Too bad!? "You can't come to the party? Too bad!" or "You missed the final exam? Too bad! Better go ask the professor to make it up." or "It is too bad that the university decided to close the bookstore last year. "

Too bad!
Domaj!
Se domaj! (What a pity!)
Malerezman! (unfortunately)
Se malere!
Devenn pou ... (Unfortunately for ...)
Adye papa!
Adye manman!
Adye frè m!
Adye sè m!

Also...
Devenn → literally: misfortune, bad luck
andevenn (an devenn) → to be cursed, to have a string of bad luck
Adye → literally: Alas!

1. You missed the final exam? Too bad!
     Ou rate egzamen final la?  Se domaj!

2. He just finished building his house and he died soon after.  It's too bad he didn't get enjoy it.
    Li fèk fin bati kay li enpi li mouri tousuit apre.  Se malere, li pa't gentan jwi li.

3.  He had a motorcycle accident.  Too bad he didn't wear his helmet that day.
     Li fè aksidan ak motosiklèt li. Devenn pou li, li p'at mete kas li jou sa a.

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

Neither...nor. 1)As subject:"Neither Paul nor Peter smokes." 2)As object:"He wants to drink neither tea or coffee." 3)With verb: "Keith neither drinks nor smokes nor takes drugs." 4)With preposition:"He is neither from Paris nor from London."

also see link for either ... or

Ni ... Ni → Neither ... nor, neither
A H. Creole negative sentence with "Ni ... Ni" may still include the negation "pa" which would be considered double negation in English.

(with prepositions)
1. Madanm nan t ap chache nan tout rakwen.  Ti bebe a pa't ni nan bèso l ni nan chèz li.
    The Lady was searching everywhere.  The baby was neither in his crib nor in his chair.

(with subjects)
2. Mwen pa't ka jwenn non aktè a sou entènèt la.  Ni Google ni Bing pa't mansyone l.

    I couldn't find the name of the actor on the internet.  Neither Google nor Bing had mentioned him.

3. "Ni Pyè ni Pòl pa fimen."
    "Neither peter nor Paul smokes."

(with objects)

4. "Li pa sot ni Pari ni Lond."

    "He is neither from Paris nor from London."

(with adjectives)

5. Lè diktatè a te mouri, pèp la pa te ni kontan ni tris.
    When the dictator died, the people were neither happy nor sad.

6. Lang Kreyòl Ayisyen an pa ni konplike ni senp. Pou w aprann li pi vit, se pratike konvèsasyon ki konte.

    The Haitian Creole language is neither complicated nor simple.  To learn it faster, it's practicing conversations that counts.

(with verbs)7. Se pawòl serye m'ap pale wi.  M p'ap ni bay blag ni egzajere.

    I am being serious.  I am neither joking nor exaggerating.

 
Ni ... Ni → Neither, neither one

8. Mwen pa bwè kafe onswa te.  M pa renmen ni youn ni lòt.
    I don't drink coffee or tea.  I like neither.

9. Kilès nan machin yo ou te chwazi? Mwen p'at chwazi ni youn ni lòt.
    Which one of the cars did you choose?  I chose neither.

10. Nattie ak Fanfan pa te al nan dans lan paske ni youn ni lòt pa't konn danse.
    Nattie ak Fanfan didn't go to the dance because neither of them know how to dance.


Ni ... ni → Both ... and 
11. Sèjousi ni dantis ni famasyen se bon chwa pou yon metye.
    These days both dentistry and pharmacology are good choices for a career.

12. Jou premye Janvye 1804 la, ni esklav ni moun lib te selebre yon nouvo espwa pou peyi a.
     On that day of January 1st, 1804, both slave and free people celebrated new hope for the country.


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

Mandalie, ban m di w, se ayisyen m ye tou. men zafe 'twade' a, m pa ta janm dòmi reve ke l te yon bon mo Kreyol non. Ki kote w bare avè l?

