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Monday, February 18, 2013

kisa 'manje je' vle di? Mwen panse se yon ekspresyon.

If you don't mean in the literal sense :-\, then yes, it is an expression.

manje je → to take advantage, to pull a fast one, to confuse
manje je yon moun → take advantage of someone.

Example:
1. Lè diaspora ale Ayiti, machann yo toujou ap eseye manje je yo.
2. Apa w'ap eseye manje je m.  M pa egare non!

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

What is the best English translation for 'byen pre pa lakay'

Byen pre pa lakay 
(Being near is not being there)
It's not over until it's over.
I think this proverb say:  Just because you're almost there, does not mean you there.  A lot can still happen.

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

Sunday, February 17, 2013

Yon ti vizit (AUDIO)

Link to download audio:
Click here to download…

To listen to this audio post, click on the PLAY button and follow along :)

 

Rigaud is visiting with Charité at her home in the countryside near Aux Cayes....
Conversation starts here:

Hmm! Ala kafe gou!
Yum! What tasty coffee!

Sa a se kafe peyi, wi, w'ap bwè la!  Tè Ayiti bay bon kafe!
It is homegrown coffee that you're drinking.  Haitian soil yields good coffee.

Wi, sa se vre.  Ayiti te toujou gen bon tè.  Bon, Charité, mwen te kontan vizite ou jodi a.  Mèsi pou bèl akèy la.
Yes, that is true.  Haiti always had good soil.  Well, Charité, I was happy to visit you today.  Thank for the nice reception.

Mwen kontan ou te vini tou.  Kilè ou gen pou tounen nan kapital la?
I, too, was happy you came.  When must you return to the capital?

Mwen dwe retounen demen sidyevle.  Fò m'al travay.
I must go back tomorrow God willing.  I must go to work.

Ah wi?  Se ki metye ou fè?
Oh yeah?  What is your profession?

Mwen anseye matematik ak syans nan yon lekòl.  E ou menm Charité, kisa w fè?
I teach math and science at a school.  How about you Charité, what do you do?

Mwen menm, mwen se kiltivatè.  Mwen plante.  Mwen rekolte.  Enpi m'al vann tout sa m rekolte yo nan yon mache.
I am a farmer.  I plant. I harvest.   And then I go to sell what I harvest at a market

Sa se travay pete fyèl!  Ou se yon fanm dyanm k'ap nouri peyi a.  Chapo ba!
That's hard work!  You are a strong woman feeding the country.  Hats off!

Mèsi wi.  Ou konnen, se konsa.  Fòk nou travay pou n manje.
Thanks. You know, that's how it is.  We must work in order to feed ourselves.

Eske m mèt mande ou yon lòt bagay?
May I ask you something else?

Wi?
Yes?

Eske ou fè zafè deja?
Are you in a relationship?

Adye Rigaud!  Mwen poko non.
Alas Rigaud! Not yet.

O! yon bèl fanm tankou w, sa w'ap tann?
A beautiful woman such as yourself, what are you waiting for?

Enben m'ap tann sa Bondye sere pou mwen an.
Well I'm waiting for what God has put aside for me.

M'espere sa Bondye sere pou ou  a pa twò lwen.  Se kisa ou fè pou w distrè ou lè w p'ap travay?
I hope that what God has in store for you is not too far.  How do distract yourself when you're not working?

Enben Rigaud, lè m p'ap travay, mwen renmen ale nan sinema.
Well Rigaud, when I'm not working I like to go to the movies.

Mwen menm tou.  Mwen renmen gade fim komedi.  E ki dènye fim ou te wè?
Me too.  I love comedy.  And what was the last movie you saw?

Sa gen lontan depi m pa ale gade yon fim.
It's been a long time since I have not seen a movie.

O enben tande sa.  Gen yon fim ki fèk soti nan sinema bò lakay mwen nan Pòtoprens.  Li rele "Les Trois Stooges".  Eske ou ta renmen al wè l?
Well listen to this.  There's a movie that's just out in the movie theaters near my home in Port-Au-Prince.  It's called "Les Trois Stooges"  Would you like to go see it?

