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Sunday, March 24, 2013

Machande nan Mache → Haggling at the Market (AUDIO)

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Madanm… Eske w gen anana pou vann?
Ma’am… Do you have pineapples for sale?

Wi mesye.   Mwen gen twa sèlman ki rete.
Yes I do.  I only have three left.

Dakò.  Vann mwen YOUN!
Great.  Let me have ONE!

O non!… se touletwa m’ap vann ansanm.  M p’ap ka degrennen yo.
No… I am selling all three together.  I won’t separate them.

O…Konbyen w mande pou twa yo?
Oh… How much do you ask for the three?

Sèt dola.
Seven dollars.

Eske w ka bay yo pou twa dola senkant?
Can you give them for three dollars fifty?

O! ou debòde monchè!  Pou w ta panse pou m ta ba w zannana yo pou mwatye pri mwen mande w la? Non, non, non!  m pa sa fè sa.
You must be insane!  To think that I would give you the pineapples for half the price that I asked for.  No no no,  I can’t do that.

Enben, m’a ba w $4.00 pou yo.
Well, I’ll give you $4.00 for them.

Non mesye, mwen p’ap desann pri a.
No sir,  I won’t reduce the price.

E si m ajoute senkant kòb sou li.  …..Eske w’ap bay li pou kat dola senkant santim?
How about if I add 50 cents to it…..  Will you give it for $4.50 cents?

O o! mwen regrèt sa mesye.  Mwen p’ap vann zannana yo pou pi piti pase sèt dola.
Sorry sir. I won’t sell the pineapples for less than $7.00

Madanm! Mwen vrèman bezwen moso anana pou m pote lakay.  Eske w ta vann yo pou senk dola.?
Ma’am! I truly need to bring some pineapple home.  Would you sell them for $5.00?

Zannana yo twa pou sèt dola, ... san wete san mete.  M p’ap chanje lide’m.
The pineapples are 3 for $7, ...no more no less.  I won’t change my mind.

Bèl ti cheri a! Li gentan fin ta.  Mache a pral fèmen toutalè.  Dayè, Jan m wè anana sa yo la a, y’ap fin pouri nan men w si ou pa vann yo jodi a.  Lèkonsa, se jete ou pral oblije jete yo.
Beautiful darling! It’s already getting late.  The market will close soon.  In fact, from the looks of it, these pineapples will become rotten if you don’t sell them today.  Then you’ll have to throw them away.

Enben, si m pa vann yo, m’a manje yo ak fanmi mwen.  E si fanmi m pa vle yo, m ka toujou lonje yo bay mandyan yo nan lari a.  Men mwen p’ap ba ou yo pou senk dola.
Well, if I don’t sell them, I’ll eat them with my family.  And If my family don’t want them, I could always hand them to beggars in the street.  But I won’t give them to you for $5.00


Enben Makòmè, senk dola senkant! Dènye òf!  Se tout sa m genyen.
Well my comrade, $5.50!  Last offer!  That’s all I have.

Monkonpè, ban m si dola pou yo, enpi ou mèt pran yo!
My comrade, you give me six dollars and you may have them!

Dakò…. Mèsi anpil.  Mwen apresye sa.    Men lajan ou.  …. Mete yo nan yon sache pou mwen silvouplè.
Agree… Thanks a lot.  I appreciate this.  Here’s your money….  Put them in a bag for me please.

Men wi!... Men zannana ou yo.  Pase yon bon jounen mesye.
Of course!  Here are your pineapples.    Have a great day sir.

Kout chapo madanm!
Hats off ma’am!

Track ANANA by Issa El Saieh

Anana sila bon pou manje!
This pineapple is good to eat!
Se paske li bèl, li gwo, li lou, e li peze
That’s because it looks good, it’s heavy, and it has weight
Men pratik, di mwen, konbyen w mande?
But my clientele, tell me how much do you ask?
Li mèt nenpòt pri, cheri, ou konnen m’ape peye
Whatever the price, honey, you know I’ll pay.
O ala yon bèl anana! (bis)
Oh what beautiful pineapple!
Se paske li bèl, li gwo, li lou, e li peze
That’s because it’s beautiful, it’s heavy, and it has weight
Ban m moso pou m pot lakay
Give me some to bring home
Li mèt pouri, li mèt gate
Whether it’s rotten or spoiled
Ban m moso pou m pot lakay!
Give me some to bring home!
Li mèt pouri, li mèt pa bon
Whether it’s rotten or not good
Ban m moso pou m pot lakay!
Give me some to bring home!

