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Tuesday, April 30, 2013

I will teach you a lesson ( when you threat someone)

There are many ways to say this:
as a threat.....with the intention of getting at someone (in revenge)...
W'a gentan konnen.
M'ap fè w konn sa'm peze.
M'ap montre w sa'm peze.
M'ap regle avè'w.

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

This makes no sense to me 'piti piti plen kay' meaning 'limyè'. Poukisa se limyè?

Wi, piti piti plen kay te ka nenpòt bagay, men depi lè m te ti kakat, m'ap tire kont - se repons sa a yo toujou bay.  Tout jenerasyon Ayisyen ki te vin anvan m yo, se repons sa a ki te sifizan pou yo.
Pou mwen menm, li vle di limyè piti, se vre, men li kapab ranpli yon gwo kay.

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Thanks fo adding that expression twalet deba in previous post; "KISA VLE DI FE TWALET EGZAKTEMAN"; I saw this expression in a book "...Tout plezi foutbol se nan fe gol, pa vre? Fe twaletdeba gadyen an." I'm sure it's not said literally, but your explanation gives me a clear picture. I would have not found this a dictionary :)

Great.... a clever way to say that the goalie was beaten.

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What's the best way to translate MOST as in -Most people in that building died-.

most pifò, twaka
most of the timeleplisouvan

1.  Pifò moun nan bilding nan te mouri.
     Most people in the building died.

2. Twaka machin ki te fèt nan Etazini se Ford yo ye.
     Pifò nan machin ki fèt Ozetazini se Ford you ye.
     Most the cars built in the USA are Fords.

3. Leplisouvan mwen pa menm konnen kote manje demen m ap soti.
    Most of the time I don't even know where my next meal will come from.

4.  M konnen pifò nan nou p'ap tounen ane pwochèn.
     I know most of you will not come back next year.

5. Pifò moun Ayiti pa gen twalèt ijyenik.
    Most people in Haiti do not have flushing toilets.

6.   Pifò moun ki te nan reyinyon se te rezidan katye a.
      Most of the people in the meeting were residents of the neighborhood.
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When people say 'pa respe figi w', does that excuse them so they can say a bad word? Doesn't that mean that 'out of respect for you' i'll tone down what I heard... or something like that? Which means that you can't repeat a bad word after you use this expression, right? mesi davans!

Do you mean: pa respè figi w, orespè figi w, orespè?
If yes, then people say that to warn you that something vulgar is coming.
For example:
Lè'm te pale avè l, li te di'm, orespè figi w, pe dyòl mwen.
When I spoke to him, he told me to, pardon the vulgarity, shut up.

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Can you say 'mwe gen krentif' instead 'mwen pè'?

Wi ou kapab. Dapre wout konvèsasyon w vle pran, gen plizyè fason ou kapab di sa.

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Eske gen yon mo kryeol pou viagra? mwen vle esplike ayisyen kisa li ye?

Viagra se Viagra.  Se non medikaman an, non?
Ou kapab di yo ke Viagra se yon remontan ki fè gason kanpe kin.  Men m pa gen yon tradiksyon Kreyòl pou medikaman sila a.

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Monday, April 29, 2013

How do you say "knuckles" in Creole? Also "Fist"?

knucklesjwenti dwèt
fist → pwen sere
to punch s.o. → bay kout pwen
a punch (a hit) → yon kout pwen

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Did I say it grammatically correct?

"Did I say it grammatically correct?"
"Eske gramè a bon?"
"Eske gramè a kòrèk?"
"Eske gramè m bon?"

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"Mwen menm m pral(e) dejene nan otel la nan Potoprens avek ou mwen menm". Poukisa se"mwen menm" repete nan fen fraz la anko? Mesi anpil.

Some people do talk like that as a way to emphasize "as for me".  But the sentence is better written with just one "mwen menm".
"Mwen menm m pral(e) dejene nan otel la nan Potoprens avek ou mwen menm". 
"As for me I'll go have breakfast in the hotel with you."

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Is there an idiom for "Treat others the way you want to be treated"?

The Haitian Creole version (also an idiom) says:
"Sa ou pa vle pou ou, ou pa dwe vle li pou lòt."
"Sa w pa vle pou ou, ou pa dwe vle l pou lòt."
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Sunday, April 28, 2013

I am leading a mission team to Haiti (this will be our 3rd trip). I would love for the team to try to learn a Christian song in Creole. I have tried to find a song with both English and Creole Lyrics AND with something to listen to in Creole with no luck. Do you have any suggestions? Thank you. Melissa

Youtube is the best place to look for that.  I guess knowing the title of these songs in Creole would help too :).  Here is a link to a few of them.  Some of them may have the Creole lyrics (written on the screen) too.  I hope that helps.

http://youtu.be/PzIiP73gwwI (I know he lives)
http://youtu.be/i80AtzGLN60 (He hiddeth my soul)
http://youtu.be/IxTD7jsisHQ (Holy is the Lord)
http://youtu.be/679D_wlb7OE (You are Alpha and Omega)
http://youtu.be/pn_UouVt-Yw (Lord Reign in me)
http://youtu.be/I4ibbKW4L6k (Open the eyes of my heart)
http://youtu.be/FtDPPXxS_O8 (He is able)
http://youtu.be/HSF2HNoAF2o (I am a friend of God)
http://youtu.be/zFYLhVHPD9M (Priye ak lafwa, rete tann Pray with faith and wait)  a beautiful song that touched me :)
http://youtu.be/TbkrNFHRer8
http://youtu.be/8Ao0BtefaVU
http://youtu.be/6gvfS4pbRQk (You are my all and all)
http://youtu.be/cW5kE8Fsyw8 (you are my all and all)
http://youtu.be/bV4CWjBukAg (I stand before your throne to worship you)

http://youtu.be/GHswD_OBwxw (How great thou art)  Even though this one is in French, we do have the Creole version in the French-Creole songbook.

http://youtu.be/Nyqb2JcjTE8 (I'm not alone)
http://youtu.be/mocyuukq92A
http://youtu.be/nEuBQfIsfxk (I want o know you more)
http://youtu.be/X1E4Lia03R8 (Here I am to worship)
http://youtu.be/6gvfS4pbRQk (God has blotted them out)
http://youtu.be/IdMqRXdgfDY (Wòch la woule)
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Is there another way to say 'half way' other than MWATY CHEMEN as in you're half way there. thanks

half way mwatye wout, mitan chemen

"Ou mwatye rive."
"Ou nan mwatye wout."

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How would you translate "Grace House" for the name of a child care home? Lakay Gras? Kay de Gras? Other ideas?

I like Kay de Gras and Lakay Gras
which opens possibilities for:
Mezon de Gras
Mezon Lagras
Kay Lagras

and there are other synonyms for "kay": Fwaye, Rezidans, or Plas
Fwaye Lagras
Rezidans Lagras
Plas Lagras

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I am pasting this sentence here: "Louvri fèy zòrèy nou pou n manyè tande lè m ap pale." What is "fey" and "manye" here. I do know both words, but don't understand them here.

fèy (leaf) means flap here.
manyèat least see the link for "manyè"

Louvri fèy zòrèy nou pou n manyè tande lè m ap pale
Open the flap of your ears so that you may at least hear me when I speak.

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