To take someone by surprise (in Creole)

to take someone by surprise (to catch him off guard? to unexpectedly come upon something) → sote sou, pantan sou

1.  Lè mouche antre nan chanm nan, li te pantan sou madanm li ak yon lòt nèg nan kabann nan. Li te si tèlman sezi, li pa't fouti pale.
      When he entered the room, he caught his wife in bed with another man.  He was so surprised that he could not talk.

2.  Mezanmi! lòtrejou lè mwen ouvè pòt kay mwen, mwen vin pantan sou yon vòlè k'ap derobe m.  Mwen kouri soti, enpi m te rele lapolis.
     Oh man! I opened the door to my house the other day to find a burglar robbing me.  I quickly got out to call the police

3. Ayè, mwen t'ap travay nan jaden m nan, e m'al sote sou yon gwo papa koulèv.  Ah! mwen di, "Pye sa'm te manje m pat ba w!" enpi mwen chape poul mwen.
     Yesterday, I was working in my garden, and I came upon a big snake.  I said, "Feet don't fail me now!" and took off.


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

"Madanm nan monte taptap la, li te move kou kong." What is MOVE KOU KONG? thanks

Move kou kong (expression) → Mad as hell, very angry, furious
Why was she angry? Did she not find a good seat on the tap-tap?

Istwa pa'm :)
Papa m pa't genyen yon bon eksperyans lè li te vwayaje nan peyi Etazini.  Nan ane swasant yo, li te sibi anpil diskriminasyon.  Lè li te retounen Ayiti, li te move kou kong.  Li te di, "Mwen p'ap janm retounen nan peyi Etazini ankò."

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

Of the 2 Kreyol words for money, "kob e lajan", which is more popular? Mesi.

Both, kòb and lajan, are used pretty consistently.
Other terms that you will hear are lamama, tyotyo, grennbak, poud kafe
and for change, we say monnen in Creole

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

how do you say, "We missed you" in Haitian Creole

We missed you
Nou te sonje w.

We missed you a lot.
Nou te sonje w anpil.

We missed you so much
Nou te tèlman sonje w.

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

mwen chonge sa nou te kon fe lontan can you translate this to english

Awww.... Someone is taking a little trip down memory lane....

Mwen sonje sa nou te konn fè lontan...
I remember what we used to do in the old days...

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

"Sa a two che". That is too expensive. Sometimes there is an "a" after "sa", and sometimes there is not. Why is this? Mesi.

Sometimes we tend to swallow that trailing "a" and it gets lost into demonstrative "sa" and, all you see is "sa..." instead of "sa a..."
Here's a link that will help to answer your question: Demonstratives

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

i heard from my mom that during holiday times like vennkat desanm and premye janvye you can walk in the street at night and nothing will happen to you. true?

Petèt nan tan manman w se te konsa.  Men li toujou pridan pou w sou gad ou TOUT TAN, ke se te sezon fèt ou pa.
Dayè, matant mwen te konn di'm, "Lè'w mache lannuit Ayiti, si kolon blan pa pran'w lougawou va dechèpiye'w; e si lougawou pa dechèpiye'w sanpwèl va manje w; si sanpwèl pa manje'w vagabon va fini ak ou, si vagabon pa fini ak ou seren an va regle avè'w."

Malediksyon ak malè mache tout fason tout mannyè ti cheri a.

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

Sa fe'm mal ke etazini e kanada fek mete yon lot avetisman vwayaj pou ayiti. peyi sa pi sof pase jamaique, les Bahamas, menm sen domeng ki pi gwo destinasyon touristik nan zon lan. Ayiti menm pi sof pase etazini, m pa konprann. Wi te gen kek zak kidnappin

Si genyen yon avi ki bay, dabitid, se yon avi prekosyon.  Yo fè sa pou anpil peyi soudevlope yo.  Pa vre?
Avètisman yo bay pou Ayiti, se non sèlman pou sekirite, men pou prekosyon medikal ak pou enfrastrikti peyi a tou.
Dèfwa si yo te bay yon avi pou peyi a deja, yo konn revizite avi a pou renouvle l si gen yon bagay ki chanje.
Enpi se pa pou Ayiti sèlman yo mete avi.  Tcheke lis Avètisman sa yo: Travel Warnings

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

WE SPEAK CREOLE

We speak Creole
Nou pale Kreyòl

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

How is expression "w'a gentan konnen" used exactly?

It's used as a warning.  It means "Soon, you'll know"  as if to say "you just wait and see" or "you won't know what hit you" or "Soon you'll see how wrong you were."
It is also used with other pronouns, as in "L'a gentan konnen" or "Y'a gentan konnen"
In Case you didn't know this, the ('a) after the pronoun is a contracted form of the future form "va" or "ava"
Examples:
W'a gentan konnen (Ou va gentan konnen or W'ava gentan konnen)
Y'a gentan konnen (Yo va gentan konnen or Y'ava gentan konnen)

Here's an example of the usage.
1.  W'ap pase granmoun nan betiz kòm si ou p'ap janm vyeyi.  W'a gentan konnen.
     You're making fun of the older generation as if you'll never grow old.  You wait and see!