Anana sila bon pou manje!
This pineapple is good to eat!
Se paske li bèl, li gwo, li lou, e li peze.
That’s because it looks good, it’s heavy, and it has weight.
Men madanm, di mwen, konbyen w mande?
But lady, tell me how much do you ask?
Li mèt nenpòt pri, cheri, ou konnen m’ape peye.
Whatever the price, honey, you know I’ll pay.
O ala yon bèl anana! (bis)
Oh what beautiful pineapple!
Se paske li bèl, li gwo, li lou, e li peze.
That’s because it’s beautiful, it’s heavy, and it has weight.
Ban m moso pou m pot lakay.
Give me some to bring home.
Li mèt pouri, li mèt gate
Whether it’s rotten or spoiled
Ban m moso pou m pot lakay!
Give me some to bring home!
Li mèt pa bon, li mèt pa bon
Whether it’s good or not
Ban m moso pou m pot lakay!
Give me some to bring home!

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Saturday, March 23, 2013

May I ask you dear what you will be using in place of Formspring?

I'll be using Breezi.  I have an active acct. with them.

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

What are some words for 'schedule'(nouns and verbs)? "I'll check my schedule to see if I`m not busy this weekend." or "The schedule allows three weeks for this stage." or "The next elections are scheduled on the 20th of November."

to schedule → pwojte, pwograme, planifye, mete alorè
a schedule → yon orè, yon pwogram

"I'll check my schedule to see if I`m not busy this weekend."
"M'ava tcheke orè m pou wè si m pa okipe wikenn sa a."

"The next elections are scheduled on the 20th of November."
"Pwochen eleksyon yo pwojte pou ven novanm."

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Friday, March 22, 2013

What are words for 'bookworm'? "In my room I have so many books on the shelf, on the floor, and even on my bed. I love to read; so I am a true bookworm."

bookworm → ti rat bbliyotèk, lektè pasyonen, yon moun ki renmen li, yon moun ki kenbe tèt li nan liv li

"I love to read; so I am a true bookworm." 
"Mwen renmen li, donk mwen se yon lektè pasyone."

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

Madanm Mandaly, What is the Kreyol equivalent to the French "comme si comme sa" (so so)? I am not sure if my French is correct, but I think you know what I am saying. Such as in French "au contraire" to Kreyol "okontre". In Spanish it is "asi asi"

A Haitian Creole equivalent to "comme ci comme ça" is konsa konsa.
In Haitian Creole, it would mean so so, not too bad, or ... mediocre

Examples:
We can use "konsa konsa" to say "not too good, not too bad" or "just average"
1.
-Kisa ou panse osijè fim ou sot wè a? (what do you think of the movie you just saw?)
-M pa't tèlman renmen l.  M panse li te konsa konsa. (I didn't like it much.  I thought it was so so.)


2. 
Kijan ou ye? (How are you?)
Ou konnen... tout bagay ap mache konsa konsa. (Yo know ....everything is  going so so)


"yon gason / fanm konsa konsa" might mean "a poor, insignificant, not important person"
3.
Pa pèdi tan w avèk medam sa yo.  Yo renmen lajan.  Yo p'ap marye ak nenpòt gason konsa konsa non.
Don't waste time with those girls.  They love money.  They will not marry just any guy.


"yon fanm konsa konsa" might mean "an easy, lower class, sleazy woman:
4.
Misye te panse m te yon fanm konsa konsa.
He thought I was an easy woman.



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Hello Mandaly, I just found that Formspring is shutting down. The last day to post questions is March 31. Will this have a huge effect on your website? How will we post questions when Formspring shuts down?

Yes, they are shutting down. They had a good run, and were very helpful to me :-(
You will still be able to ask questions with a similar set-up... at the same spot on the blog.
I'll make the switch from Formspring during the last days of March.  I'm hanging on with them until their last breath.... Sigh!
RIP Formspring.

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

In CreoleLingo - "ansyen" is listed with the definition of "old" and "ancient" can it also mean "former" or "previous"?

