What shows can you suggest to someone who would like to practice his/her listening comprehension in Creole? Nothing with a lot of French and shows that are clean with no innuendos to uncomfortable topics.Thanks

Haitian comedians of the 21^st century are all about “uncomfortable” topics :-\
Have you tried the episodes of Lavi Nan Bouk la or Languichatte (in Youtube).  They may be old but most of them are pretty decent.  Are you able to watch Island TV from Miami?

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

Mandaly, happened upon your website, Thank You! Question is: which dictionary would be more useful learning Creole, the one offered by Indiana U. or Kansas U.? Thanks again, peace, chuck

Bonswa Chuck.

Kansas University has more of a variety of materials including a medical dictionary that’s useful.  I have not seen the dictionary from Indiana University.  I was told it’s more recent.

For online use, see if you can download the Haitian Creole – English Dictionary with Basic English – Haitian Creole Appendix by Jean Targète and Raphael G. Urciolo.  It’s the most complete and, to me, most useful.

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

How do you say shooting star in Haitian Creole? How do you say to wish upon a star.

Shooting star – zetwal file, zetwal filant.
I see a shooting star – Mwen yon zetwal file

When you see a shooting star in Haiti, it means impending death – someone (not necessarily family – it might be a neighbor or someone else) is going to die.

After someone has passed, if you hear a Haitian say “I did see a shooting star”, they’re just saying that they saw it coming.

Sometimes people even say “yon gran tèt ki tonbe” meaning that someone important/significant has or is going to die.

To wish upon a star – fè yon souwè sou yon zetwal.

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Mandaly. As in "Ki kote ou prale?" I am running into "prale" at the end of sentences, instead of "pral." Is "prale" like "genyen" at the end of sentences? In other words, with "genyen", you are supposed to use the long form at sentence end. Is "prale" the same way? Mesi bokou.

Yes you got it. We do not use “pral” at the end of a sentence.
Yes, the same goes for GENYEN and GEN.
And, the same goes for the following words below. Their contracted form is not found at the end of a sentence

1.
fini and fin (used as auxiliary) – to be done
Eske ou fini? - Are you done?
Do not say:  Eske ou fin? (“fin” cannot be used at the end of this question.)
But you can say:  Eske ou fin manje? – Are you done eating?
 
2.
pote and pot – to carry, to bring
Kisa w te pote? - What did you bring?
Do not say:  kisa w te pot?
But you can say: Kisa w te pot pou mwen? - What did you bring me?
 
3.
mete and met – to put
Ki rad w’ap mete? – What dress will you wear?
Do not say:  Ki rad w’ap met?
But you can say:  Ki rad w’ap met sou ou? – What dress will you wear?
 
4.
konnen and konn – to know, to be used to
Eske ou te konnen? – Did you know?
Do not say:  Eske ou te konn?
But you can say: Eske ou te konn nonm sa a? – Did you know that man?
 
5.
ale and al – to go
Ann ale. – Let’s go.
Do not say:  Ann al.
But you can say: Ann al nan sinema. – Let’s go to the movies.
 
6.
rete and ret – to stay, be left
Konben pen ki rete? – How many breads are left?
Do not say:  konben pen ki ret?
But you can say Konben pen ki ret nan panye a? – How many breads are left in the basket?

7.
soti and sot – to go out, to come from, to be derived from
Nou te soti. – We went out.
Do not say:  Nou te sot.
But you can say:  Nou te sot nan mache. – We came from the market.

8. 
Also adj piti and ti – small, minor, little
Machin nan piti. – The car is small
Do not say:  Machin nan ti.
But you can say:  Se yon ti machin. – It’s a small car.

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

One more question Mandly. I’m finishing up my comparisons and contrast. How would you translate these similes in Creole ‘as eager as a beaver, as bitter as gall, and as cold as ice’?

 “as eager as a beaver” - cho pase leve danse
“as bitter as gall” – anmè tankou fyèl
“cold as ice” - frèt tankou glas (Oubyen) frèt kon nen chen

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

What’s an antonym for ankatimini? Thanks

Openly - aklè

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

Kisa nan chenn vle di? Someone asked me “oua te nan chenn”

Nan chenn – in chain, in restraints

Sound like “Ou te nan chenn? – Were you restrained? Were you in chains?

Since this is out of context, if this is not about chains or prison, it may be that someone is displaying weird behavior such has extreme voracity or hunger for something; then a Haitian would ask, “Ou te nen chenn?”

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

This might seem silly to ask but I better be sure now. Is it common to compliment someone who’s lost weight in Haiti? How would you say “you’ve lost some weight”?

I guess if the person was dieting it would be a compliment to notice his/her loss of weight.  Haitians often use the word “seksi” – “W’ap fè seksi.” or “Ou pèdi pwa”.

You’ve lost some weight
Ou mèg
Ou megri / Ou fè yon ti megri.
Ou kase/ Ou fè yon ti kase.
Ou desann
 
You look good.
Ou anfòm
Ou byen kanpe
Ou seksi
 
Ou vin sèch.
You look emaciated.

