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Tuesday, May 14, 2013

M gen de kesyon. Dabò, ki jan ou ta tradwi 'anyen' nan fraz sa a: 'Ou pa itil zetwal yo anyen? Li vle di 'at all' oubyen 'for nothing'? Tou, èske fraz 'pawòl pwezi' gen siyifikasyon espesyal, oubyen li sèman vle di 'poetic words'? Mèsi

I would just just translate it as a "negation"... no use, nothing, or not ...anything
But we can also say... use for nothing

Ou pa itil zetwal yo anyen.
You are of no use to the stars.
The stars can use you for nothing.

Ou pa itil mwen anyen.
You are of no use to me.
I cannot use you for anything

Poukisa w te achte machin ize sa a?  Li toujou anpàn.  Li pa itil nou anyen.
Why did you give buy this used car?  It's always broken down. It's of no use to us.

Why did you give buy this used car?  It's always broken down. It's good for nothing.

I agree with you, pawòl pwezi sounds like "poetic words", "beautiful words"


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Monday, May 13, 2013

I'm thinking about the construction "ka pa," as in "Yo ka pa wè sa." I understand this to mean "They might not see that." Does that sound right? What I'm really wondering is how this same construction would be translated in the song that says, "Yo kapab pa janm tonbe, delivrans yo asire." Would this be "They are able to not ever fall," instead of "They might not ever fall?" Thanks again for all the help!

"Yo ka pa wè sa." (or Yo te ka pa wè sa.)
"They might not see that."
That sounds right.

"Yo kapab pa janm tonbe, delivrans yo asire."
Your second translation captures it "They might not ever fall, their salvation is certain."

Putting it into context from the Creole song......
People who put in Jesus an immeasurable trust
They might not ever fall, their salvation is certain

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"N'ap palé yon lot leu"

N'ap pale yon lòt lè.
or
N'a pale yon lòt lè.
We'll talk another time.

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In writing with contractions, would it be correct to write: "Kounye a w' konnen." Or is it more native-sounding to leave it as "Kounye a ou konnen" without the abbreviation? Mesi ANPIL!

You may write it as: Kounye a  w' konnen. It's correct.
Others will also write it this way too:
Kounyeya w konnen
Kounya w konnen

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Can you please post the lyrics for "Here I am to worship" in Haitian Creole? Thank you so much!


I like the lyrics from this group of young people better than the other ones you'll find on youtube.


Limyè monn nan
Ou te vini nan fè nwa
Louvri je mwen pou’n ka wè
Bondye limyè,  kè'm adore ou
Espwa lavi bò kote m

Mwen vin adore ou
Mwen vin met ajenou
Mwen vin di w ke se ou ki bondye
Ou Merite tout lanmou
Ou merite tout glwa
Ou vrèman mèvèye nan lavi m

Wa pou tout tan m’ape leve ou byen wo
Glwa ou ranpli tout syèl la
Ou te desann sou latè
Pou w te kreye tout bagay gras ak lanmou

M’pat janm konnen konbyen l koute
Lè m wè peche m yo sou lakwa
M’pat janm konnen konbyen l koute
Lè m wè peche m yo sou lakwa

Here's another youtube post with same lyrics as above:

_________________________________
And here's another youtube post with slightly different lyrics.


Their lyrics:

Limyè monn nan
Ou desann nan fè nwa
Louvri je nou pou’n ka wè
Tout sa ki fè kè mwen adore ou
Esperans mwen se nan ou

Mwen vin adore ou
Mwen vin met ajenou
Mwen vin di ke se ou ki bondye
Ou Merite tout lanmou
Ou merite tout glwa
Ou vrèman mèvèye nan lavi m

Wa pou tout tan ki pi wo tout bagay
Zanj adore’w nan syèl la
Piti ou vin sou latè kreye
Pou lanmou ou vini pwòp

M’pat janm konnen konbyen l koute
Pou m wè peche m sou bwa kalvè
M’pat janm konnen konbyen l koute


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Is the HC word for copper "kob kwiv mete", or is there a shorter form of the word copper? I have looked in my HC dictionary, but cannot find it. Mesi.

Yes, the HC word for copper is kuiv

kòb kuiv means copper money (...probably a penny)
and the Haitian Creole word for a penny is senk kòb penich)

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What does de twa mean?

de twa (detwa, dezoutwa, dezotwa) two or three, a few

1. Te gen sèlman detwa moun nan reyinyon an.
     There only a two or three people at the meeting.

2.  Mwen ge detwa bisiklèt lakay la.  M'ap fè kado youn.
     I have some bikes at home.  I'm giving one away.

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Is there a particular reason why Haitian people repeat everything you say to them? Is it because they want to make sure they understand what you're saying?

