Haitian Creole

Nou | la | wi |
We | here | yes |

"Nou la wi" is same as "Nou la" meaning "We're here." or "we're still here."

Let's try:

I am here.
Mwen la.

I am still here.
Mwen la toujou.

Are you here?
Eske ou la?
or
Ou la?

I'm hanging in there.
Mwen la.
Mwen la toujou.
M'ap kenbe.
M'ap boule.

We're hanging in there.
Nou la.
Nou la toujou.
N'ap kenbe.
N'ap boule.
N'ap mennen

You may use the above two translations to answer to "Sa'k pase? - What's up?"

See more about responses to "Sa'k pase?"

Happy birthday, enjoy your day... love you (in creole?0

Happy birthday. Enjoy your special day. I love you.

Bòn fèt. Anmize w byen nan jou espesyal ou a. Mwen renmen w.

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Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Tet chaje, tèt cho, tèt pa la

tèt chaje → troublemaker, someone or something that causes trouble

Stay away from that girl. She's trouble.
Rete lwen fi sa. Li se yon tèt chaje.

What a nuisance!
Ala tèt chaje!

I got rid of the car because it was a lemon.
Mwen te debarase m ak machin nan paske li te yon tèt chaje.

tèt cho → impulsive, nuts, wild, sometimes unpredictable

Janine is nuts. She threatened her boss with a knife when she lost her job.
Janine se yon tèt cho. Li menase bòs li a ak yon kouto lè li te pèdi travay li a.

I don't want to deal with her. She's too wild.
Mwen pa vle annafè avèk li. Tèt li twò cho.

Tèt pa la → forgetful, preocupied

He's a forgetful person.
Li se yon tèt pa la.

I'm sorry I didn't come the party. I've been preocupied this week.
Eskize m mwen pat vin nan fèt la. Tèt mwen pa la semèn sa.

Is Haitian Creole that different from Louisiana creole?

I have only heard a little bit of the Louisiana Creole.
I do not know enough to compare it to Haitian Creole.

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i love you and i miss you

Mwen renmen w e m sonje w. (contracted)
Mwen renmen ou e mwen sonje ou. (non contracted)

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to confess love (in Creole)

to confess to someone that you love her?
Fè deklarasyon
Mande renmen

Rigo confessed his love to Marianne.
Rigo fè Marianne deklarasyon.
Rigo mande Marianne renmen.

Is it voodoo or vodoo?

In Creole, it is neither.

The French word is vaudou.
The Haitian Creole is vodou.
Voodoo is English.

A Haitian voodoo priest is called a ougan.
The priestess is called a manbo.
They conduct ceremony is a peristil.
People who practice Haitian voodoo may be called all of these names: zobòp, chanpwèl, baka, lougawou
Voodoo worshippers worship many many different gods called lwa.
Each lwa is said to have dominance over a realm (water, crops, love, wealth, etc...)

A rara is group of people armed with the following musical instruments and more: bamboo sticks, congas, cow horns, whistles. They take the streets, usually at night, singing and dancing. Not all raras are voodoo worshippers.

mwen pa vle papa soufri ankor paske li kormanse granmounn e mwen minister li grandi

This is meant to be Haitian Creole right?

Mwen pa vle papa soufri ankò paske li kòmanse granmoun. E mwen "minister" li grandi.

Minister?

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What's the best expression for referring to the World Trade Center towers' destruction?

Destriksyon bilding Sant Komès Mondyal New York yo.
The destruction of the New York' s World Trade Center towers.
or
Destriksyon bilding World Trade Center yo.
The World Trade Center towers' destruction.

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Where can I find the words to the song "Eske ou vle ale lakay papa mwen"?

It's in the "kè Kreyòl" #23. Kè Kreyòl is the group of short Creole hymns in Chants d'Esperance that comes after the longer 145 Creole hymns.

Tout bagay va byen
Lakay Papa mwen (twa fwa)
Tout bagay va byen lakay Papa mwen
Genyen jwa jwa jwa

Pa va gen peche
Lakay Papa mwen (twa fwa)
Pa va gen peche lakay Papa mwen
Genyen jwa jwa jwa

Mwen vle ale la
Lakay Papa mwen (twa fwa)
Mwen vle ale la lakay Papa mwen
Genyen jwa jwa jwa

Eske w vle ale
Lakay Papa mwen (twa fwa)
Eske w vle ale lakay Papa mwen
Genyen jwa jwa jwa

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