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Thursday, December 8, 2011

I am Haitian Muslim and some non muslim haitians ask why do sme Haitians become Muslim.

I guess that's a question for you to answer. There are many different reasons why people choose a religion over others. Yo sèlman ki konnen :-)

Ask me anything

What about if a person feels cold and I am talking about him and I say "he feels cold again" ? Thank you!

He feels cold.
Li frèt.
or
Li santi l frèt.

He feels cold again.
Li frèt ankò.
or
Li santi l frèt ankò.

If the coldness is due to physiological changes because of impending death, then you'll say:
He feels cold.
He's cold.
Kò li frèt.

Alo I am Haitian American. Some peopke ask me why do us Haitians like Savester the cat.

Who is Savester?

Ask me anything

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

What's the difference between understand and understanding in creole?

to understand (comprehend) konprann

I understand you.
Mwen konprann ou*.
*(Do not put a contraction after the verb "konprann". This word ends with a consonant, threfore, we cannot have a contraction after it.)

I don't understand you.
Mwen pa konprann ou.

Do you understand me?
Eske ou konprann mwen?


Understanding (comprehension) bon konprann, entelijans

His spirit gives us understanding.
Lespri li ban nou bon konprann.

You're acting like you have no understanding at all.
W'ap aji tankou yon moun ki pa gen bon konprann.

"Oh ou konprann Kreole sa tou." What does this mean?

Oh, ou konprann Kreyòl sa tou?
Oh, you understand this type of Creole too?

what is "saw" in creole?

You mean the verb "to see" as in "I saw him"?

to see →
sawte(te is indicative of past tense)

I saw him.
Mwen te wè li.

I saw you.
Mwen te wè w.

We saw it with our own eyes.
Nou te wè li ak pwò zye nou.

How about "He feels cold again today." Thanks you!

It feels cold again today.
Li fè frèt ankò jodi a.

How's the weather today?
How'stthe weather?

I want to say, "did you remember to bring the money?"

Did you remember...? → Eske ou te sonje...?

Did you remember to bring the money?
Eske ou te sonje pote lajan an?

Did you remember to turn off the stove?
Eske ou te sonje etenn fou a?

Did you remember to pray?
Eske w te sonje priye?

Did they remember to leave water for the dog?

Eske yo te sonje kite dlo pou chyen an?

Get up

Get up leve (pronounced lay-vay)

Rise upleve kanpe

stand up → kanpe, leve kanpe, mete w debou

how do you say "yes it will be good for us"

Wi, L'ap bon pou nou.

Ask me anything

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.

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.

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! :)

smells good/smells bad

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.")