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Friday, February 15, 2013

I want to put this on a post card. Is it "Swete ou te isi" or "Swete ou te isi la."?

It'll be best to also add the subject pronoun in the Creole sentence.   I'm thinking it is "I" who wishes that "you" were here?

I wish you were here.
Mwen swete w te la.

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

How does one translate 'to reminisce' in Haitian Creole? "I'm reminiscing about the good old days."

W'ap sonje lakay?

To reminisce → reviv, repase nan lespri, sonje, panse, reve, raple, repase nan memwa

I'm remniscing about the good old days.
M'ap sonje tan lontan.
M'ap panse ak tan lontan.

I relive all the good times again and again.
Mwen repase tout bon moman yo ankò e ankò nan lespri m.

see link for Good old days

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

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Kale m lajan m sou de chèz??

This is like two expressions made into one:
Sou de chèz is an expression which means completely, thoroughly, satisfactorily
Example:
M te bay yon avoka regle yon ka pou mwen.  Li ban m sa sou de chèz.
I had a lawyer take care of a case for me.  He did an awesome job.


And then... there's the expression with "KALE" which pretty much the same sa FOUT, FWENK, BAY, FLANKE they translate the verb TO GIVE.
Example:
Give me my freakin money!
Kale m lajan m.!
Flanke m lajan m!
Fwenk mwen lajan m!
Fout mwen lajan m!
or 
Ban m lajan m fout!

SO...
Kale m lajan m sou de chèz!
is pretty much the same as
Ban mwen lajan m san tèt chaje tanpri!
or if you prefer to say it in English :)
Give me my money without stressing me out.


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

Some Haitian Creole "expression of interjections" .... What are the creole version to these ....?


What are the creole version to these and then some...? Here is a list: What the heck!, Holy moly!, darn!  gosh!, goodness!, shucks!, ...

to express surprise, shock
Jezi Mari Jozèf!
Gras lamizèrikòd!
Mezanmi!
Mezanmi o!
O O!
RETE!
Adye o!

for WTF moments:
Ki koze sa!
Ki bagay sa!
Ki tenten sa!
Ki sendenden sa!
Ki betiz sa!
Ki kaka sa a!
Ki salopri sa a!

Expressing pity!
Podyab!
Adye!
Adye Bondye!
Adye frè
Adye sè
Adye manman
Adye papa

Expressing discontentment, aggravation, annoyance
Wouch!
Ayayay!
Fout!
Fwenk!
Koulangit!

Expressing amazement, surprise as in "WOW!"
Wipip!
Komabo, koumabo, koumanman, koumatiboulout!
Wifout!
Kèt!
Koulangèt!

Ayayay!
Wololoy, ololoy, loloy!
Wifout manman!

Saying "Go to hell!"
Vouzan, alevouzan, or ale w vouzan!
Laba, ale w laba!
Lakwann!
Lavoum!
Laprit!
Myann, nanmyann, or lanmyann!
Mèd, nanmèd, lanmèd, or lanmèd pou ou!

Saying, "You on your own!"
Zafè w!
Zafè pa w!
Zafè k gade w!

Who cares!
Kite mele m!
Sa pa gade m!

Awesome! (GREAT!)
Dako!
Trè byen!
Se sa!
Se sa nèt!

Se sa nèt al kole!

Anfòm!
Anfòm nèt!
Palemwadsa!
Pa gen pàn!

Some people swear by thunder or by the virgin Marie:
Vyèj pete je m!
Tonnè boule m!
Tonnè kraze m!

Your ass is mine!
Mwen nan dengonn ou!
Mwen nan wèl ou!
Mwen nan deng ou!
Mwen nan dengòt ou!


Calling for help
Anmwe! or Anmwey!
Osekou!
Woy!
Wouy!

How to answer in Creole when someone calls your name
Plètil or lètil?
wi?
wi madanm?
wi mesye?

Down with!
aba!

what a ...! or How .....! (as in What a jerk! → Ala yon enbesil!)
ala ...!

type of noise people often describe with their mouths:
voup! (sudden mouvement)
pè w! (a slap)
pa w! (a slap)
bow! (slamming)
pyout! (kiss)
tyoup! (penetration  ...of a knife perhaps)
chou! (shooing a pig)
chi! (shooing a chicken)

Expressing disappointment over something you were otherwise expecting
"Nothing!"
kaka rat!
kaka rat deye bwat!
bichi!
Anyen ditou!
Anyen menm!

Well, well then!
Enben!
Eh byen!
Anben!

Expressing disgust or impatience
Hany!
Any! (pronounced An-y!)
Tchuip! (It's a sound yo make with your mouth)


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

1)All the more? / 2)All the less? in Creole

all the more → plis, pi, pi plis, pi plis ankò, plis ankò, dotanplis, dotanpli
all the less → mwens, dotanmwens

1. She was all the more in love with him when she saw him play the guitar on stage.
    Li te pi renmen misye ankò, lè li te wè l ap jwe gita sou estrad la.

2. The gang's violent attacks in the streets gave her all the more a reason to leave the country.
    Atak vyolan bandi yo nan lari a te ba li plis rezon pou l te kite peyi a.

3. The earthquake of 2012 made Haiti all the less appealing to business investors who were already having second thoughts about their decision.
    Tranblemanntè 2012 la te rann Ayiti dotanmwens atiran pou biznismann ki te deja ap doute desizyon yo.

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

I would like... Is "mwen ta vle" the synonym of "mwen ta renmen"? Are there other words or ways to express "I would like"?

