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Saturday, August 10, 2013

what is 'yon pa kare'?

It's same idea as "pa fè wonn pòt"

Li pa fè yon pa kare - she didn't go anywhere

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What are words for 'middle school' and 'junior(community, two-year) college'? Also, what are names for 'freshmen', 'sophomore', 'junior', and 'senior'(if any exist) in creole?

middle school - lekòl primè or lekòl elemantè
junior college (community college, two-year college) - kolèj, inivèsite
freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior years will go by premye ane invèsite, dezyèm ane inivèsite, twazyèm ane ..., etc....
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Besides "w'ap konn jòj' and "w'ap gentan konnen'', does this expression ''w'ap konn kawò" mean the same thing as the two above? If not, then what is the meaning of it? Are there other synonymous expressions for all of those?

I am not familiar with the term "W'ap konn kawò."   Could be a regional term.

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Fè e fò ? What does that expression mean?

fè efò (fè zefò, fè jefò) - make an effort, to try

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What are words for 'lipstick', 'lip balm', etc in creole?

lipstick - woujalè, fa
lip glos (lip balm) - briyan, pomad

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Wednesday, August 7, 2013

I woke up this morning constructing sentences in my head in Kreyol. One of them was "Yon vreman gran machin." and "Vreman gran machin nan." What I was wondering is on this last sentence could or should it be "Machin nan vreman gran. Mesi. Jan Rachal

You can pretty much use all three examples in a sentence.  They are all different.
The first two examples aren't complete sentences,but they definitely can be incorporated in a sentence.
The third sentence is complete - correct - and anfòm.

As for the word 'gran', it does translate great, awesome, wonderful, mighty, etc....
You might instead use the word 'bon' for "reliable and great" car; and the word 'gwo' for "big size" car; and 'gran' for a reputable brand of a car for example: "Toyota se gran mak machin."

Dakò, here are your examples:

#1 - "Yon vrèman gran machin...." - "a really great car...."
        Did you mean "Sa se vrèman yon gran machin" - "This is truly a 'great' car"?

#2 - "Vrèman gran machin nan..." - "The truly great car ......"

#3 - "Machin nan vrèman gran." - The car is really 'great'.

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How do you say "that's okay" or "that's fine" in Creole?

That's okay. / That's fine. .
Se oke.
Se dakò.
Se byen.
Anfòm.
Pa gen pàn.
Pa gen pwoblèm.

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Sa m fe m ap peye???

"Sa'm fè m'ap peye?" 
Mande sa ankò.  Se pa yon kesyon ki toujou gen repons.

Dabitid, si yon moun rive nan yon faz kote l dwe mande kesyon sa a, sa vle di moun nan ka ap pase yon moman difisil.  Li ka santi se pini Bondye ap pini l.  Li ka santi se malediksyon k tonbe sou li.  E nan ka pifò Aysisyen, li ka byen panse se yon moun k'al chache fè l ditò kay yon oungan.

Sa'm fè m'ap peye?  Pou ki krim m'ap peye?  Pouki m'ap soufri konsa?  oubyen Poukisa m'ap pase mizè konsa?

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One more thing... Is - kite koze pran pawol - the same as - kite kantik pran priye?

Wi  fwenk! You're right on the money :)
Sa vle di pawòl la boukante katye.  Ou kite yon koze w'al tonbe nan yon lòt.

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poukisa grangou se mizè enpi vant plen se traka?

Wi, se toujou konsa :)
Grangou se mizè, vant plen se traka
kind of like:
Damned if you do, damned if you don't

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Is 'charite' also used as a verb. here's a sentence: "ya charite nou yon moso teren nan zon nan pou nou sa travay fe manje dekwa pou n pa mouri grangu"

Yes.  It means to donate, to assist by giving alms.

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When do you capitalize words in Creole? Do the same rules apply as in English (proper nouns, titles, etc.)?

Yes.  We do not capitalize the first letters of the days of the week or months.

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Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Yon machin tèt chaje? (Audio)

Download link:
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To listen to this audio, click on the PLAY button and follow along :)
 

- Mezanmi bòs! Eskize m deske m anreta jodi a.
  Oh my goodness boss! I am sorry for being late today.