 

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

What is the difference between anplis and diplis? Which one can I use to say “additional” (If you receive additional payments…..)? Thanks

Use anplis – If you receive additional payments … - Si ou resevwa peman anplis ….

Anplis (adv) – furthermore, besides, in addition; more.
egzanp:
-Li t’ap fè wout la apye.  Solèy t’ap pike l.  Marengwen t’ap mode l.  Anplis de sa li te grangou.
-Kisa l di w anplis?
-Ou te ban m $5.00 anplis.
 
Diplis (n) – more, extra
egzanp:
-Se pa tout non, gen yon ti diplis.
-Se pa gran choz non. Se yon ti diplis nou mete sou apwentman w.

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

When can you use 2 menms like ‘li menm menm”? is it the same as using it three times like “Li menm menm menm”?

Sometimes two menm’s may be the same as three menm’s  as in the following examples:

Two menm’s usually translates “as for …”

Ou menm menm…. / Ou menm menm menm – as for you
As in
1. Ou menm menm kilè w’ap koumanse chache yon travay?
    As for you, when will you start looking for a job?
 
2. Rosie menm menm pa konnen li pa sipoze soti ak mennaj bon zanmi li?
    As for Rosie, doesn’t she know she’s not supposed to date her best friend’s boyfriend?
 
3. Nou menm menm, nou panse se sou jwèt li ye.  Nou pa’t kwè l te serye.
   As for us, we thought he was playing.  We didn’t think he was serious.
 
And other times, it may indicate an objection:

Someone might say:
4. You stole my car! - Ou vòlè machin mwen!
And you would answer:
  Me?! Why would I want your old ugly car? -Mwen menm menm?!  Poukisa pou m ta vle  vye machin lèd ou a?
 

Other times it indicates certitude.

5. Eske se mesye sa a ki te frape w la?  Wi se li menm menm.
     Was this the man that hit you? Yes it is him indeed.

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"Mwen pa imajine kijanm renmenw non" what does that mean? Is it trying to say that I don't love you or maybe I can't imagine how much I love you?

Your second translation is right… “I can't imagine how much I love you” is correct


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

Mandaly. M gen yon kestyon pou ou? Ki jan ""a" yo" pwononse nan fraz la: "Gason an gwo a abiye tonsiton." In case I screwed up with my Kreyol.......are the "a's" in "a abiye" run together (sound-wise), or are they 2 separate sounds? I am really having a "love affair" with Kreyol Ayisyen. It is like a great marriage; it keeps getting better every day! I apologize to all you HC's for stealing your language! Mesi.

I hope that the honeymoon in this marriage will last for a long time…. lol!
I guess this makes learning Creole more fun :)
Your hard work is paying off in a big way.
 

“a” the article before “abiye” AND The first letter “a” in the word “abiye” are pronounced like two distinct sounds.

Your example “Gwo gason an abiye tonsiton” instead of "Gason an gwo a abiye tonsiton."  does not require the use of the article “a”, but I’ll give you some other examples:

Ti fi a abiye bwòdè.
Where you pronounce it like:
Tee-fee-ya – a-bi-yay- bwò-dè
 
Here’s another example:
Mesye a achte kay la.
May-sye-ya-ach-tay-kai-la

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

How do you say 'random' in creole

Random – aksidantèl, pa aza, ki pa sistematik
Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

“Pou valè moun k'ap chache sekrè lavi a” Can you translate?

Pou valè moun k’ap chache sekrè lavi a …. – So many people looking for the secret of/to life, …

 

“pou valè” or “valè” translates in English as “many” or “a great quantity”; may translate “so many/so much” at the beginning of a sentence in a dependent clause.

Valè machin ki sou wout la…. – So many cars on the road

Valè mizè l pase ak pitit la … - (she went through) so much difficulty with the child …

Valè malonèt yo fè m nan restoran sa a, m pa janm tounen al manje  la ankò. – (I have received) so many insults in this restaurant I’ll never go back to eat there.

Pou valè moun ki t’ap chache ti gason ki te pèdi a, yo dwe kontan anpil dèske yo jwenn ni. – There were so many people looking for the lost boy, they must be so happy to have found him.

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

There is no frigate like a book to take you lands away...Pa gen frigat tankou yon liv pou mennen ou jiskensi ( this is just my unsuccessful try, now it's your turn..lol) antwo, kijan ou ye, bel zanmi pa m'...mwen espere tout bagay mache byen nan lavi w...;)

O o mezanmi! M’anfòm wi :)
E ou menm, kijan w ye? W’ap boule?

Frigate – yon vwalye, yon bato

“There is no frigate like a book to take you lands away...”
“Pa gen yon vwalye tankou yon liv ki ka anpòte w ale byen lwen ….”

Ki vle di:
Nanpwen yon vwalye ki kapab anpòte w ale pi byen pase yon liv.

Ki vle di ankò:
Yon liv kapab anpòte ale pi lwen pase yon vwalye :)

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