2. Tout lekòl kontan ak nouvo trezorye a.  Yo pa konn si se yon vòlè li ye.  Y'a gentan konnen.
    The whole school is happy with the new treasurer.  They don't know that he's a crook.  Soon they'll know how wrong they were.



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

How does one translate these grammatical constructions: However + adjective or adverb + may be or is/are; Whatever + noun or pronoun + may be or is/are? Also, how does one translate whoever, whenever, whichever, and wherever?

However + adjective or adverb + may be
Kèlkeswa + adjektif oubyen advèb + pronoun + ye  

However → Kèlkeswa, kèlkeswa jan, nenpòt jan, nenpòt fason, nenpòt mannyè
example:
1. Lè ou bay manman'm yon kado, kèlkeswa piti kou li ye a, li toujou apresye li.
    When you give a gift to my mom, however small it is, she always appreciate it.

2. Tout donasyon ke nou va bay, kèlkeswa piti kou li ye, va ede legliz la avanse.
    Every gift that you will give, no matter how small, will help the church to progress.

3. Lavi a se yon kado.  Kèlkeswa jan li vini an n'ap pwofite l.
    Life is a gift.  We'll enjoy it however it comes.

4. Tout adilt, kèlkeswa laj yo, dwe pase egzamen an pou yo ka gen yon lisans.
    All adults, no matter their age, must pass the exam in order to obtain a license.

Whatever + noun or pronoun + may be or is/are
Kèlkeswa + noun +  pronoun +  may be or is/are

Whatever/ whichever → kèlkeswa, kèlkanswa, kèlkelanswa, nenpòt, nenpòt kisa
example
5.  Bagay sa a, kèlkeswa sa li te ye a, t'ap vole tankou yon zwazo
    That thing, whatever it was, was flying like a bird.

6. Si pòt la frape, kèlkeswa moun ki dèyè pòt la, mwen ta konseye w pou w pa ouvri l.
    If there's knocking at the door, whoever is behind that door, I would advise you not to open it. 

7. Whatever happens tonight we will always remain good friends.
    Kèlkeswa sa'k pase aswè a nou va toujou rete bon zanmi.
    Nenpòt sa'k pase aswè a nou va toujou rete bon zanmi
    Nenpòt kisa ki pase aswè a nou va toujou rete bon zanmi

8. Kèlkeswa fanm ou chwazi pou w marye a, manman'w p'ap janm satisfè.  Se pousa ou dwe chache satisfè tèt ou, pa manman w.
   Whichever woman you choose to marry, you mom will never be satisfied.  That's why you should seek to please yourself, not your mom.

Whoever, anyone, nobody → kikeseswa (use as object pronoun), kikseswa (use as object pronoun) 
Whoever, anyone → nenpòt kilès, nenpòt moun, or nenpòt ki moun

9.  Nenpòt moun ki vle vin nan fèt la mèt vini.
     Whoever wants to come to the party may come.

10. Mwen p'ap janm mete ajenou devan kikeseswa.
      I will never kneel before whoever.
      I will never kneel before anyone.

Whenever → lè, nenpòt lè, nenpòt ki lè, kelkeswa lè
11. Nenpòt lè ou deside achte machin nan, l'ape la ap tann ou. 
     Whenever you decide to buy the car, it will be there waiting for you. 

12. Ou mèt itilize bourèt mwen an lè w vle.
      You may use my wheelbarrow whenever you want.

13. Kèlkeswa lè ki bon pou a, l'va bon pou mwen tou. 
      Whatever time is good for you, will work for me too.

Wherever → kote, nenpòt kote, nenpòt ki kote, kelkeswa kote
14.  Sanble mesye sa a ap swiv mwen.  Kote m fè, li fè tou.
       It seems that this man is following me.  Wherever I go, he goes too.

15.  Mouche sa a se yon bon èd. Kote yo bezwen li, l'ale.
       This guy is a good help.  Wherever he's needed, he goes.

16. Ou mèt kouri pou mwen.  Men sonje, kèlkeswa kote ou kache a, m va jwenn ou.
     You may run from me.  But remember that wherever you hide I will find you.

Browse the search result for NENPÒT here, and you'll find more on however, wherever, whenever, etc...

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

Zo granmoun pa pran

Non, zo granmoun pa pran.

It's a way of saying "Be careful, if you fall and break a bone, there might not be a recovery"

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

twentyone

twenty-one → venteyen

1. Eske ou gen venteyennan depase?
    Are you over the age of 21?

2. Ou dwe gen omwens venteyennan pou w antre nan klib sa a.
    You must be at least 21 years old to enter this club.

3.  Mwen te rankontre yon fanm Ayisyen ki gen venteyen pitit.
     I met a Haitian lady who has 21 children.

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

nap we sa memm

N'ap wè sa menm.
N'a wè sa.
We'll see about that.
Sometimes people say this as a warning that they intend to act on and change something that does not please them.

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

i miss your food?

I hope it's Haitian food :)

I miss your cooking.
M sonje manje w konn fè yo.

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