Konn Vs. Konnen

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Bonjou Mezanmi!  Kouman nou ye?


Konn → to know, to know how to, sometimes, to be used to

Konn → to know 
1. Mwen konn moun sa yo.
    Mwen konnen moun sa yo.
    I know these people

2. Ou pa konn sa'w vle.
    Ou pa konnen sa'w vle.
    You don't know what you want.


Konn → to know how to
3. Ti dam sa a konn danse trè byen.
    This woman knows how to dance very well.


4. Eske ou konn pale Kreyòl?
    Do you know how to speak Creole?


5. Eske ou konn naje?
    Do you know how to swim?


DO YOU KNOW HOW TO questions link

Konn → used to, to be in the habit of
6. Yo konn kite pòt yo ouvè.  Se sa'k fè vòlè vòlè yo.
    They're in the habit of leaving their door open.  That's why a burglar burglarized them.
    They're in the habit of leaving their door open.  That's why they got robbed.


7. Lè'm te piti, mwen te konn goumen ak zanmi'm yo.
    When I was small, I used to fight with my friends.


8. Mwen te konn pale avè'l.  Men kounye a nou pa pale ankò.
    I used to talk to her.  But now we don't talk anymore.




Konn → sometimes, habitually


GEN or GENYEN translate there is or there are


9.   Gen bèt nan dlo a. There are bugs in the water.


10. Konn gen bèt nan dlo a.  Sometimes there are bugs in the water.


11. Konn gen amizman nan legliz la le mèkredi.
      Sometimes there's entertainment in the church on Wednesdays.


12. Konn gen yon mesye ki vin wè li nan apremidi.
      Sometimes there's a man that comes to see her in the afternoon.


13. Konn pa gen ase manje nan kay la.
      Sometimes there's not enough food in the house


Other impersonal verbs or expressions such as: to rain, to snow, to be cold/hot. to be impossible, to be necessary, to be be better/best/bad/worse


14. Nan sezon lete a, li konn fè lapli pou twa jou swivi swivi.
      In the summer, it sometimes rains three days in a row.


15.  Leswa, li konn enposib pou'm dòmi.
      At night, it is sometimes impossible for me to sleep.


16.  Pafwa, li konn pi bon pou fè silans.
       Sometimes, it's sometimes better to remain silent.


17. Gendefwa, li konn nesesè pou bay yon ti manti :-\
      Sometimes, it's sometimes necessary to give a little lie.


Eh byen, mezanmi, m'ape di nou mèsi anpil deske nou t'ap koute.
M'espere nou va pase yon bon jounen. Orevwa e n'a wè ankò.


Sountrack: Jezi la Pou Toujou by Adonai
Lyrics
Kèk fwa nou jwenn tristès nan lavi nou
Kèk fwa kè nou gen gwo fado tou
Men nou kab konnen nenpòt sa'k rive'n
Jezi la pou toujou


Lè'n nan mitan pwoblèm lavi sa
Chaje ak travay, ak fado lou
Nou gen konfò nan Jezi sovè a
Jezi la pou toujou


Nanpwen fado ke Jezi pa ka pote
Nanpwen tristès ke li pa't genyen tou
Malgre jou yo ka bay lajwa ou tristès
Jezi la pou toujou


Lè n'ap mache nan bèl wout isiba
Konsa gen montay difisil tou
Nan pwomès Bondye, nou jwenn asirans
Jezi la pou toujou


M'avèk ou toujou pawòl la di nou
'Dye pa manke reponn priyè nou
Konfye ou nan pawòl li, pwomès li
Jezi la pou toujou


Jezi la...
Li toujou la..
Li p'ap janmen kite'w...


Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

Do you know how to .....?

1. Eske ou konn kondui?
   Eske ou konn kondwi?
   Do you know how to drive?


2. Eske ou konn fè manje?
   Do you know how to cook?


3. Eske ou konn jwe mizik?
   Do you know how to play music?


4. Eske ou konn jwe jwèt sa a?
   Do you know how to play this game?


5. Eske ou konn lapriyè?
   Do you know how to pray?


6. Eske ou konn danse?
    Do you know how to dance?


7. Eske ou konn kijan sa rele?
   Do you what this is called?


8. Eske ou konn kouman pou pwoteje tèt ou?
   Do you know how to protect yourself?


9. Eske ou konn kouman sa a mache?
    Do you know how this works?


10. Eske ou konnen kouman pou'w itilize li?
      Do you know how to use it?
Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

how to say respectfully yours.

Respectfully yours
Avèk respè
or
Avèk anpil respè
Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

Can you tell me why I can't say 'MWEN TA RENMEN FE LI CHEMEN MWEN' for 'I would like to do it my way'? please. Thanks.

