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Wednesday, May 15, 2013

"Mwen pa lanmè, m pa sere kras"?

Yes, the ocean does not keep "stuff".  Eventually it brings debris to shore.

Mwen pa lanmè, m pa sere kras.
Someone who says this is actually saying:
"I am very upfront"
"I  don't keep things to myself.  I tell it like it is."

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Lang pa gen zo - Tongues have no bones. Kisa sa vle di?

My great aunt used to say:
Lang ou pa gen zo.  Li pa rèd.  Ou kapab donte'l.
You tongue has no bones.  It's not stiff.  You can tame it.

Some other people take it to mean that You can communicate your needs with ease, since "your tongue has no bones"


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Tuesday, May 14, 2013

what's the dmv called in haiti?

Service de la circulation et de la Police Routière
Phone 1 :  +509-2942-0130
Phone 2 :  +509-2942-0140

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Question: Kisa vle di mo sa yo: 1. Sendenden 2. Farine 3. Enpridans 4. Lèzo 5. Afese 6. Chèdepoul 7. Meprize li 8. Mayas 9. Remontrans Mèsi :)

1. Sendenden → worthless, despicable, good-for-nothing person
    
    a.  Bann mou fou!  Bann sendenden!
         Bunch of crazies!  Bunch of worthless pricks!

     b.  Mwen p'ap elve fanm pou bay sendenden marye non. (That's my dad talking :)
          I will not groom daughters so that they can be married to pricks.


2. Farine (or farinen) → to drizzle
    
     a. Lapli a ap farine deyò a.
         It's a drizzling rain outside.


3. Enpridans → carelessness, negligence
    
     a. Se enpridans ou ki lakòz ou pèdi lajan an.
         You lost the money because of your negligence


4. Lèzo (Is it KASE LÈZO??)
    Kase lèzo → water breaks (when ready to have a baby)

    a. Madanm nan kase lèzo.  Delivrans li pa lwen.
        Her water broke.  Her deliverance is not far.


5. Afese → depressed, chagrined, sad
    
   a. Poukisa ou afese konsa?
       Why are so sad?


 6. Chèdepoul → goosebumps
     
      a. Fim nan ban m chèdepoul.
          The movie gave me goosebumps.

       b. Pandan fanm nan t'ap pale a, chèdepoul leve sou po m.
           While the woman was talking, I had goosebumps.


 7. Meprize li → to ignore, to look down on, to not give someone attention


 8. Mayas (probably from English "my ass") → it's a very bad shoe smell (in Haitian Creole)
     
     Soulye w santi mayas.
     Your shoe has a bad smell.
     or
     Your shoe smells.


9. Remontrans → critique, reprimand

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how do you say in h.creole "you know that your one year anniversary with my cousin was on Monday, im so happy for you and her and I hope there are many more anniversaries to come in the future". thank you :) and the cousin is a girl

Thanks for letting me know that the cousin is female.  That was important.

Ou konnen premye anivèsè w ak kouzin mwen se te lendi. Mwen kontan anpil pou ou avèk li, e m'espere nou va genyen plizyè lòt anivèsè ankò alavni.

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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


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

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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