Haitian Creole

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

dribble (noun and verb), as in to dribble a soccer ball or basketball, or to lose your dribble (i.e. by grasping the basketball).

dribble (v.) → mate (pronounced mah-tay)

bounce (v.) → rebondi

dribble, bounce (n) → rebondisman

Dribble the ball → Mate boul la.

Keep dribbling → Kontinye mate boul la. or Kontinye mate l.

Do not lose your drible → pa sispann mate l.

Ask me anything

travay se libete..yon moun pa ka viv san li.sinon ou pral tombe nan tout sak pa bon.

Monchè, sa se laverite!

Travay se libete.. Yon moun pa ka viv san li. Sinon, ou pral tonbe nan tout sak pa bon.

Work is freedom...One cannot live without it. If you do, then you'll get into all sort of mischiefs.

Ask me anything

Explain: "Ki sa sa ye"

Kisa → what
Ye → to be
sa → this, that, it

Kisa sa ye?
What is that?

Kisa sa yo ye?
What are those?

Kisa yo ye?
What are they?

Kisa li ye?
What is it?

bo ou → to kiss you

bo → to kiss, a kiss

Give me a kiss.
Ban m yon bo.

Kiss me.
Bo m.

Go ahead, kiss the frog :)
Ale non! Bo krapo a! (this is so funny! :)

smell (v.) → santi, gen sant
smell (n.) → sant, odè

smells good → santi bon, gen bon sant, gen bon odè
smells bad → santi, santi move, gen move sant, gen move odè

The shoe smells bad. (Haitians may say this many different ways)
Soulye a santi. (The shoe smells)
Soulye a santi move. (The shoe smells bad)
Soulye a gen move sant. (The shoe has a bad smell.)
or
Soulye a gen move odè. (The shoe has a bad odor.)

This leaf smells good.
Fèy sa santi bon.
Fèy sa gen bon sant.
Fèy sa gen bon odè.

I smell something. (I detect an odor)
Mwen pran yon sant.

I smell cake.
Mwen pran sant gato.

We smell food.
Nou pran sant manje.

It smells like ...
Li gen sant...

It smells like burnt food.
Li gen sant manje boule.

Your perfume smells like fruits.
Pafen ou gen sant fwi.

It smells like a zoo in here!
La a gen sant pak bèt!
_____________________________________

Santi is also the Haitian Creole word for to feel

Mwen santi m malad.
I feel sick.

M santi m fèb.
I feel weak.

Kijan ou santi w?
How do you feel?

Poukisa w'ap swe? Ou santi w cho?
Why are you sweating? Do you feel hot?

This feels good.
Sa bon.
(can't say: "Sa santi bon." because that would mean "This smells good.")

"seconds" as in "who wants seconds?"

to have seconds → rebise

who wants seconds?
Kilès ki vle rebise?
Kilès ki vle yon lòt?
Kilès ki vle double?
or
Kilès ki vle yon dezyèm?

Soccer (in Creole)?

Soccer is translated as foutbòl in Haitian Creole.

It's time to let go.

Let go → lache, lage, kite ale, kite tonbe

It's time to let go.
Li lè pou lache kè w.
Li lè pou kite sa tonbe.

It's time to let go of her.
Li lè pou kite l ale.

I can't let go of him yet.
Mwen poko ka kite l ale.

Let go of me.
Lage m.

Let go of the door.
Lage pòt la.

Don't let go of his hand.
Pa lage men li.

Don't let go. (don't give up)
Pa lage.