Men wi! depi se avè w mwen prale, m panse m va byen anmize m.
Of Course!  As long as I'm going with you, I think I'll enjoy myself.

Enben machè Charité m'ap envite w, wikenn pwochen,  pou vin gade yon fim avèk mwen nan Pòtoprens.
So, my dear Charité, I am inviting you to come see a movie with me in Port-Au-Prince.

Rigaud, mwen asepte envitasyon ou.
Rigaud, I accept your  invitation.

Anfòm! Mwen va vin chache ou nan estasyon bis la vandredi.
Great! I will come pick you up at the bus station Friday.

Dakò Rigaud, n'a wè vandredi apremidi.
Okay Rigaud, see you Friday afternoon.

Track: Nonm sa a by Emeline Michel

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

Saturday, February 16, 2013

Expressions with Hatian Creole word "gade":

Gade literally means "to look"

Gade lè w non!
Gad lè w!
Oh look at you!
Just look at you!

Gade lè yo
Gad lè yo!
Just look at them! .... so pitiful (implied)

Gade non!
Look!

Gade non! Mwen pa sou jwèt jodi a.
Look! I am not playing around today.

Sa pa gade m!
It's none of my business!
Sa pa regade m.
This does not regard me

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

What "an" here: an sòtan and an patan, sometimes with a pronoun; an sotan m.

It kind of means while or during here.

1. Ansòtan or An sòtan ....
    While exiting ....

2. Ansòtan m ...
    During my exit
    While I was exiting ....

3.  Ansòtan yo, paparazzi yo te branche kamera yo sou yo.
     As they were getting out, the paparazzi had aimed the cameras at them.

4. an arivan m, annarivan m...
    At my arrival ...., during my arrival

5. An arivan m nan sal ijans lopital la, enfimyè yo te ofri m yon chèz woulant.
    As I was entering the hospital's emegency room, the nurses offered me a wheel chair.

6. An patan nou konsa, machin nan te pran pàn.
    While we were leaving, the car broke down.

    Anpatan (an patan) → as we started to leave, from the beginning, from the get go


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

M pase pa m??? (in English)

Pase pa → to go through hard time, to go through tough times (Sometimes, e also say "pase kont")

1.  Mwen te pase pa m.
     I went through some hard times.

2.  M te abite ak fanmi matant mwen pandan m te kolèj. Moun sa yo fè m pase pa'm.
     I lived with my aunt's family while I was going to college.  These people gave me a hard time.

3. M'ap pran yon kou esapnyòl nan inivèsite a.  Se pa'm m'ap pase ak pwofesè a, tank li malouk!
    I'm taking a Spanish course at the university.  I'm having a hard time with the professor, he so mean!

4. Lè papa m te vwayaje nan peyi Etazini nan ane swasant (60) yo, te gen anpil prejije nan peyi a.  Yo te fè l pase pa'l anvan l te resi jwenn yon bon ti travay.
   When my dad came to the US in the sixties, there were a lot of discrimination.  They gave me a hard time before he could find a decent job. 

so, you'll say:
mwen pase pa'm (I went through tough times)
ou pase pa'w (You went through tough times)
li pase pa'l (He / She went through tough times)
nou pase pa'n (We went through tough times) 
yo pase pa yo. (They went through tough times)


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

In "M rete an Ayiti" and "M rete Ozetazini"; is the "an" optional to use?

Other ways to say "M rete an Ayiti."
M abite Ayiti.
M abite an Ayiti
Mwen rezide an Ayiti
M'ap viv Ayiti
or
M'ap viv an Ayiti.

Other way to say "M rete Ozetazini."
M'abite Ozetazini.
M'ap viv Ozetazini
M'abite nan peyi Etazini.
Mwen rezide nan peyi Etazini.
or
Mwen demere nan peyi Etazini.

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

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