M kapab konprann kote w ye a.  Mwen te fè zòn Lakayè, Lakolin, Aken, Pòtoprens anvan m te vin resi tande mo sa a nan bouch yon nonm Pòdepè.  Mwen menm se wayal ak kasavamanba m te konn di.  Se nan bouch menm nonm sa a m te premye tande mo chenjanbe a tou.  M pa't konn dènye sa a nonplis.  Kifè la a, m imajinen mo sa yo so soti, omwens, nan zòn Nòdwès yo.

Fò'm di w tou, yon jou m te di zanmi sa a ke pye l te santi mayas.  Lè sa a, li te fè grimas ak figi l, li mande m, "Ki kalite mo mayas sa w'ap di la a?  Sa sa vle di?" Lè m te di l se te sant soulye, li pa't kwè m ditou.  M ta panse yon mo jeneral konsa, ki nan tout peyi a, fòk on Ayisyen ta konnen l.  Anmwey o!

Si pa gen yon diksyonè ki pou ranmase tout mo sa yo ki degrennen nan tout rakwen peyi a, pou blije mete yo nan yon branch pou montre moun kote yo anrasinen, sanble gen anpil mo Kreyòl k'ap tout desann nan latonm ak mèt yo. Nou p'ap janm konnen yo.
 
Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

What does dyòlè mean?

dyòlè → braggart, grandstander, a boastful person, a show off, a know-it-all who's not humble

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

"yon won't see her until a few months later", how do you say a few months later here? mesi anpil

a few → kèk or kèlke
until → jis, jous, or jouk
....until a few month later → jouk kèk mwa apre.

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

Will you ever make available for purchase some of your Kreyol Audio files? I love the alfabet. So does my 7 year old.

That's great.  Mèsi :)
This was done solely on a volunteer basis.
This audio file can be downloaded here: Click here to download…

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

How does one translate a gerund construction? 1)Manner or Mean: One learns through travelling. or He found his watch by tidying up his things. 2)Simultaneity: We eat dinner while watching TV. 3)Cause: He broke his legs playing football. Other ways?

Manner or Mean:  One way of saying this in Haitian Creole is by using "Se nan ..." as if saying "It is by..."

1. One learns through traveling. 
    It is through traveling that one learns.
    Se nan vwayaje moun aprann.

2. One good way to learn is by asking lots of questions.
     One good way to learn is in asking lots of questions.
    Yon bon fason ou kapab aprann se nan mande anpil kesyon.

3. He got this rich by working his ass off.
    It is by working his ass off that he got rich like that.
    Se nan travay pete fyèl li vin rich konsa.

4. He found his watch by tidying up his things.
    Se nan netwaye zafè l li jwenn mont li an.


Simultaneity: We could achieve these types of sentences by using the Haitian Creole conjunction PANDAN or ANTAN or ETAN to bring the clauses together.  In Haitian Creole the subject is almost always repeated in the second clause using the same verb tense sometimes.

5. We eat dinner while watching TV.
    Nou manje dine pandan n'ap gad televizyon.

6. What will you be dreaming of while sleeping?
     Kisa ou va reve antan w'ap dòmi?

7. She held the child arms while running to catch the train.
    Li te kenbe bra timoun nan byen di etan li t'ap kouri al pran tren an.

Cause: In the following type of sentences AND situations we can use paske, afòs, poutèt, akòz, or [nothing] followed by a progressive tense.

8. He broke his legs playing football. 
    Li kase pye l ap jwe football.

9. She got herself sick thinking about you everyday.
    Li te rann tèt li malad afòs l'ap panse avè w chak jou.

10. We scraped our feet going up and down the hills of the villages.
      Nou te kòche pye nou ap monte desann mòn nan vilaj yo.

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

'To suit' as a verb? "The ripped jeans didn't suit her elegant image." or "My new job suits me, as I work less hours and don't have to commute so much." or "Her nickname "Bullet" suits her as she is a fast runner."

To suit (to befit?) → apwopriye, ale, konvenab, koresponn

1. "Her nickname "Bullet" suits her as she is a fast runner."
    "Ti non jwèt "Bullet" la ale avè l paske l maton nan zafè konn kouri."

