How doyou say 'upside' and 'downside'? "One of the upsides of getting this job is that it is near my school." "The downside of obtaining a higher rank is that far more work is expected."

You can use :
upside
aspè pozitif
avantaj
pati ki bon an
sa ki bon an

and

downside
aspè negatif
dezavantaj
pati ki pa bon an
sa ki pa bon an

egz:
1. Avantaj genyen televizyon lakay ou sèke ou toujou byen enfòme, men dezavantaj la sèke li ka rann ou parese.
   The upside of having a TV at home is that you're well informed, but the downside is that it can make you lazy.

2. Aspè pozitif maryaj sèke ou pa blije poukont ou ankò, aspè negatif la sèke ou pèdi yon ki kras nan libète w.
    The upside in a marriage is that you don't have to be alone anymore.  The downside is that you've lost a little bit of your freedom.

3. Sa ki bon lè w gen machin nan New York se libète pou kondi ale nenpòt kote ou vle.  Sa k pa bon ladan l sèke li difisil pou jwenn yon kote pou gare machin nan.
    The upside of having a car in New York is that you have the freedom to drive anywhere you want.  The downside is that you can find a place park the car.

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

Ki vetman ki apwopriye pou mete nan maryaj kretyen nan Ayiti?

Ayisyen toujou panse y'abiye pi chèlbè pase tout nasyon :)
Ledimanch pou y'al legliz, yo mete pi bèl wòb yo genyen.
Kretyen legliz Ayiti SIPOZE abiye yon fason rezève.  Laplipa nan fanm yo pa mete pantalon (sitou granmou yo).
Konsa, si w'ap asiste yon maryaj kretyen, e ou pa gen okenn fonksyon w'ap ranpli ki egzije mete yon koulè rad espesyal, donk ou ta dwe mete w byen banda pou w ka pay payèt tankou tout moun :)
Si m te ou, pou plis sètitid, m ta ranseye m ak mesyedam lemarye oubyen lamarye a.

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

What is BLANCH in JOUNEN BLANCH. BLANCH & BLAN are the same, right?

Yes they are.
blanch (or blan) → white
yon fanm blanch → a white woman
yon mi blanch → a white wall
yon fèy papye blanch → a white piece of paper.

But blanch in "jounen blanch" means deprived or devoid of something
M pase yon jounen blanch.
I had a boring day.
I spent day devoid of food and fun.

same goes for "nuit blanch"
M pase yon nuit blanch.
I had a sleepless night.

and also "lari blanch"
Ledimanch, lari a sanse blanch nèt.
On Sundays, the streets are practically empty.

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

In good shape or robust (in Creole)

Enganm (or dyanm) adj.
robust
peppy
revitalized
fortified
In good shape

An bòn sante
In good health

I feel revitalized
Mwen santi m byen enganm.
Mwen santi m dyanm

I feel so much better now.

Mwen miyò kounye a.

Mwen fè mye kounye a.

I have recovered (from an illness)

Mwen gaya.

Mwen refè.

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

I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

Mwen di nou bagay sa yo pou nou kapab genyen kè poze.  Nou va gen anpil soufrans sou tè sa a.  Men pran kouray!  Lemonn gentan pèdi devan mwen. Jan 16:33

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

If I wanted to start a sentence with "GET", like 'GET THE CAR FIXED' or 'GET THE PICTURE' what creole word do i use? resevwa or jwenn?

I think of these types of sentences as expressions.  Get the car fixed, Get out of here, or Get the picture have totally different verbs in use.  They are different expressions.  Just because the English starts with "GET" does not mean that we will start by translating "GET" in Creole:

1. Get the car fixed right away please.
     Repare machin nan tousuit tanpri.  

2.  Get out of here.
      Soti la a.
      Wet kò w la a.

3.  Get me out of here.
      Retire m la a.

4. Get this party started.
     Koumanse fèt la.
     
5. Get the picture?
     Ou konprann?

SO, you probably have to learn each of these  verbs separately.