-Sa fè twazyèm fwa nan semèn nan ou vin travay anreta.  Si sa rive ankò, m’ap oblije kite w ale. Konpani an pa kapab pwogrese si travayè yo pa bay sanpousan.
 (Lit: This makes the third time this week you come to work late.) This is the third time you're late to work this week. If this happens again, I'll have to let you go.  The company can't progress if the workers don't give one hundred percent.

-Se pa fòt mwen non, bòs.  Machin mwen te anpàn.  Se apye m vin travay jodi a.
  It's not my fault boss. My car broke down.  (Lit: It is on foot I came to work today) I walked to work today. 

-Chak kon ou vin travay anreta ou ban m menm koze machin anpàn nan. Kijan fè machin ou anpàn chak jou? Se pa machin ou fenk achte mwa pase a?
 Every time you come to work late you give the same story of your car breaking down.  How come your car breaks down everyday?  Isn't it the car you just bought last month?

-Wi se li menm menm.  Trouve ke machin sa a se yon machin tèt chaje.  Chak jou li ban m yon pwoblèm diferan.
  Yes it is indeed that same car.  It so happens that this car is a piece of junk.  Everyday it has a different problem.

-Ki kalite pàn li genyen menm?
 What kind of problems does it have precisely?

-Enben Lotrejou motè a tonbe chofe nan men m.  Anvanyè, se te pàn batri l te genyen.  E maten an, malgre tout mannèv m fè, li pa’t fouti derape. Se chak jou mwen kay mekanisyen.
 Well, the other day it started heating up.  The day before yesterday it had battery trouble.  And this morning, in spite of all the manipulation I did, it couldn't start.  (Lit: It is everyday I am at the mechanic's) I am at the mechanic's every day.

-Nan sitiyasyon sa a, m ta konseye w si machin nan sou garanti toujou,  pote machin nan tounen kote w t’achte l la.  Fè yo remèt ou lajan w – enpi achte youn ki pi bon.  Paske si sa ap kontinye konsa ou sanlè pèdi dyòb ou – e m pa ta vle sa fèt.
In this situation I would advise you, if the car still has a warranty, to bring the car back where you had bought it.  Have them give you your money back - and then buy a better one.  For if this continues you're on the brink of losing your job.  And I wouldn't want this to happen.

-Dakò se sa m’ap fè.    Petèt m’a kabap boukante l enpi achte yon lòt. 
 Agree, that's what I'll do. Maybe I'll be able to exchange it and buy another one.

- Tanpri fè sa san pèdi tan.
   Please, do this right away

-Men annatandan, bòs, eske ou konnen yon moun ki ka ban m woulib pou vin travay  rès semèn sa a?
  But in the mean time, boss, do you know someone that can give me a ride in order to come to work the rest of the week?

-Madanm, m’ap okipe zafè travay ou, mwen pa ka okipe zafè transpòtasyon w tou. Pifò anplwaye nan konpani an pa gen machin.  Genyen ki vin travay apye, genyen ki vin travay nan bis – men yo pa janm anreta.  Alò chache degaje w pou tèt pa w.
 Man'm, I'm taking care of your job situation, I can't take care of your transportation too. Most employees in the company don't have a car.  Some come to work on foot, some come to work by bus. but they're never late.  So try to manage on your own.

-Dakò bòs mwen konprann.  Mwen va la demen maten bonè bonè.
  Yes boss I understand.  I will be here tomorrow very early.

-M pa bezwen w vin bonè non, mwen senpleman bezwen w vin alè.
 I don't need you to come earl , I simply need you to come on time.


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rès?

rès - remainder, the rest of, what's leftover, leftover

I'll stay at home during the remainder of the week
M'a rete lakay pandan rès semèn nan.

Do you the leftovers?
Ou vle rès yo?
Eske ou vle rès ki rete yo?

Do you want the leftover food?
Eske ou vle rès manje yo?

Is this all that remains?
Eske sa se tout rès la?
Eske se tout sa ki rete?



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annatandan (an atandan)

annatandan - meanwhile, in the mean time, until

An nou chita annatandan tou pa n rive.
Let's sit down until our turn has come.



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