"Ala ou menm sa!" is equivalent to the expression "You are something else." or the slang "You're really something."
Friday, December 2, 2011
When can you use 'dwe' as 'be'? Examples please.
Dwe is translated as must be, when is not used as a helping verb and it stands alone.
So it'll usually come before a adjectives, or other modifiers and identifiers at that time. It will not come before a verb.
Li dwe malad.
She must be ill.
Ou dwe fou!
You must be out of your mind!
Nou pa ta dwe la.
We should not be here.
Se dwe madanm ni.
That must be his wife.
Se dwe fèt li.
It must be his birthday.
Otherwise, "dwe" is a helping verb.
Dwe → must, have to, have got to, obligated to, ought to, need, should.
Nou dwe ale.
We have to go.
Ou pa dwe fè sa.
You should not do that.
Mwen ta dwe ale tou.
I should have gone too.
Ou ta dwe ede li.
You ought to help him.
You ought to help him.
Li dwe te manje twòp yè.
She must have eaten too much yesterday.
Yo dwe pati.
They must have left.
They must have left.
Ou dwe te konnen. (te = past tense)
You must have known.
Mwen dwe te indispoze. (te = past tense)
I must have passed out.
Yo dwe t'ap fè vitès. (t'ap = te ap, past and progressive)
They must have been speeding.
My next tattoo is for a Haitian family member of mine who passed away. I want to say "I love you," and "I miss you." I know this translates into "Mwen renmen ou/w," and "Mwen sonje ou/w." But I was wondering for the tattoo, would you think it was more ap
Best way to write it.
Mwen renmen w.
Mwen sonje w.
In "Lè yo w vini kay?" does "yo" mean "are?" I've never seen in used that way before. Is there another way to say it?
No, I can't think of any circumstances where "yo" would translate "are".
Perhaps this sentence is not complete.
Maybe they meant:
Lè yo va vini lakay yo.
When they will come home.
Lè yo vini lakay yo.
When they come home.
Lè yo rive lakay yo.
When they arrive home.
Lè yo rantre lakay yo.
When they get home.
Check the following link about "Going Home"
How do you say 'So far'? Like "so far this is going well?"
So far → jiskisi, jiskaprezan
So far this is going well.
Jiskaprezan bagay yo mache byen.
So far he hasn't given me anything yet.
Jiskaprezan li poko ban m anyen.
How's it going so far?
Jiskisi kouman sa ye?
So far so good
Trè byen
Anfòm
Jiskisi nou anfòm
play
to play → jwe
a game → jwèt
a toy → jwèt
To play a game.
Jwe yon jwè.
To play with a toy.
Jwe avèk yon jwèt
Thursday, December 1, 2011
To drink a mouthful of salt water...' Is there a one-word sentence for mouthful? I want to say 'bouche plen' but that can't be right.
a mouthful → yon gòje
She drank a mouthful of salt water.
Li te bwè yon gòje dlo sale.
Two questions. 1) How do you say "deliver a baby" and 2) is it okay for foreigners to use the word "neg" in conversation with Haitians? Thank you!
to deliver a baby → akouche yon bebe
to give birth → akouche
birth (n.) → akouchman
She gave birth this morning.
Li akouche maten an.
The doctor delivered the baby.
Doktè a akouche bebe a.
or
Doktè a delivre bebe a. (pronounced day-lee-v-ray)
you will also hear:
The doctor who delivered me was excellent.
Doktè ki te akouche m nan te anfòm.
I had a busy day. I had 2 deliveries (births) in the office.
Jounen m te okipe. Mwen te gen 2 akouchman nan ofis la.
2. Yes, it is okay for foreigners to use the word "nèg" in conversation with Haitians.
The word "nèg" in Haitian Creole is equivalent to "man, guy, dude, pal, etc..."
Creole speakers will even translate "a white man" as "yon nèg blan" (which is an oxymoron), but that's the way it is: nèg means man.
See this link about other Creole expressions with "nèg".
why do Haitians say, "pitit o!" Or "Madanm o!"?
I guess it might be the same reason pirates say "land o!, land o!"
Adding that "o!", and if you've noticed also "wi!", "non!", "menm!", "la!" is a way of expressing themselves.
Usually these expressions do not translate in English.
Sometimes I want to put them in my writings on the blog, but I refrain from doing it, thinking that they might be confusing. But the truth is that some spoken expressions will feel incomplete without them.
Sometimes I want to put them in my writings on the blog, but I refrain from doing it, thinking that they might be confusing. But the truth is that some spoken expressions will feel incomplete without them.
Mwen te sonje w wi!
I missed you.
Kimoun ou ye menm!
Who are you?
Ki kote ou prale la?
Where are you going?
M paka dòmi non!
I can't sleep!
What's the proper term to describe the corrugated metal material used as the roof of many homes in Nazon?
If you mean the "tin roof", they are called "tòl" in Haiti.
A house that's covered with corrugated tin roof is called "kay tòl"
Living under these tin roofs you hear everything: the landing of the birds, the crash of the ripe coconuts, the rain drops, even the faint noise of the falling dry leaves. At night when it's even quieter, you'd think you heard the footsteps of a "lougawou". And when it's windy, the clatter of the tree branches never stops.
The worst I remember is those sunny days. When the sun is hot and bright consider everything under that tin roof roasted.
you are so smart
book smart?
You are so smart.
Ou entelijan.
Ou trè entèlijan.
Man! you are clever.
Ala je ou kale papa!
She's a smart girl. (street smart)
She's a smart girl.
Li s'on fanm intelijan. (s'on = se yon)
Li s'on fanm je kale. (s'on = se yon
to be clever → gen je kale or je (pronoun) kale
They are clever.
Je yo kale.
They won't take advantage of him. He's too clever.
Yo p'ap pran avantaj sou li. Je l twò kale.
Tell me, where did you find this girl? She's so sharp!
Di mwen. ki bò ou jwenn ak dam sa? Ala moun je kale papa!
Li s'on fanm intelijan. (s'on = se yon)
Li s'on fanm je kale. (s'on = se yon
to be clever → gen je kale or je (pronoun) kale
They are clever.
Je yo kale.
They won't take advantage of him. He's too clever.
Yo p'ap pran avantaj sou li. Je l twò kale.
Tell me, where did you find this girl? She's so sharp!
Di mwen. ki bò ou jwenn ak dam sa? Ala moun je kale papa!
this sound like an Indian person writing. you know when a person's watching indian movies and that the elder is giving advice to the younger person. they sat around and they're listening to the older person. "Some people say: Love is as supreme (strong
Is this info for me...?
maybe you could send it via e-mail.
how do you say? '''i love you untill the end of time
I love you until the end of times.
Mwen renmen w pou tout tan gen tan.
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