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

"ou ka nan enka, ou ka nan deka, apre sa res la se pwoblem" Should I say though i understand what is said, i don't get it :)

That's a pun.
I don't think it can be translated in English.
I'm not sure how well i can explain this either :)

It feeds on the fact that "KA (fourth)" the denominator in ¼ (enka), 2/4 (deka), 3/4 (twaka) is read as "KA" as in "trouble, tèt chaje, etc..."  and guess what would 4/4 be?  If you guessed "kaka", you're right:

Mezanmi nou nan ka!
Nou ka nan 1/4
Nou ka nan 2/4
Nou ka menm nan 3/4
men si nou nan 4/4, nou chire!

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

"She'll be happy one minute and crying the next" how can you translate "One minute she's this.... and the next minute she's that" mesi.

You can use:
yon moman ..... lòt moman an ....
kèk fwa ..... lòt fwa a .....
tanto ..... tanto ....

1.
Yon moman li kontan, lòt moman an li gentan ap kriye.
Kèk fwa li gen dwa kontan, lòt fwa a l'ap kriye
Tanto li kontan, tanto l'ap kriye.
She's happy one minute and crying the next

2.
Zanmitay yo a dwòl. Tanto yo byen, tanto yo pa byen.  Se konsa li toujou ye.
Their friendship is bizarre.  They're friends one minute and enemies the next.  It's always like that.


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

What is chemet chemetres?

chèmèt chèmètrès (or chè mèt chè mètrès)
Think of French cher maître, chère maîtresse → dear master, dear mistress (if that helps)
In H. Creole it means sole proprietor of, owner, master, landlord

1.  Mwen se chèmèt chèmètrès kay la.  Mwen gen dwa fè sa m vle avè l.
     I am the owner of the house.  I can do whatever I want with it.

2.  Lè papa Tijan mouri, tout Kòporasyon an va rele l chèmèt chèmètrès.  
     When Tijan's father dies the whole Corporation will be his.

3. Machin mwen rele m chèmèt chèmètrès. Se sèl mwen ki ka deside si pou m vann ni ou pa.
    The car is mine.  Only I can decide if I should sell it or not.
    
4. Nan lane 1803, peyi Etazini te vin chèmèt chèmètrès teritwa Lwizyàn nan.  Lafrans pa't gen kontwòl sou pòsyon tè sa a ankò.
    In the year 1803, the United States became the owner of the Louisiana territory.  France no longer had control over this portion of land.

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

"Li ta pito pase yon lane sou yon bato chaje ak yon dal moun fou tan pou l ta pase yon kadè avè w" Can you tell me what is "TAN" in this sentence? thanks

tan, here, can be translated as instead

Here are some examples of its usage.

1. Tan pou l te etidye, li te pito gade televizyon.
     Instead of studying, he had rather watched TV.

2. Tan pou ap pale tenten la, poukisa ou pa al chache yon travay pou w fè.
     Instead of talking nonsense, why don't go find some work to do.
   
    and one more....

3. Nèg sa tèlman parese, li pito mouri grangou tan pou l fè zefò pou nouri tèt li.
     This guy's so lazy he rather die of hunger instead of making the effort to feed himself 

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

Pran san w .... (in English)

Pran san w.
Kalma w.
Kalme w.
Rete trankil.
Take your time (take it easy, slow down)

1. Li te tèlman grangou, li pa't pran san l pou l kraze manje li a.
    He was so hungry that he didn't take his time to chew his food.

2. Ou pa bezwen prese.  Pran san w.
    You don't have to hurry.  Take your time.

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

I'm new! Just found your sweet site. Going to Haiti in 2 weeks. Do you have an audio file for Ti limyè’k nan kè’m nan? Bisous!

This song is known in Haiti as "Bondye te Ban Mwen Limyè".
#66 Kè Kreyòl, in the Chans Desperans
A homemade, non professional recording was posted for you :)

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

Sending a letter to some kiddos and need help translating: I miss you dearly! I think about you everyday and hope you are doing well. I will come back to see you, I promise! Love you with all of my heart! love, Aubrey

I miss you dearly! I think about you everyday and hope you are doing well. I will come back to see you, I promise! Love you with all of my heart! love, Aubrey
Mwen sonje nou anpil anpil! M panse ak nou chak jou e m'espere nou trè byen.  M'ap retounen pou vin wè nou, mwen pwomèt nou sa!  Mwen renmen nou ak tout kè mwen!
Ak lanmou, 
Aubrey

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

Nan Magazen Soulye a (Audio)

Download link for audio:
Click here to download…

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

Eskize m silvouplè, eske n gen soulye a kranpon pou foutbòl?
Excuse me please, do you have cleats for soccer?