Yes, definitely.
It can translate former, previous, ex
as in
1.
ansyen mennaj mwen
my ex-boyfriend
my ex-girlfriend

ansyen madanm
ex-wife

ansyen mari
ansye mouche
ex-husband, ex-partner

2.
ansyen prezidan Bill Clinton
former president Bill Clinton

3.
Ansyen prezidan René Préval ap vizite lekòl la jodi a.
Former president René Préval will visit the school today.

4.
Mwen renmen nouvo òdinatè yo fèk enstale nan lab la.  Ki sa yo fè ak ansyen yo?
I like the new computers they just installed in the lab.  What did they do with the previous ones?

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Si ou ta fè konesans yon granmoun ki pa konn pale franse. Eske sa fe yon diferans siw tutoyer oubyen voudoyer li piske li pa konprann sa w'ap di l la?

W'ap fè m grate tèt mwen :)
Ki kalite kesyon ranje sa a :) M sipoze si granmoun nan Ayiti se Kreyòl w'ap pale avè l. Li pa posib pou ni titwaye ni voudwaye an Kreyòl. Sa pa egziste nan lang nou an.

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

'Live today as if it was your last' or 'live each day like your last' in Creole. mesi

Live today as if it was your last.
Viv jodi a kou dènye jou w.
or
Viv jodi a konmsi se te dènye jou w.

Live each day like your last.
Viv chak jou kou dènye jou w.
or
Viv chak jou konmsi se te dènye jou w.

Live each day to the fullest.
Viv chak jou nan plen bòl.
Viv chak jou ak bòl ou byen plen.
Viv chak jou w abondamman

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

Mak 15:3 Chèf prèt yo te depoze anpil plent sou do li. Please translate into English, then can you add explanation for 'plent' ? (Kamsa hamnida)

plent → complaint, accusations, grievance

'Chèf prèt yo te depoze anpil plent sou do li.'
'The chief priests had brought many accusations against him.'
'The chief priests had accused him of many things.'

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Do you use "souri" for "smirking", or something else?

to smirk ri nan bab, ri nan manton, fè yon ti souri bèt

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

"...Apre se te tou pa mwen pou m pale." Does TOU PA MWEN make sense?

Yes.

apre | se te   |  tou |  pa mwen |  pou |  m   | pale
after  | it was   | turn | mine           | for    | me   | speak
afterwards it was my turn to speak.

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

"an ran" and "sou ran", which best to use here? as in 'They lined the streets to watch ......'

anran ( an ran) oubyen sou ran kapab bon.
egzanp:
Moun mete yo sou ran nan lari a pou ap gade .....

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

I'd love a translation with audio of IICor 13:34, NIV 84 "May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all."

I'm not sure it's verse "34". It might be verse "13".

Download link: Click here to download…

 

First two verse repetitions comes from this translation:
2 korent 13 vèsè 13 - Se pou benediksyon Senyè Jezikri a, ak lanmou Bondye genyen pou nou an, ansanm ak fratènite Sentespri a toujou la avèk nou.

The "three" repittitions that come afterwards is from the new 1999 Creole edition of the bible:
2 korent 13 vèsè 13 - Se pou benediksyon Senyè Jezikri ban nou an, ak renmen Bondye gen pou nou an, ansanm ak pouvwa Sentespri k'ap fè nou viv ansanm lan toujou la ak nou tout.

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Wednesday, March 20, 2013

What are words for 'jinx'(nouns and verbs)? "..... ." and "He is trying to jinx me so I can't succeed."

a jinx → yon giyon, yon pichon, yon madichon
to jinx → mete bouch sou, limen bouji dèyè, mare

1.
"He is trying to jinx me so I can't succeed."
"L'ap mare m dekwa pou m pa reyisi."

2.
It's raining cats and dogs.  The guests can't make it to the nuptials.  This wedding must have been jinxed.
Lapli a ap fè raj deyò a.  Envite yo p'ap ka vini nan seremoni maryaj la. Yo dwe te limen bouji dèyè nòs la.  

3.  
The team scored a goal at the soccer championship match, breaking the jinx against the country.
Ekip la te fè yon gòl nan konpetisyon chanpyona foutbòl la, yo te retire giyon ki te sou tèt peyi a.


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