I don't think every Haitian does that.
Perhaps, like you said, if they're talking to a foreigner they might want to make sure they understand what's said.
I sometimes do that with foreigners.  If one word in their sentence is wrong, I repeat what they say to correct them... with a smile :)

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what does it mean to fe enteresant and to be enteresant, please give a lot of examples

Dakò

Fè enteresant (enteresant, here, is different from the Creole enteresan which means interesting, fun)

Fè enteresant → to show off, to parade, to attract attention

1.  Fanm nan mete yon bèl rad,  enpi li tonbe fè enteresant pou tout moun ka wè l.
     The woman wore a beautiful dress, and she started strutting her stuff so that everyone would see her.

2. Poukisa w'ap fè tout enteresant sa yo?
    Why all this capriciousness?

3. Fanm sa sanble toujou damou ak mari l, paske depi li wè mari l li pran fè enteresant.
    This woman must still be in love with her ex-husband because whenever she sees him she acts capriciously.

4. Pa okipe l, enteresant ki nan kò'l.
    Don't mind her, she's just showing off.


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Sunday, May 12, 2013

Ki jan ou ta tradui an Kreyòl fraz sa yo: 1. An ear of corn 2. The bird was singing and chirping until its heart content. 3. Dying of hunger Epi tou ki sa vle di de mo sa yo: 1. efrayik 2. aleya Mèsi

1. An ear of corn
yon zepi mayi

2. The bird was singing and chirping until its heart content.
Zwazo a t'ap chante kont chante l.

3. Dying of hunger
mouri grangou

Epi tou ki sa vle di de mo sa yo:
1. efrayik
awesome,sensational

update
2. aleya lavi a
hazard / perils /risks of life

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Bonjou Mandaly! Anvan m ekri kesyon mwen an m' ap vle pran yon ti moman pou m di w yon lòt fwa ke mwen apresye byen apresye tout asistans ou lan. Kreyòl mwen ap avanse avanse byen vit paske w pran tan ou pou w ede m. M konnen m te poze w kesyon kesyon men w bay respons pou tout yo. Mèsi mèsi anpil anpil! M' ap swete lewikenn ap pase byen bon!

Dakò :)  mèsi anpil.
Mwen toujou byen anmize m nan wikenn yo.  M pran plezi m nètalkole :)  Se sa'm bliye m pa fè :)

W'a pase yon bon fen wikenn.
Kenbe la.

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'Nou kwè verite sa yo evidan nan fodalnatal yo...' fondalnatal?

Wi, fondalnatal → constitutional, fundamental, genuine, native, essential, ...

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Saturday, May 11, 2013

Èske w te ka di mwen ki sa vle di mo sa yo...

 1. devègwòn (from French "vergogne") unscrupulous, shameless, dishonest 

2. monte desann (use as verb or noun) labor the ups and down, hustling and bustling, be very busy with activities
    a. Depi maten m'ap monte desann nan lari a, men m pa regle anyen ditou.
        I've being very busy since this morning, but I haven't done anything really.

    b.  Mezanmi o! Se pa ti monte desann mwen te fè non, anvan magazen an resi ranbouse m lajan m. 
         Mezanmi!  It's not little labor I had to do for the store to finally refund me my money.
         Geez, I had to jump through hoops before the store finally refunded me my money.

3. Tonnè! (literally "thunder") (or Tonnè boule, Tonnè kraze, Tonnè krizous, Tonnè krizbòt, Fout tonnè!) → "swear cuss word"
    example:
     Tonnè boule m, m'ap regle avè w pou sa.
      I swear, I'll get back at you for that.

4. fè dibyen or fè byen  (French "faire du bien") →to do good deeds
    example:
     Misye se te yon nèg ki te fè anpil dibyen.
     He was a good man who did a lot of goods.

5. fè dimal or fè mal (French "faire du mal")  → to do s.o. wrong

6. deng (dengonn, dengòt) → ass
     Example  
     Si w rate yon peman machin, kreditè pral kole nan deng ou, yo pa'p ba w souf non.
    If you miss a car payment, creditors will be right up your buttock, they won't let you breathe.

7. dengòt (same as deng)

8. bwachat (ale bwachat) → to die
    Example:
    L'al bwachat.
    She died.

9. blofè n. → liar, deceiver
    blòf n. → lie, deception
    blofe, bay blòf → to deceive, to lie
    Example:
   Pa kwè anyen li di w.  S'on blofè li ye.
   Don't believe anything he says to you.  He's a liar.

10. granpanpan → snobbish, pompous, showimg off
      Example:
     Li pa menm gen lajan enpi l'ap fè granpanpan.
     He doesn't even have money, and he's being pretentious.

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'Lè w'al lakay avèg, fèmen je w'. Does this mean 'when in Rome do as the Romans do?


Anjeneral, se sa wi.  Sa vle di pou w adapte ak lantouray ou.


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Mandaly, is one able to say both "M ta renmen sa (for that)". and "M ta renmen sa a (for this)"? And also,in affected speech, can you tell the difference between "sa" and "sa a" in these two sentences? Mesi anpil.


Yes in these sentences, I can tell the difference.

"M ta renmen sa."
"I would like that."

"M ta renmen sa a'
"I would like this one ( or that one).


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