbrase

A hug (n) → anbrasad, akolad

A kiss (n) → bo, bobo, beze, bizou

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Each of us. (Each of us can help. He loves each of us.)

Each of us.

Nou chak

Chak grenn nan nou (each one of us)

You'll also hear: chaken de nou, but that's more French, less native.

Each of us can help.

Nou chak ka ede.

He loves each of us.

Li renmen nou chak.

____________________________

each day
chak jou

Each person can bring a book.
Chak moun ka pote yon liv. 

Each time I see you.
Chak fwa mwen wè w.

She takes it every morning.
Li pran li chak maten.

Each of us will get a turn.
Nou chak la va gen tou pa li.

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