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Wednesday, July 25, 2012

lyrics to amen in haitian creole

The only 'Amen' songs I know in Creole have just about two words in their lyrics:  Amèn and Alelouya (and some words Ad Lib).  Is that the Amen song your're talking about?
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Tuesday, July 24, 2012

how many words are there in the creole language?

Oh my!   I cannot answer that :-\
If you do find the answer to that one, please let me know what it is :).
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Just confirming that "Where's mine" is translated as "Kote pa mwen" is that right?

Wi.  Se sa.

Where's mine?
Kote pa mwen?
Kote pa mwen an?
Kote pa'm? (contracted)
or 
Kote pa'm nan?


and if you really want to get technical, you can also translate it in Creole as:
Kot pa'm nan?
Kot pa mwen an?
Kot pa'm?
Kot pa'm nan ye?
Kibò pa'm nan ye?


All of these 9 translations can be  used to say Where's mine?
Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

Can you write down and translate the chorus of Nan Nannan by Zin? Mesi!

Ah yes.... forbidden song from my pastor father when I was young :)

Nannan in Haitian Creole can mean core, center, essence, the meaty part of a coconut, the pith.  Sometimes, nannan yon fanm may refer to the fleshy insides of a female's vagina.  So, this song is sexually suggestive.

Kote'l nou vle li? Nan nannan (Where do we want it? In the nannan)
Kote'l renmen'l? Nan nannan (Where does she like it? In the nannan)
Kote'l pi bon? Nan nannan (Where is it better?  In the nannan)
Kote'l pi dous? Nan nannan (Where is it sweeter? In the nannan.)
Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

Praise the Lord! (in Creole?)

What do they call the guys at the Port Au Prince airport who help you with your luggage? Bouretye?

Oh no... I would not call them that.  They might find it offensive.
If you don't want to say Mesye, please say pòtè
Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

We all know that...

We all know that.
Nou tout konn sa.


We all know that this is a lie
Nou tout konnen sa se yon manti


We all know that "Beauty doesn't mean healthy"
Nou tout konnen "Gwo dada pa vle di lasante"


We all know how you like music.
Nou tout konnen jan ou renmen mizik.
Nou tout konnen kouman ou renmen mizik.




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

Jesus loves me and Jesus loves you

Jesus loves me. → Jezi renmen mwen or Jezi renmen'm
Jesus loves you. → Jezi renmen ou or Jezi renmen'w


common Creole names for God/Jesus
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I saw "li te vin gen" in a Haitian newspaper. it seems to mean "he became." But do you need the "gen" or does "vin" also work? And how is "vin" different from "vini"? Thanks!

Li te vin gen (or Li te vin genyen) → He/She came to own, He/She came to possess, He/She came to have

Yes, for this expression we will need both vin and gen to indicate something that one did not yet have in the past, but came to acquire it..
Ex:
1. Mwen t'ap pral nan magazen an, men mwen pa't ale ankò paske mwen te vin gen yon maltèt.
2. Apre yo te marye, yo te vin gen twa pitit.
3. Apre paran li yo te mouri, li te vin gen anpil lajan.

VIN is a short form of VINI
It means to come, to become, to attain, to reach
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thirteen / thirteenth

Monday, July 23, 2012

"Ap" or "Ape"

ap or ape is an indicator for the progressive forms, it's also used to mark the future tense.

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

Konn Vs. Konnen




Downloadable link for this audio: 
 

To listen to audio, please click on the play button and follow along :)


 

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