Men wi. Gen anpil:
Mwen ta renmen
Mwen anvi
Mwen dezire
Mwen swete
etc...

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

What are the names for first-born child, middle-born child, and last-born child in creole?

It seems that you are asking for a typical name that Haitians would give the first-born or last child and such, right?

I guess sometimes, someone may want to name their child after unusual circumstances surrounding their birth: difficult pregnancy, difficult labor, the child being born on a special holiday /day, etc...  Doesn't this sort of thing occur everywhere in the world?

As far as what some of these Haitian names might be, these names are as exceptional as the circumstances which inspired them: I have met some people with "unusual" names like "Setout", "Fokseli", etc ..... See other unusual Haitian names at this link.  I'm pretty sure, in Haiti, there aren't specific names that one  should call their children based on their birth order.  

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

Kote mennaj an mwen? mennaj mwen, kote ou ye?

AH wi! Mwen la!  mwen kouche anba fèy bannann nan ak yon gwo kalbas kleren ap tann ou!
Vini non!
N'a va benyen ak kleren jouk nou sou ....jouk lalin nan sòti ...jouk solèy la parèt :)

lol! I hope you weren't looking for a translation :)
Pase bòn fèt sent Valanten :)

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

girlfriend/boyfriend

boyfriend
menaj
mennaj
mennay
anmoure
nonm
boubout

girlfriend

menaj
mennaj
mennay
anmourez
fanm

boubout

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

Bòn Fèt Sent Valanten - Happy Valentines' Day

Bòn Fèt Sent Valanten
Happy Valentines' Day

My heart is flooded with love for you.
Lanmou ap jayi nan kè m pou ou.

You are my everything.
Ou se tout mwen.

You are the love of my life.
Ou se lanmou lavi m.

You are the love of my heart.
Ou se lanmou kè m.

You're the only one for me.
Se ou sèl ki pa'm.

I love you from the bottom of my GUTS.
Mwen renmen w nan tout zantray mwen.

I'm crazy about you.
M fou pou ou.

You make me crazy for you.
Ou fè m fou pou ou.

My love.
Cheri mwen
Kòkòt mwen
Chouboulout mwen
Ti chouchou mwen
Nonm mwen (my man)
Fanm mwen (My woman)

Let's make love until morning.
Ann fè lanmou jouk li jou.

Let's make love tonight.  
Ann fè lanmou aswè a.

That's all I got :)

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

Ki diferans ki ganyen ant yon dyòlè ak yon blòfè?

Yon dyòlè renmen vante tèt li.
Li kapab byen egzajere lè l'ap pale.
M panse dyòlè a fè dyòlè pou l ka blofe w.

Yon blofè ap fout ou manti pou w pa chape.
Pa gen anyen nan sa l di ki verite.
Blofè a pa dyòlè pou sa.

Men ni dyòlè a ni blòfè a gen kèk bagay an komen:
Yo pale anpil, yo renmen atansyon, yo depann sou moun k'ap koute yo.
Men, kisa pou w fè? Nou tout gen yon ti dyòlè ak blofè nan nou.
Se konsa sa ye.

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

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Jan w vini an se konsa yo pran w (the way you come is how you are perceived)? Is this right?

Men wi se sa.  I think it's about first impression.

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

Cet affaire de Créole, c'est une perte de temps. Sa pap ammener un Haitien loin. Ki Haitiens ou we ki rive loin avec ce Creole?

Wòl Kreyòl se pa pou mennen moun lwen non.  Wòl li se pou l kominike, rasanble sa ki pre ak sa ki lwen, trase wout tan dantan pou nou ka wè kote pou n mete pye n pou n kontinye douvan n, e simante nou kòm yon pèp e ede nou etabli idantite ke n'ap chache a.
Avèk respè mwen salye w, men san regrè m kondane mepri w.

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

Barely, hardly, scarcely? "The bullet grazed my skin but I barely felt it." and "Hardly anyone turned up for the meeting." and "I had scarcely entered the room when the lights went out."

Barely (hardly, scarcely, just) →  apèn, apenn, annik, senpleman, jis, preske pa
Not quite → pa toutafè, preske
scarcely (infrequently) → raman, pa souvan   

1. Nou apenn rive.
    We just arrived.

2. "The bullet grazed my skin but I barely felt it."
     "Bal la te fwole po m men mwen pa toutafè santi li."

3. I barely know her.
    Mwen apenn rekonèt li.
    Mwen pa toutafè fin konnen l nèt.

4.  "Hardly anyone turned up for the meeting."
     "Apenn si gen enpe moun ki parèt pou reyinyon an."

5. "I had scarcely entered the room when the lights went out."
     "M te annik antre nan chanm nan lè limyè yo te tenyen."

6. I scarcely remember anything about the day my father died.
    Mwen preske pa sonje anyen nan jou papa m te mouri a.

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

O'clock sharp and flat? "I will pick you up at two o'clock sharp." and "Have this report done at seven o'clock flat."

Precise or exact? (at an exact time in Haitian Creole)
We say:
presiz
pil
tapan
egzak
won kon boul

1. M'ap vin chache w a uitè tapan.
    I'll come pick you up at exactly eight o'clock.

2. Li te fè midi won kon boul lè solèy la te fèmen je l, nyaj yo te vin tou nwa, e lapli te tanmen tonbe.
    It had just turned 12:00 on the dot, when the sun stopped shining, the clouds became dark, and it started to rain

3.  Depi l fè setè pil, klòch legliz la pran sonnen.  
     At exactly seven o'clock the bells of the church start ringing.

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