2. "The ripped jeans didn't suit her elegant image."
    "Abako dechire yo p'at apwopriye pou aparans granpanpan l lan."

3. "My new job suits me, as I work less hours and don't have to commute so much."
    "Nouvo dyòb la konvnab pou mwen, paske orè travay mwen rakousi e mwen pa monte desann twòp pou al travay."

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

Homebody? and Gadabout(somewhat opposite of homebody)? "Although my uncle likes to travel, my aunt is a homebody, so he usually comes with us while she stays home with her cats." and "O'Brien never remarried and got a reputation as a bit of a gadabout."

Haitian Creole for Homebody and Gadabout:

Homebody → pòpòt kay, pitit kay, solitè, sedantè
Gadabout → flannè, grenn pwomennen, avadra, fritè, aladen

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

10s, 50s, 80s translation? "The nineteen teens was a decade that consisted of justice for the working citizens of America." or "Yet Americans in the fifties saw their share of conflict and strife." or "She lived in San Francisco in the eighties."

So, we're saying: about 10, about 20, ...about 30 ?

add "-èn"
about 10 → yon dizèn
about 40 → yon karantèn
about 50 → yon senkantèn
about 100 → yon santèn

or add "... konsa" after the number.
about 70 → swasanndis konsa
about 500 people → yon senksan moun konsa

1. There's about 10 oranges in this box.
     Gen yon dizèn zoranj nan bwat.

2.  Only about 20 people showed up.
      Sèlman yon ventèn moun te vini.

3.  How old do you think she is?  I think she's in her fifties.
     Ki laj ou panse l ye? M panse li nan senkantèn yo.

4.  Hundreds of people drowned when that boat went own.
     Plizyè santèn moun te neye lè bato a te koule.

5. The volunteers went to Haiti and built thousands of houses.
     Volontè yo t'ale Ayiti e yo te bati plizyè milye kay.

6. To feed all these people, we'd have to kill about 4 to 5 hundred goats.
    Pou nouri tout moun sa yo, nou ta dwe touye kat a senksan kabrit konsa.
-------------------------

kalFebruary 12, 2013 at 11:34 PM

Since we are on the subject of numbers, alongside wanting to know about the years like the nineteen teens; the nineteen thirties; the nineteen sixties; etc, what about age? Examples, "President Obama is in his early fifties." "My professor is in his mid thirties." "My best friend is in his late twenties." Now, how are these sentences translated? "He is twelve years my senior." and "He is three years my junior." What are all the names of each age group in creole? -One who is between the age of 10 and 19
-One who is between the age of 20 and 29
-One who is between the age of 30 and 39
-One who is between the age of 40 and 49
-One who is between the age of 50 and 59
-One who is between the age of 60 and 69
-One who is between the age of 70 and 79
-One who is between the age of 80 and 89
-One who is between the age of 90 and 99
-One who is between the age of 100 and beyond.

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Replies

MandalyFebruary 13, 2013 at 10:18 AM
The nineteen teens → ane dis yo, or ane 1910 yo

the nineteen thirties → ane trant yo, or ane 1930 yo

the nineteen sixties → ane swasant yo, or ane 1960 yo

"President Obama is in his early fifties."
“Prezidan Obama fèk koumanse senkantèn ni.”
"Prezidan Obama nan koumansman senkantèn ni."

"My professor is in his mid thirties."
“Pwofesè m nan nan mi trantèn ni.”
“Pwofesè m nan nan trannsenkan yo konsa.”

"My best friend is in his late twenties."
“Pi bon zanmi m nan nan fen ventèn li.”

"He is twelve years my senior."
“Li gen douzan plis pase m”
“Li gen douzan depase m.”

"He is three years my junior."
“Li gen twazan mwens pase m.”
“Mwen gen twazan depase l.”

The names of each stage of development in creole?
childhood → anfans
puberty → kwasans, pibète
adolecense → adolesans
adult → adilt
middle age → antdezaj
old age → granmoun, pèsonaj

One who is between the age of 20 and 29 → ventèn
He's in his twenties.
Li nan ventèn ni.

