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Thursday, March 22, 2012

ANPIL? When it modifies a noun it becomes an adjective, and therefore is before it. When it modifies a verb, it becomes an adverb and goes at the end. e.g. Mwen anpil manje vs mwen manje anpil. How can I help students understand this?

You, pretty much, got it. 

But your given examples should be:

Mwen gen anpil manje (adj)
I have a lot of food.

Mwen manje anpil.(adv.)
I eat a lot.

manje is a verb and also a noun in Haitian Creole. So this example might be confusing to some students.
______________

As an adjective, anpil is placed before the noun.
Anpil (adj.) → many, a lot of, lots of, several, numerous, abundant, a great deal of



Examples:
Nou gen anpil konfyans nan ou.
We have a great deal of faith in you.

Mwen te ba li anpil lajan.
I gave him lots of money.

Anpil moun te panse li te mouri.
Many people thought he had died.

Gen anpil bagay ou pa'p ka konprann kounye a.
There are a lot of things you can't understand now.

Mwen te rele'l anpil fwa, e li pa't reponn.
I called her many times, and she didn't answer.


As an adverb, anpil modifies a verb or an attribute.

Mwen sonje w anpil. (modifies verb)
I miss you a lot.


Yo te fache anpil. (modifies attribute)
They were very angry.


Nou te mache anpil, anvan nou te rive. (modifies verb)
We walked a great deal before we arrived.

Mwen priye anpil jou sa yo.(modifies verb)
I pray a lot these days. 


Li te kontan anpil, lè li te wè w. (modifies attribute)
He was very happy when he saw you.

Mwen te panse anpil sou sa, e repons lan se "non". (modifies verb)
I thought a lot about it, and the answer is "no"

Hi Mandaly~ I got some Christian Creole praise music in Haiti last week...but no lyrics with them :( Do you know the song Ou se Bondye on the album Fasone m' Jan w vle?

You'll find this piece on Youtube, with the lyrics included: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbkrNFHRer8

What's a sensitive (but concise) way to say "a special-needs baby"?

Is Special needs the politically correct term, in the US, for people with disability?
If yes, then a "special-needs baby" is yon ti bebe enfim or yon ti bebe andikape in Creole.

"Cuba contributes more money per capita than the U.S." How do I say "per capita"?

per capita → pa pèsòn, pa pèsonn, or pa grenn moun

Ask me anything

Where do I place the definite article!?

Download link for audio:  

To listen to this audio clip, click the play button and follow along :)
 


Bonjou tout moun!
Kouman nou ye?


"Where do we place the definite articles in a sentence in Haitian Creole?"


Singular definite articles are: a, an, la, lan, nan
Plural definite articles: yo


Example:
Chemiz lathe shirt
ze athe egg
kapitenn nanthe captain
nimewo yothe numbers


"Where do we place the definite article in, say, a relative clause or a sentence subject?" 


Example:
The book that I want  is blue
Liv la mwen vle ble (not correct)
Liv mwen vle a  ble (correct)




1.  Flè a
     The flower.


2. Flè jòn nan
    The yellow flower


4. Flè jòn ou te ban mwen an trè bèl.  
    Flè jòn ou te ban mwen an            |  trè bèl.
    The yellow flower that you gave me  | is very beautiful.




5.  kay la
    The house.


6. Kay anbwa a 
    Kay anbwa a  
    The wooden house    


7. Kay anbwa ki te fèk bati a te boule
    Kay anbwa ki te fèk bati a                 | te boule
    The wooden house that was just built  | got burned




8. dans lan
    The  dance


9. Premye dans lan pa't bon.
    Premye dans lan  | pa 't bon.
    The first dance       | wasn't good.


10. Premye dans gwoup la te pèfòme a pa't bon.
      Premye dans gwoup la te pèfòme a             | pa't bon.
      The first dance that the group had performed  | wasn't good


11.  Ti gason ki t'ap kriye a gen setan.
       Ti gason ki t'ap kriye a    | gen setan
       The boy who was crying    | is seven years old.


12. Mwen te renmen kado ou te ban m nan.
      Mwen te renmen | kado ou te ban m nan. (contracted)
      Mwen te renmen | kado ou te ban mwen an.(uncontracted)
      I loved                   | the gift that you gave me.


13. Rad ou te achte a bèl.
      Rad ou te achte a              | bèl
      The dress that you bought  | is pretty.


14. Mwen pral pale ak moun ki te la yo.
      Mwen pral pale ak  | moun ki te la yo.
      I will speak with      | the people who were there.

15. Kenbe sa ki nan men w lan
      Kenbe   |  sa ki nan men w lan.
      Hold      | that / the one which is in your hands
      Hold on to what you've got.


Enben se tout.  Mèsi e orevwa
Well that's all.  Thanks and goodbye

birds

birds → zwazo, zwezo

flying birds → zwazo k'ap vole

Ask me anything

how is everyboby doing

How's everybody doing?
Kijan tout moun ye?

Ask me anything

debat. Poukisa l ap debat?

debat → to struggle, to fight, to go up against

debat a lavi a → to fight the daily struggle of life.

L'ap debat → He / She is hanging in there.

Ou konprann sa?

Ask me anything

The noun "potential": "potensyèl" or "potensyalite"?

Wi, "potansyèl" oubyen "potansyalite"

Ask me anything

"fraz" -- Is there an easy way to distinguish between "sentence" and "phrase"? (e.g. "Fix the second phrase of the sentence.")

Haitian Creole "fraz" is a "sentence"

Haitian Creole "fraz" does not have the same definition as English "Phrase"

Ask me anything

urinate in bed

:)
to wet the bed → pipi nan kabann, pise nan kabann

someone's who wets the bed → pisannit