I think it's because you're translating the English word way as path or road in this sentence.
Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

hello, what is 'every body dies but not every body lives'

Hi.  Before I translate this, I think I need to understand this.  You are saying 'Everyone will die, no one will live' ....Is that right?  That would be different from the way you have it ...literally

Everybody dies, but not everybody lives.
Tout moun mouri, men se pa tout moun ki viv.


Everyone will die, no one will live (as in no one will be alive)
Tout moun ap mouri, pa gen moun k'ap viv.


Everyone will die, no one will live (as in no one will survive)
Tout moun ap mouri, pagen moun k'ap chape.
Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

Can you help me with some martial arts words in Kreyol?: Kick Punch Low Block High Block Front Kick Side Kick Knife-hand strike Thanks!

kick → kout pye
Punch → kout pwen
low block → bloke anba
high block → bloke anwo
front kick → kout pye devan
side kick → kout pye sou kote
knife-hand strike → I'm not familiar with the Creole term for that one, the best suggestions I could find are men an kouto or  Sab de men.

Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

hello i want to know what does Eske ou te Kreye fanm lan jis pou m 'Konsa mean?

That sounds like something straight out of the bible or a sermon :)

Eske ou te kreye fanm lan jis pou mwen?
Did you create the woman just for me?
Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

Have you arrived there safely? (Creole)

Have you arrived there safely?
Eske ou te rive an byen? (singular)
or
Eske ou te rive la an byen? (singular)


Did you get there safely?
Eske nou te rive an byen? (plural)
Eske nou te rive la an byen? (plural)
Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

Mandaly, do you know the song "Fe mwen gras Senye?" It's on youtube. I LOVE this song, but can't understand all the lyrics in Creole. Could you please write the for me?

Titled AWOZE"M ?

Malgre fwa nou nan Bondye

In spite of our faith in God

Lennmi an vle fè nou doute

The enemy wants to make us doubt

Li simen move grenn nan mitan’n,  pou’n pa grandi

He sows bad seeds among us,  so we don’t grow

Ann woule nan pye Bondye

Let’s roll at the feet of God

Yon jou nou va pot fwi

One day we will produce fruits

Genyen asirans pou tout moun ki nan Bondye

There’s assurance for everyone who’s in God

Li vrè,  lavi sa pa ka fè nou pè anyen

It’s true, this life should not have us running scared

Bagay sa yo se pou de jou yo egziste

Those things will only last a couple of days

Mèt jaden an gen pou l vini sekle’l

The one in charge of the garden will come to weed it out

Tout semans sa yo ki pa pwofite grandi

All the seeds that did not grow

Yon jou Bondye ap vini pou’l separe yo

One day God will come to put them apart

Tout sa ki anpeche semans lan pwogrese

All these that prevent the harvest to progress

Li va mete dife sou yo

He will burn them

Fè mwen gras senyè

Have pity on me / Give me your grace Lord

Pou’m pa yon livrè

So that I’m not one who spoil the harvest

Ede’m pou m toujou rete kote ou

Help me to stay near you

Awoze’m Senyè ak Sentespri ou

Irrigate me Lord with your Holy Spirit

Bon move tan

Good & bad times

Fè’m bay bon fwi

Make me produce good fruits

M’pap janm bliye parabòl  talan yo

I cannot forget the parable of the talents

Ke sevitè a, li te pataje an twa (3)

That the servant, he divided in three

Premye a te jwenn senk (5), e li te fè yo tounen dis (10)

The first one received five, and turned them into ten

Dezyèm nan te jwenn de (2), e li te fè yo tounen kat (4)

The second one received two, and he turned them into four

Twazyèm nan sèlman youn, e pa’l la te rete menm jan

The third one got one, but his remained the same

Men sevitè a te vin kase tèt tounen

But the servant returned

Premye a te jwenn yon bon rekonpans nan men’l

The first one was compensated

Dezyèm nan te  vin parèt e l’te satisfè

The second had satisfying results

E twazyèm nan te soti wont

And the third one was put to shame

Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

I got a letter from Haitian friend containing the words 'sepoul' and 'nef' (I don't think he meant the number nine). Any ideas? Thanks!

nèf → new
tou nèf → brand new
ex:
soulye nèf → new shoes
kay nèf → new house

Se pou 'l → He/She must or May he/she or Let him/she

Se pou'l rete lakay ou.
He/ She must stay at your house.


Se pou'l ba ou tout lajan an.
He/She must give you all the money.


Se pou'l rete avèk ou.
May he/she stay with you.
Let him stay with you.
Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

'I was very happy to help you build your house, but I cannot keep giving you money for every expense you have.'