One who is between the age of 30 and 39 → trantèn
He's in his thirties.
Li nan trantèn ni.

One who is between the age of 40 and 49 → karantèn
He must be in his forties.
Li dwe nan karantèn yo konsa.

One who is between the age of 50 and 59 → senkantèn
She must be in her fifties.
Li dwe nan senkantèn yo konsa. 

One who is between the age of 60 and 69 → swasantèn
He's in his sixties.
Li nan swasantèn ni.

One who is between the age of 70 and 79 → swasandis, swasanndizan yo konsa.
He looks to be in his seventies.
Li sanble nan swasanndizan yo konsa.

One who is between the age of 80 and 89 → katreventèn
He's in his eighties.
Li nan katreventèn ni.

One who is between the age of 90 and 99 → katrevendis, katrevendizan yo konsa
She must be in her nineties.
Li dwe nan katrevendizan yo konsa.

One who is between the age of 100 and beyond → santèn
She must be about a hundred years old.
Li dwe nan santèn ni konsa.

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

How does one translate "awesome"? "Graduation was the most anticipated and profound moment for me and my family. Awesome!" or "Awesome! You got all As in all your classes." or "That was awesome!" or "Awesome, dude!"

Awesome (wonderful)!
Fantastik!
Anfòm!
Bèl mèvèy!
Bèl bagay!
Estrawòdinè!
Trè byen!
Ekselan!
Fòmidab!

That was awesome!
Se te bèl bagay!

You were awesome!
Ou te michan nèt!

This is an awesome book.
Liv sa a estrawòdinè.

This is an awesome God.  There's no other like him.
Bondye sa se Bondye bèl mèvèy. Pa gen lòt tankou l.
or 
Bondye sa a mèveye. Pa gen lòt tankou l.

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

Madanm Mandaly, Is the Kreyol word "kontan" besides being "happy" and "pleased"; can it be also translated "content"? Such as in "Mwen kontan fe konesans ou mesye". Mesi.

Yes, definitely.
kontan → happy, cheerful, pleased, festive, satisfied ...

some people say:
1. Mwen kontan ak ou.
    I am proud /satisfied of your progress.

2.  Eske ou kontan ak travay mwen fè pou ou nan garaj la.
     Are you happy with /satisfied with the work that I did for you in the garage.

also the noun kontantman
3. Mezanmi! Ban m yon ti kontantman non!  Lave pwòp asyèt nou pou mpa bezwen fè l.
    Give me a little satisfaction! Wash your own dishes so that I won't have to do it.

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

Don't bother? ""I'll get you a chair.' 'No, please don't bother.""-Dialogue or "The waiter will be here in a minute, 'please don't bother."" or "Don't bother to cook dinner tonight; we'll eat out!" or " Don't bother about driving me home, I'll walk."

Don't bother (don't go through the trouble)
pa okipe w
pa trakase w 
pa deranje w 
pa bat kò w 
pa fatige kò w
pa bay tèt ou pwoblèm

Don't bother (leave it alone)
Kite sa
lese sa

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

se pa de ri m ri?

1. Se pa de ri m ri.
    I laughed a lot.

2. Se pa de kriye m kriye non.
    I cried a lot

3. Se pa de sonje m sonje w non.
    I missed you a lot.

4. Se pa de grangou m grangou non.
     I am starving.

You can replace "de" with "ti kras" or "ti"

5. Se pa ti eskandal madanm nan pa fè non.
    The lady caused a lot of ruckus.

6.  Se pa ti kras bouke pa bouke non.
     I m exhausted.


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

she says 'li leve pati kite m'. Doesn't that mean "He or she left me", my question is, why use three verbs ALE PATI KITE, when one could've used just one (KITE, in my opinion)? So is this Creole sentence some type of Creole slang 'cause it doesn't make sense to me.

Leve, then pati, then kite sort of describe an action in sequence here.  True it just means that he/she left me, but try to look at it as a CREOLE sentence which makes perfect sense IN CREOLE.

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