Non mesye. Nou pa genyen yo nan magazen an pou lemoman.
No sir. We don't not have them in the store at this time.

Eske w kapab di mwen kibò mwen kapab jwenn youn?
Can you tell me where I may be able to get one?

Nou pa pote yo nan magazen an, men ou kapab achte youn sou kòmand.
We do not carry them in the store, but you can order one?

Ah wi? Si m kòmande yon pè jodi a, konbyen tan sa va pran pou m jwenn li?
Is that right?  If I order a pair today, how long will it take me to receive it?

Sa kapab pran w apeprè de(2) semèn konsa.  Eske ou ta renmen mete yon kòmand?
That may take about two weeks.  Would you like to put an order?

Wi, mwen ta renmen fè sa.
Yes, I'd like to do that.

Dakò. Men yon fòm pou w ranpli.  Ekri enfòmasyon w ladan l.  Konsa, nou va kapab rele w vin chache l lè l vini.   Eske se yon sèl pè ou vle?
Great.  Here's a form to fill out.  Write in your information.  This way, we will be able to call you to pick it up when it gets there. Do you only want one pair?

Non. Mwen ta renmen de(2) pè.
Non. I'd like two pairs.

Nou genyen diferan koulè. Nou genyen mawon, ble, nwa, ak blan.  Ki koulè w ta renmen?
We have different colors.  We have brown, blue, black and white.  What colors would you like?

Ban m yon nwa ak yon mawon.
Let me have a brown and black one.

Eske se pou ou w'ap achte yo?
Are you buying them for yourself?

Non. Se pou pitit gason mwen.
Non.  It's for my son.

Ki gwosè soulye pitit gason w mete?
What size shoe does your son wear?

Li mete soulye # 6½.  Eske se lè m resevwa soulye yo pou m peye w?
He wears size 6½ shoes.  Do I pay you when I receive the shoes?

Non. Se pa konsa sa fèt.  Lè nou fè yon kòmand, kliyan yo dwe peye nou anvan nou egzekite kòmann nan.
No.  That's not how it's done.  When we take an order, the client must pay before we send in the order.

Dakò, se konbyen lajan mwen dwe w?
Ok.  How much money do I owe you?

Te'm wè.  De pè soulye a $67.50 chak.  Sa fè $136*.  Eske ou ta renmen achte yon lòt bagay.
Let me see.  Two pairs of shoes at $67.50 each.  That makes 136 dolllars.  Would you like to buy something else?
*oops! math is wrong.  I blame it on the calculator :)

Non mèsi.  Mwen pa bezwen anyen ankò.

No thanks.  I don't need anything else.

Dakò. Total ou vini  $136.50 santim. Mèsi anpil mesye.  Nou va kontakte ou lè soulye yo vini.
Ok.  Your total comes to $136.50 cents.  Thanks a lot.  We will call you when the shoes get here.

Orevwa madanm.
Goodbye ma'am.

Orevwa mesye. Pase yon bon jounen.  E vizite nou ankò.
Goodbye sir.  Have a nice day. And visit us again.

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

About (approximately, roughly) ... in Creole

apeprè
apeprè .... konsa
... konsa
... e kèk (...and some)
ozanviwon
roughly
approximately
around
about


1. Mwen bezwen apeprè trant moun.
    Mwen bezwen apeprè trant moun konsa.
    Mwen bezwen ozanviwon trant moun.
    Mwen bezwen trant moun konsa.
    I need approximately thirty people.

2.  Li fè dezè konsa.
     Li fè dezè e kèk.
     Li ozanviwon dezè konsa
     It's about two o'clock.

3.  Li te remèt mwen sèt dola e kèk.
     She gave me back  about seven dollars.

4.  Li dwe gen trantan e kèk.
     She must be about thirty years old.

5. Li te rive lakay li a minui e kèk.
    Li te rive lakay li a minui konsa.
    He got home roughly at midnight.


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