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Friday, August 24, 2012

Thursday, August 23, 2012

kisa mo detounen vle di?

Detounen (from French detourner - divert, reroute), in Haitian Creole means to disrupt, disconcert, to redirect.
Creole speakers might say:
Li te yon bon timoun, men depi li te koumanse fè zanmi ak moun sa yo, li te detounen.
He was a good kid, but once he began hanging around these people, he was disrupted. (meaning his life was disrupted.)
Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

What is the name for the massage oil?

Do you mean like a Haitian remedy?
It's called frikson or pomad.
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How would you say "so" in the context of, say: "I want to read a book, so I should go to the library"? Are there multiple ways?

I think that's when  we might use  donk (so, therefore) or  konsa (so),  and sometimes pa konsekan (so therefore)
I want to read a book, so I should go to the library.
Mwen vle li yon liv, donk mwen ta dwe ale nan bibliyotèk la.
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ahhh...mwen pa fin konprann. ede'm tanpri!! Sa li vle di isit: Trezor sa se trezor paw. Men nimpot lot moun Ka we Li ,servi ak Li men ,se pa pou yo Li ye

Trezò     |   sa |   se |   trezò    |  pa'w.
Treasure |  this |   is  |  treasure | yours.
This treasure is yours

Men   |  nenpòt moun  |  ka wè li  |  sèvi ak li.
But      | any one            |  can see it |  serve with it.
But anyone may be able to see it, benefit from it.

Men  | se pa    | pou yo    |  li ye.
but     | it's not   | for them  |  it is.
But it doesn't belong to them.

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"Tout moun se moun"? Is this "All people are people"?

WI. Tout moun se moun. Pa gen moun pase moun.

Tout moun se moun.
Everybody is human.

Pa gen moun pase moun.
One person is not more important that the other
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Mandaly, does Creole "pi fo" means 'louder, stronger or most'?

It translates all three :)

Pale pi fò.
Speak louder.

Kòd sa a pi fò.
This rope is stronger.

Pifò elèv yo t'ale nan jounen an.
Most of the students went on the field trip.
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Wednesday, August 22, 2012

is there a word like "soupliye" or something like that stating the action of pleading or begging

Yes. It's sipliye  - to supplicate, to plead, to beg
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M genyen yon kesyon sou mo "anvi" a. Fraz sa yo sòti yon liv ki rele "Zig Lavi": pg 11 "Yo ban m anvi respekte lavi." pg 18 "Yon baye anvi wè." M konprann fraz sa yo kom: "They gave me a feeling of respect for live." "A yawn that was worth seeing."

anvi, as a verb, can be translated in English as to desire, to wish for, to crave, to want, to yearn for
anvi, as a noun, can be translated in English as a longing, an urge, a yearning, a desire

Ou byen tradui premye fraz la.
"Yo ban'm anvi respekte lavi."
"They gave me a feeling of respect for life."
They make want to respect life.  (literally)

In the second sentence, anvi wè means yearning to see, longing to see.
But anvi wè is used as an adjective here:

yon baye anvi wè.
a yawning of longing to see (literally)
a languishing yawn
an anxious yawn
or
a wishful yawn
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is this harmful inside the ear?

Is it harmful inside the ear?
Eske sa fè'w mal anndan zòrèy ou?

Are you hurting inside your ears?
Eske anndan zòrèy ou ap fè'w mal?
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Tuesday, August 21, 2012

"pa gen mwayen" and "nanpwen mwayen" se menm bagay?

Wi Wi.   Se menm.

Pa gen mwayen.
Nanpwen mwayen.
There are no means.

Pa gen mwayen pou m fè sa.
There are no means by which I can do this.

Mwen pa gen mwayen.
I don't have the means.

Mwen pa gen mwayen pou m nouri tèt mwen.
I don't have the means to feed myself.

Also,
Pa gen fason ... → There's no way ...
Pa gen opòtinite ... → there's no opportunity

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Bonjou, li ok pou mwen di sa a? "Souple, pliye genou maksimòm. Rete konsa kinz segonn. Repete li dis fwa sou chak janm." Mèsi!


Dakò :)
Souple, pliye jenou'w o maksimòm.  Rete konsa pou kenz segonn.  Repete sa dis fwa pou chak janm.

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"I will be back in.." or "I will return in..."

I will be back in ...
M'ap retounen nan ...

I'll be back in fifteen minutes.
M'ap retounen nan kenz minit.

I'll be back in thirty minutes
M'ap retounen nan trant minit.

I will return in one hour.
M'ap retounen nan inèdtan.
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Your big sister

Your big sistergran sè ou, or gran sè'w (contracted)
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