I was very happy to help you build your house, but I cannot keep giving you money for every expense you have.
Mwen te trè kontan pou ede'w bati kay ou a, men mwen pa ka kontinye ap ba'w lajan pou nenpòt ti depans ou bezwen fè.
Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

I'm learning Kreyol & every program spells words differently. Is there not a government recognized, official spelling for words? Don't the Haitian schools teach a standard spelling? If so, is there a website with the correct spellings? Thanks so much! :)

Yes there is a standard spelling based on notes and letters sent to all the schools in Haiti in the1980's by the Depatman Edikasyon Nasyonal (National Education Department). And these standards have been taught in Haiti's Primary/Elementary classes since Haitian students were being introduced to Haitian Creole as an official language.

In the recommendations made by the Haitian educational department it is acceptable to continue to have words with two or more different spellings such as gerizon or lagerizon for healing; otèl or lotèl for hotel; sante or lasante for health; etc...


Sometimes different regions may speak a word differently such as ponko, poko, pako for not yet; ide, ede, ride, ende for to help; etc...  That's acceptable.

Or a French-derived expression might be written two different acceptable ways such as: salamanje or sal a manje for dining room; maltèt, malotèt, tètfèmal, or tèt fè mal for headache


You will also find that Haitians have the options of using a dash, apostophe, or nothing at all when using contractions.  And the biggest thing of all, I believe there's still a debate on whether to call the language Kreyòl or Ayisyen.

Most Haitian Creole documents that I find online are pretty much following the guidelines of the new Òtograf Kreyòl.  But you must remember that although every Haitian speaks Creole only a very very small percentage have learned how to write Creole (as of now).

So a good Haitian Creole dictionary would definitely give you an alternative spelling for a word if it exists.  Fequière Vilsaint and Jean Evens Berret's English - Haitian Creole Haitian Creole - English Word to Word Dictionary (although not a complete dictionary) does that. Raphael G. Urciolo and Jean Targète's Haitian Creole - English Dictionary does a very good job at that too (this dictionary might not be available, I have not been able to find it anywhere).
And, the following Wikipedia site, written in Creole, is a good resource for the correct usage and spelling of Haitian Creole: http://ht.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lengwistik_kreyòl_ayisyen

Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

I'm African, but the little kids at the orphanage in Haiti call me blanc because I'm a foreigner. How do I say "I'm not white. I'm black like you"?

I find this a little funny :)

Are you light-skinned?
You know, my brother's barber of more than 17 years is nicknamed 'blan'.  He's not white.  He's 100% Haitian with just a little lighter skin than me.  All his clients, including me, call him 'blan'.  I don't even know his real name.  And I know of at least two more Haitians nicknamed 'blan' because of their light skin.
I also know of two Haitians women nicknamed 'grimèl' after their light skin.  And it doesn't stop there.  Scores of Haitians I know are nicknamed after a physical feature that they have (and I'm pretty sure this doesn't just happen in Haiti).  We Haitians can be so politically incorrect :)

So, if you are light-skinned, it might not be a 'foreigner' issue, it might be a skin color issue.
I hope telling the kids that might help them to see you as a "moun nwa", but they might not see it that way.

I'm not white.  I'm black like you.
Mwen pa blan.  Mwen se yon moun nwa menm jan avè w.

Hello,I have a question. How would you write the word "Beloved" as an endearment? Thank you.

beloved → byenneme (pronounced byen-nay-may), literally well-loved


The Haitian Creole byenneme is from the French bien-aimé (masculine), or bien-aimée (feminine).


This word is also a common proper name in Haiti (First or Last name).
People in church also commonly address each other as byenneme.
You will hear:
Frè byenneme mwen → my beloved brother
Sè byenneme mwen → my beloved sister
or simply
Byenneme → beloved (brother or sister) in Christ.


You will also hear:
Ou se pitit byenneme mwen. → You are my beloved child.
Ou se pitit fi byenneme mwen. → You are my beloved daughter.
Ou se pitit gason byenneme mwen. → You are my beloved son.
Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

Mandaly, mwen mande kèk ayisyen yon kesyon, mwen te di yo 'Si lakay vwazen ou pran dife, kisa ou dwe fè?' Men mwen te sezi paske tout ayisyen di yo pral rete nan lakay yo pou yo sove lakay yo. Poukisa li se konsa?

So you've asked some Haitians this question, "If your neighbor's house catches fire, what should you do?"  And all them answered they would stay in their OWN home to try and save it.  Is that right?
Well, I have no idea why they answered that way.
I think that you were expecting them to say that they'd leave their home and run to safety?

Perhaps they're thinking that their neighbor's house is a straw house (yon kay pay) and theirs is a concrete house (yon kay beton).
Perhaps when you ask this question next time, you could specify that Everyone lives in a straw house, then suddenly the neighbor's house catches on fire, what would you do....  If you put it that way, I'm pretty sure no one would want to stay home :)

Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words