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Wednesday, April 25, 2012

What does mezanmi mean?

It is an interjection. It may mean anything: Hey, Geez, Danm, Oh God!, WOW!, Oh my goodness!, my friends, my camarades, etc...

It comes from the French Mes amis which means my friends.

"If you write the words you hear, they will help you learn the language." translated to creole :)

If you write the words you hear, they will help you learn the language.
Si ou ekri mo ou tande yo, yo va ede ou aprann lang lan.

How would you ask a child "How would you feel if someone did that to you?"

How would you feel if someone did that to you?
Kouman ou ta santi w si yon moun ta fè w sa?

winning

as in 'winning' a prize?

to win a prize (or something else) → genyen
to win at sports → genyen, kale, bat, vannen
to win a fight (struggle, war) → genyen, konkeri, triyonfe

defense

defans, ranpa, pwoteksyon, azil, baraj, eskiz

Ask me anything

What is the difference between saying se BON and se BYEN?

In Haitian Creole,  when someone says 'Bon', it may be about gratification, and Byen may be about comfort.  But they both may mean the same thing.

Se byen.
It's fine.
It is going well.
It's correct.
It's right.
It's pleasant
It's comfortable


Se bon (Li bon)
It's good.
It's tasty.
It's feels good.
It's sensuous and gratifying.
It's enough.
It's adequate.
It's well done.

i will call

I will call
Mwen va rele (uncontracted)
Ma va rele (contracted)
M'a rele (contracted)

M'a rele anmwey.
I will call for help.

M'a rele w pita.
I'll call you later.

M'a rele Bondye.
I'll call onto God.

M'a rele sa yon move jijman.
I'll call this a bad idea.

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

welcome to haiti

Welcome to Haiti.
Byenveni an Ayiti.
Byenveni nan peyi D'Ayiti.
Byenveni nan peyi a.

what do you want to talk about

What do you want to talk about?
Sou kisa ou vle pale?

What's going on?

What's going on?
Kisa ki ap pase la? (uncontracted)
Kisa k'ap pase la? (contracted)
Sa k'ap pase la? (more contracted)


Kisa ki genyen la?(uncontracted)
Sa ki genyen la? (contracted)
S'ak gen la? (more contracted)


Kisa ki ap pase?(uncontracted)
Sa ki ap pase?(contracted)
Sa k'ap pase?(more contracted)
S'ak pase?(more contracted)


Kisa ki ap fèt?(uncontracted)
Sa k'ap fèt?(contracted)

se mwen ki la

Se mwen ki la.
It's me who is here. (literally)
It's me.

mwen pral domi

Mwen pral dòmi.
I'm going to sleep.

Preposition FROM → Sot; Depi; Nan Men or Nan; a, ak, avè,or avèk




Download link for this audio:
  
To listen to this audio, press the play button and follow along :)


Mezanmi, bonjou tout moun!  Kouman nou ye?
Hello everyone!  How are you?

FROM → Sòti; nan men or nan; depi; a, ak, avè or avèk; and more...

"From" an origin, place, position → Soti

1. Mwen SOTI Ayiti.
    I’m originally FROM Haiti.

2. Li te marye ak yon nèg ki SOTI New York.
    She married a man who's  FROM New York.

3. Li SOTI nan yon fanmi ki rich.
    He's FROM a wealthy family.

4. Li te fè gato a ak wonm KI SOTI Jamayik.
    He made the cake with rum FROM Jamaica.

5. Papiyon an t’ap vole SOTI NAN yon chanm ale nan yon lòt.
    The butterfly was frolicking FROM one room to the other.

"From" a point in space where an action started, or is to be started → Depi

6. DEPI isit la jouk laba a
    FROM here to there

7. Nou te travay DEPI solèy leve jouk solèy kouche.
    We worked FROM sunrise to sunset.

8. Mwen te abite la DEPI 2005 jouk 2010.
     I lived there FROM 2005 until 2010.

9. DEPI a senkan, li te konnen li te vle vin yon aktè.
    FROM the age of five, he knew he wanted to become an actor.


"From" someone or something (an action of separation, removal, taking away, or giving away) → Nan Men or Nan

10. Mwen te wete kouto a NAN MEN l.
     I took the knife FROM him.

11. Li te resevwa yon kado NAN MEN papa l.
     He received a gift FROM his dad.

12. Li te prete $10 NAN MEN nou.
     He borrowed $10 FROM us.

13. Tout sa mwen konnen, mwen te aprann NAN MEN yo.
      Everything I know, I learned FROM them.

14. Li te retire ze a NAN chapo a, e li te mete l nan pòch li.
     He took the egg FROM the hat and put it in his pocket.

15. Li te retire rad yo NAN malèt la, epi li te ban mwen yo.
     He took the clothes FROM the suitcase and he gave them to me.


Different From, made from(Indicating differences between people, things) → Ak, avè, avèk

17. Pa’l la DIFERAN AK pa’m nan.
     His/hers is DIFFERENT FROM mine.

18. Kabann nan te fèt AK bwa kajou.
     The bed was made FROM mahogany wood.

19. Boutèy sa a fèt AK materyèl resiklaj.
     This bottle is made FROM recycled materials.

20. M’ap soufri AK yon maltèt depi maten.
I've been suffering FROM a headache since this morning.

21. L’ap soufri AK chagren.
     She’s suffering FROM a broken heart.

Se te tout. Mèsi e n'a wè.
That was all.  Thank you and see ya.

Track: Yo by Beethova Obas and Jocelyne Berouard
Lyrics:
Yon ti jès pou yo
Yon tandrès pou yo
Yon favè pou yo
Yon lonè pou yo
Yon zepòl pou yo
Yon pawòl pou yo
Yon respè pou yo
Libète pou yo

In this sentence, ki translates as "are there", have you explained the use of ki in much depth anywhere. It confuses me a little. Konbyen Timoun ki nan lékòl la? How many children are there at the school?

'Ki' translates who, which, that. It does not translate 'are there'.
What you won't see here, in the following sentences, is the verb to be, which is somewhat 'understood' between these lines.

Konbyen timoun ki nan lekòl la?
How many children that are in the school? (literally)

Ki moun ki la?
Which person that is there? (literally)

Gode ki sou tab la sal.
The cup that is on the table is dirty. (literally)


See more on 'ki' link

How would I write in creole? Lay up Treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust destroys and where theives do not break in and steal.... Matthew 6:20

Anpile trezò ou yo nan syèl la kote ni vè ni lawouy pa ka detwi yo, e kote vòlò p'ap ka vòlè yo...