Kisa vle di 'bese-leve'? Devinèt: Nan bese-leve, do m ap pliye. Respons: kafe

bese-leve → (lit. to lower/to bend-to get up) activities, labor, chores, housework

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

Si m' te konnen toujou dèyè. Is this like the English saying 'only the past has 20/20 vision'?

I am not too familiar with this English saying.
This expression is about regret.  It says something like "regret always comes after the fact"
Literally it says --"If I knew" is always after the fact--

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

Bonjou! Kisa vle di 'mare lalo'? E èske w te ka tradwi fraz sa a pou mwen: 'Se yon ekritasyon kote chak mo chak silab ape chase kraze ansanm nan yon lese frape yon kont lòt, youn sou lòt k' ape rebondi nan yon dodinay lòmsanzo'? Kòm toujou, granmèsi!

mare lalo → (voodoo term) to get magical power or capability (from a voodoo entity) in order make things work in your favor.

The next sentence is a metaphor:
"Se yon ekritasyon kote chak mo chak silab ap chase (chache?) kraze ansanm nan yon lese frape youn kont lòt, youn sou lòt k'ape rebondi nan yon dodinay lòmsanzo"

I think it means "It's a writing where the words flow well together" or it can be the opposite.

If you read that sentence literally, it would say:
"It's a writing where each word each syllable is looking to collide together (bump / slam into each other) by pushing and shoving against one another, one on top of the other they're bouncing in a flexible swinging motion"

Please ell me what your take is on the literal meaning of that sentence :)

dodinay → rocking, swinging (as with a rocking chair)
lese frape → pushing and shoving
lòmsanzo →(lit. man without bones) very flexible or malleable

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

What are words for 'to numb'(physically and emotionally/mentally)? "Use ice to numb the pain" or " The dentist gave me novocaine to numb my tooth before drilling, thank goodness." and "Being in an abusive romantic relationship for a long time has numbed her." or "The great pain that John has been in has numbed his friend, Peter."

numb (like anesthetized) → angoudi
numb (indifferent) → ensansib, endiferan, detache

1. My foot's asleep.
    M santi pye m angoudi.

2.  Use ice to numb the pain.
      Itilize glas pou diminye doulè a.
    
3. "Being in an abusive romantic relationship  for a long time has numbed her."
     "Tout tan li te pase nan relasyon abizan an te rann li endiferan."

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

Can you help me with the phrasing of this one?"Please know that we would love nothing more than to stay in contact with you over the years." I'm at: Tanpri konnen kou nou ta renmen anpil pou kominke avè'w [over the years] So far...

You're almost there :)

"Tanpri konnen ke nou ta renmen anpil pou kominike avè'w nan ane k'ap vini yo."
or
"Tanpri, konnen ke nanpwen anyen nou ta pi renmen pase rete an kontak avèk ou nan ane k'ap vini yo."
or
"Tanpri, konnen ke tout dezi nou se pou n rete an kontak avèk ou nan ane k'ap vini yo."



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

Lanmou fe m pedi larezon

Lanmou fè'w pèdi larezon?
Se pa sa sèlman l'ap fè w pèdi non?
Si w pa pran tèt ou, l'ap fè w pèdi ni sak ni krab.*
Avanse ak tèt klè ....tanpri.  Bòn chans.


*pedi ni sak ni krab - lose  both the sack and the crab, literally

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

"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."

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

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"


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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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"

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

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

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

"N'ap palé yon lot leu"

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

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

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

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