koman ou di commitment an creol silvouple?

commitment - angajman, responsablite

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

I have recently returned from a 3 week stay in south Louisiana. I was greatly disappointed in…

"I have recently returned from a 3 week stay in south Louisiana.  I was greatly
disappointed in
the way Creole is being lost in Louisiana.  I was told that many of the Creole
speakers from there were relocated to other areas, so this accounts for the
depletion of Creole speakers in Louisiana.

I found out through experience that one may speak
Haitian Creole (HC) to a Louisiana Creole (LC) speaker and be understood, and
vice versa.  If
I were more proficient in Creole, then the sailing would have been more smooth.

Thank God for you HC's!  It is you people who are propagating the Creole culture
worldwide.  MY culture will survive through YOUR culture!  For this, I am
eternally greatful to the Haitian Creole community for this.

Tchaw,

Jan Rachal "

Mèsi Jan Rachal.  N’ap kontinye pouse lang Kreyòl la monte.

Thanks ,we’ll continue to promote the Haitian Creole language.

Kenbe la.

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

How do you say "to feel sorry for oneself"?

To feel sorry for – pran lapenn pou, gen kè fè mal pou

egzanp:

1. I feel sorry for him. – M pran lapenn pou li or Kè m fè m mal pou li

2. She felt sorry for me. – Li te pran lapenn pou mwen. Or Kè l te fè l mal pou mwen.

3. I feel so sorry for you. – Kè m fè m mal anpil pou ou.

 

To feel sorry for oneself - pran lapenn pou tèt ou, or pran lapenn pou pwòp tèt ou

4. He felt sorry for himself – Li pran lapenn pou pwòp tèt li.

5. Why are you sitting here feeling sorry for yourself? – Poukisa ou chita la ap pran lapenn pou tèt ou?

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

I thought I had heard everything in Creole but I learned today that "metye" means lesbian or homosexual. I thought it meant "career" or "trade". would asking "ki metye w?", as I've learned from one of your post, be the same as asking about sexual orientation?

No.  The term is “nan metye” which may mean “Having a homosexual relation with”.  It must be within context to be translated that way.

Haitian sometimes may say “M pa nan metye avè w.” I’m not sleeping with you

Or one could say , “De mesye sa yo nan metye.” - These two men are together.

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

"Vin Griyen Dan'w" ak Sejoe

Thanks Sejoe, I did laugh a lot :)
Now you've got another audience, foreigners that are learning H. Creole will find your channel helpful and entertaining.
Kenbe la.

Mandaly

http://youtu.be/Rqq9AfukmH0

Press Release:

A lot has changed since Sejoe was first introduced to the Internet world in
2009. He ventured off to create a cartoon, produce music videos and work with
celebrities like Flo Rida, Daddy Yankee and A$AP Rocky. Five years later, the
passion for his work is obvious and his creative maturity is also unmistakable.
In challenging himself and knowing that the Haitian and Haitian American people
need something very specific, he has birthed The Sejoe Show.

The Sejoe Show is a Haitian humor series presentation in high definition
programming. Wanting to represent the Haitian people all over the globe well, he
refused to release any aspect of this project if it wasn’t up to par. What
inspired its creation is very simple: there are nearly no entertainment outlets
for the Haitian and Haitian American community. Everything that is currently
available dedicated to the Haitian culture is targeted towards a generation that
is, let’s face it, dying out.

The Sejoe Show was thoroughly produced for Generation Millennial because we are
the future!

Sejoe’s intention is to showcase a part of Haitian culture that is rarely ever
seen while educating and making the masses laugh. He wanted to provide the
Haitian people with something exclusively for them; something to call their own;
something to make them happy.

Here we premier the first episode/1er Dan of a four-part series that is composed
of original skits, jokes and viral videos (in Creoglish) that relate to Haitian,
Haitian American and American culture. If you’ve ever wanted to be a
humanitarian, now is the perfect time: ‘like’ and share the video to support and
push national recognition. Every Haitian in the world deserves to Vin Griyen
Dan’W!!

http://vimeo.com/sejoeentertainment
http://sejoe.com/

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

Mandaly. One last question on the "e" and "avek, ak" usages. Am I able in Creole to use "ak" over "e" most of the time? It seems that Haitian Creoles do this for the most part. I am curious, why is this? Mesi bokou.

There are a few Haitian Creole translations for the English word “and”

“And” can be translated as  E, AK, AVÈ,  EPI, ENPI, EPITOU,

We tend to  use AK, AVÈ, or AVÈK  when connecting words and group of words. 

1. Jean and Paul – Jan ak Pòl

2. the sun and the moon.  - Solèy ak lalin

3. a man and a woman - Yon gason ak yon fanm

4. You and I – Mwen ak ou or Mwen menm ak ou

5. I like rice and beans – Mwen renmen diri ak pwa

 

We tend to use “E”  when connecting or adding clauses and when joining sentences.

6. I like you and I want to marry you. – Mwen renmen w e m vle marye avè w.

7. I am tired and hungry – mwen grangou e m fatige

8. He never taught Creole, and to tell you the truth, I’m not sure he even speak the language. – Li pa’t janm anseye Kreyòl, e pou di w laverite, m pa fin sèten li menm pale lang lan.

 

Epi / Epitou / E  can translate  “and, and then, also, as well as”

9. The guy is tall, handsome, and he’s rich, why won’t you marry him? – Nèg la gen bèl tay, li bo gason, enpi li rich, poukisa w pa vle marye avè l?

