I'm writing a children's story and the main character will be a Haitian child. Can you tell me a good source for proverbs? I want to weave some proverbs into the dialogue to give my story a Haitian flavor!

The best source I've come upon so far is Maks Maniga's Sajès Ayisyen (it's all in Creole)
But it might be best to collect the Haitian proverbs by googling the same name. You'll find a lot of websites with long list of proverbs. Many of these sites offer an English equivalent to these idioms. It might take some time before finding the perfect proverbs that you want to use, and the fact that they are spread out on different sites does not make it any easier, but you'll get acquainted with many of them in this way.

Ask me anything

Please differentiate between 'gwo' and 'gran'.

Somewhere along the line, the paths of 'gwo' and 'grand' converge. Don't you think?

gwo → big, fat, thick, heavy, vast, large, enormous, ...

grand→ adult, older, famous, excellent, exceptional, extravagant, major, splendid, large, enormous ...

Ask me anything

In the Classroom (a few useful sentences)

the school principal
direktè lekòl la


English class
kou Angle
klas Angle


pen and paper
plim ak papye


pencil and paper
kreyon ak papye


Good grades – bon nòt
Bad grades - move nòt

To have good grades – fè bon nòt

To have bad grades – fè move nòt

Take an exam / Take a test

konpoze

pran egzamen

Pass the exam.

Pase egzamen an.

Fail the exam.

Echwe egzamen an

Or

Pa pase egzamen an

Homework for tomorrow/next week

Devwa pou demen/semèn pwochèn

Fill in the blanks.

Ranpli espas vid yo.

Fill in the blanks with the correct answer.

Ranpli espas vid yo ak bon repons lan.

Write your first and last name.

Ekri prenon w ak non ou.

How do you say your name?

Kouman yo pwononse non w?

I love teaching. - Mwen renmen anseye.

I take attendance.   -  Mwen fè apèl.

I don’t take attendance.  - Mwen pa fè apèl.


Can you tell me what that means?

Eske ou kapap di mwen sa sa vle di?

Can you repeat the question?

Eske ou kapap repete kesyon an?

How would you say ‘…….’ In English?

Kouman ou ta di ‘…….’ An Angle?

Let me know if I talk too fast.  Epi, ma va ralanti.

Kite’m konnen si’m pale twò vit.  And, I’ll slow down.

Write two or three paragraphs on ...
Ekri de ou twa paragraf sou ...


Make a sentence with ...
Fè yon fraz avèk ...


You may raise your hands to ask a question at any time during the class.

Nou mèt leve men nou pou poze yon kesyon nenpòt lè pandan klas la.

It’s important to take notes, but it more important to interact in English.

Li enpòtan pou pran nòt, men li pi enpòtan pou nou konvèse an Angle.

We have a lot to cover in this class.
Nou gen pou kouvri anpil sijè nan klas sa a.


There will be a quiz every week, on what we had learned during that week.

Ap genyen yon ti egzamen chak semèn, sou sa nou te aprann nan semèn nan.

Have a good weekend / afternoon!

Pase bon weekend / apremidi

bebe grandi

an individual that doesn't want to grow up,
a big baby

Ask me anything

I want to ask this in my class..."Ask me anything in Creole, and I will translate it into English"

Ask me anything in Creole, and I will translate it into English.

Mande m nenpòt kesyon an Kreyòl, epi m'ap tradui li an Angle.

Poze m nenpòt kesyon an Kreyòl, epi m'ap tradui li an Angle.

Give me any sentences in Creole, and I'll translate it in English.

Ban m nenpòt fraz an Kreyòl, epi m'ap tradui li an Angle.

Ask me anything

how to say, "Please read this aloud".

Please, read this aloud.

Tanpri, li sa fò.

or

Tanpri, li sa a wot vwa.

Read it aloud.

Li li fò (uncontracted)

Li l fò. (contracted)

Ask me anything

Gadon

I do not know this word.
Maybe you meant 'gidon' or 'gadò'?

Ask me anything

Lanmou

Lanmou, se lanmou, toujou lanmou

Lanmou (noun) → love or affection

Lanmou Bondye

Love of God

unconditional love

lanmou san kondisyon

lanmou pwochen

brotherly love

lanmou fratènèl

Ask me anything

What does "debou toujou" mean?

debou, doubout, kanpe (all adjective)

standing, raised, established, stiff, erected, built

Debou toujou.

Still standing.

Mete nou debou tanpri.

Stand up please.

Rete kanpe.

Remain standing.

Ask me anything

firework

fireworks → fe datifis

Ask me anything

Hi! Thank you for your awesome blog! I am living in Haiti right now and will be teaching English classes soon. I just wanted to say that it would be really helpful if you had a section for common phrases in the classroom. Thank you so much once again!

Dakò, I'll post that :)

Ask me anything

What is it like when a father always ends everything he says to his daughter with the word "tande"? And how would a daughter respond to her father in Creole with something to show respect...like yes sir, or ok daddy?

tande → to hear

tande?
Do you hear me?
Do you understand me?

and.... 'Wi, papa.' shows plenty of respect, unless he wants to be addressed by a different name.

Ask me anything

HOW DO YOU SAY SEE U LATER

See ya later.

N'a wè pita.

See you later link

Ask me anything

She's not reliable (in Creole)

She's not reliable.
Li pa lwayal.
Li pa responsab.
Ou pa ka konte sou li.

gay friendly person

gay (adjective) → ge, plen ak gete, ansoleye, eveye, jwaye, vivan, chofe

Ask me anything