Click on this link for more examples.  It’ll take you to about 6 more posts about “and” and its translation in H. Creole: Many ways to translate English "and" in Haitian Creole

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

Mandalay, what do these two words mean and how do you use them? ata and ato (with a mark on "o)? mesi

Ata – even (adv) [not just …. but also

1.  Lè evènman dènye jou yo va pase, ata mò yo va leve sot nan tonm yo. – When the events of the Last Days take place even the dead will rise out of their tomb.

2.  Ambyans lan te tèlman bon ata polis yo ki t’ap  fè patwouy nan lari a te tonbe danse. – The ambiance was so good even the police that were patrolling the streets were dancing.

3.  Tout moun te sezi, ata mwen menm pa’t ka kwè sa nou te wè jou sa a. – Everyone was shocked even I couldn’t believe what we saw that day.

4.  You tout pral pase tan nan prizon, ata ou menm pral regrèt sa w te fè a. – They will all spend time in jail, even you will be sorry for what you did.

 

Atò – then (adv), so,  that time

5.  Si ou di ou kwè nan Li poukisa atò ou pa mete lafwa w nan Li?  – If you say you believe in Him, why then don’t you put your faith in Him?

6.  Atò poukisa w’ap fè sa menm? – So why are you doing this?

7.  Se lè nou wè lafimen an atò nou te kwè te gen yon dife. – When we saw the smoke it is then we believed that there was a fire.

8.  Atò se sa w’ap mete pou al nan fèt la? – So that’s what you’re wearing to the party?

 

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

Would you translate these sentences for us? We would be so grateful :)

"Would you translate these sentences for us?  We would be so grateful :) 

God made the sun.
God made oranges.
God made our eyes.
God made the moon.
God made me.  "
"Bondye fè solèy la.
Bondye fè zoranj yo.
Bondye fè zye nou.
Bondye fè lalin nan.
Bondye fè mwen.

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

I know you said vin jwenn mwen means come to me. what are the chances that someone might be saying come find me instead?

Slight chance I guess, if spoken by a non native.  But usually "Vin jwenn mwen" means "Come to me".  And also "Vin chache m" means "Come pick me up" even though it seems to say something else.

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

what is sou moun?

As an expression?  It means cheeky, disrespectful

Al tifi soumoun!
What an impertinent girl!

Ou soumoun konsa,
You are shameless.

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

What is kenbe tèt and renka? Ezayi 50:5 ...mwen pa kenbe tèt ak li (Bondye). Mwen pa renka devan li. Thanks for your help! Blessings this Christmastime, Mandaly!

I receive your blessings any time of the year  :)

Kenbe tèt – to hold one’s own, to persist

Renka – to cower, to back away (in fear or because of shyness)

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

Used clothes, at least here in the north are called pèpè or maybe pepe. Do you know which?

It’s "pèpè".  They also call them "kenedi" or "rad kenedi"

They are more specifically barely used or second hand clothing (usually from the US) sold in the Haitian flea markets.  

We may say “rad drive” (rad dreevay) – when talking about used clothing we wear at home,  clothes not used for outings.  We also say “Rad ize” (“Rad dezyèm men”) – used clothing

Rad sòti – clothes used for outings, good clothes

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

I think apiye is lean, do they say piye for lean also? When I look it up, piye is supposed to mean plunder. Are there any other meanings or uses for either of these?

Yes “apiye” or “piye” will translate to lean, to tilt

Li te apiye sou miray la. – She leaned against the wall

 

And yes, “piye” also means to plunder, to vandalize

Volè yo piye kay la nèt. – The crooks completely vandalized the house.

 

And when playing hazard games we use “piye”  as a term to determine which player goes first

Ann piye – Let’s see who goes first.

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

Are tout tan and toutotan the same? Please give the translation and examples for the correct usage of toutotan. Thanks!

Tout tan – all the time, always, forever
1. Tèt mwen ap fè m mal tout tan. – My head hurts all the time.

2. Nou va viv pou tout tan. – We will live forever.

3. Se tout tan m’ap di l sa. – I tell him that all the time

 

Tout tan and toutotan – as long as, as much as, equally as

4. Toutotan w’ap ede l lap rete nan kondisyon sa a. – As long as you’re helping him, he’ll remain in this condition.

5. Tanpri ede m toutotan w kapab . – Please help me as much as you can

6. Toutotan l t’ap pale dlo t’ap kouri nan je l. – As she was talking tears were rolling down her eyes.

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

Can I say "Bonjou sòt Tijan" For "Bonjou FROM Tijan"?

No. It wouldn’t sound right.  Not for this specific expression.

We do use SOT to translate “from” such as in:

Sot isit la al laba a. – From here to there

Soti Miami rive New York. – From Miami to New York.

Soti anlè a rive jouk atè a. – From up there all the way to the floor

 

But sentences such as: “From me to you” or “Hello from Tijan” may have to be rephrased. Translating “from” with “sot” doesn’t work too well here.

You CAN, however,  say:  

Bonjou! Soti depi …(a location)

or

Soti nan bouch Tijan, resevwa yon bèl bonjou!

M’ap voye yon gwo kout chapo pou ou soti depi …(a location).

Tijan salye w

M wete chapo m

Tijan di Onè Respè

Kè m salye w.

It seems that I'm a little far off the intended greeting effect:) Can you think of anything else?

 

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