Hello, Mandaly! I'm making steady progress through your lessons! Wa cheri mwen is SOOOO proud of me! Ha, ha! Anyway, I have a quick question. I seem to have hit a tiny snag--I have so much trouble pronouncing "w." I was like, OU is such a tiny word already! It's even SHORTER? :-O ha, ha. My question is....do I HAVE to use contracted forms? Is it mandatory since you said Haitians commonly use it? Xoxo (One more thing...how do you pronounce your name? ^_^)

Bonjou zanmi :)

Keep up the progress

My name is pronounced Muh-n-dah-lee with the accent on the first syllable. Some of my friends call me Mandy. Close Haitian friends call me Manda or Mandarine :)

No you do not have to use contractions if you’re not ready for them.  What I usually tell people is that even though you don’t use them you do have to know what they sound like and how they’re used since people that are having conversations with you will be using them.

The best way to be familiar with them is to listen to a lot of Creole.   Here these three posts might be helpful to your specific question.  The first and third post contain audio: http://sweetcoconuts.blogspot.com/search/label/you%20%22ou%22%20%22w%22

Pase bon jounen J

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

Mandlay, 'eske' seems to have many, many uses. Could you please explain

We use “eske” to form “yes or no” questions.  In English you have the auxiliary “do” or “did”, “will”, “should”, etc… In Haitian Creole just use “eske”.  

Here’s a couple of examples:

Are you ready? – Eske ou pare?  (verb to be – present tense)

Were you here before me? – Eske ou te la anvan m? (verb to be – past tense)

Do you want to eat now? – Eske ou vle manje kounye a? (auxiliary “do”)

Should we help this poor kid? – Eske nou dwe timoun mizerab sa a? (asking question with auxiliary verb “should”)

Can please close door after you leave? – Tanpri eske ou ka fèmen pòt la lè w sòti? (with auxiliary verb “can”)

Etc…

We can also ask questions in Haitian Creole without using “eske”.

Questions for you? – Were these the “many” uses you were talking about?  Mèsi.

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

Premye So Pa So (Audio)

Download link for this audio:
http://limanecasimi.audioacrobat.com/download/45300580-3676-ff73-5667-3c08a876cfa3.mp3

Click here to listen to this audio:
http://www.audioacrobat.com/play/WqmkhStW


Saw genyen figi w kagou konsa?
What’s wrong your face is so down and out?
Why do you look so down?
 
M santi lavi a mete pye sou kou m. Tout sa m fè pou m libere tèt mwen pa reyisi.
I feel life has put a foot on my neck.  Everything I do to free myself has been unsuccessful.
I feel that life has a foot on my neck.  I’ve tried unsuccessfully to free myself.
 
M pa janm tande w pale konsa avan.  Sa’w genyen?
I’ve never heard you talk like that before.  What’s wrong?
 
Janm travay di pou konmès mwen mache enpi sa pa janm fèt!  Men kounye a m pral oblije fèmen biznis mwen. M pa konn sa m va fè kounye a.  M pa janm reyisi nan anyen m fè. Mwen toujou echwe nan tout sa m fè.  Petèt m pa t fèt pou m gen siksè nan lavi a ditou.
I’ve worked so hard for my business to flourish and it’s never happened.  So now I’ll have to close my business.  I don’t know what I’ll do now. I never succeed in anything I do.  I always fail at everything I do.  Maybe I was not meant to be successful in life at all.
 
Sa  w’ap di la?  Sanble ou deside fè bèk atè nèt?
What are you saying?  It’s seemed that you have totally surrendered.
 
Men wi, m fin dekouraje  nèt.
Of course, I’m totally disappointed.
 
Pa dekouraje w zanmi m. Premye so pa so ditou.  Ou ka kilbite plizyè fwa nan lavi a, men lè w tonbe se pa pou w rete atè a.  Se pou w leve pou kontinye lite.
Don’t be discouraged my friend.  The first "fail" is no failure at all.  You may stumble many times in life but when you fall you shouldn’t stay down.  You must get up to continue to fight.
 
Mwen fin bay tout enèji m ak tout sa m te genyen .  M pa gen fòs ki rete pou rekòmanse ankò.
I have given all my energy and all that I had.  I don’t have strength left to start over.
 
Si tout moun t’ap fè tankou w.  Si yo te bay legen nan premye echèk yo fè anpil envasyon sou latè a pa t’ap egziste.
If everyone was doing the same as you, if they gave up at their first failures many inventions on earth wouldn’t have existed.
 
Men mezanmi si m’ap pede tonbe leve konsa, moun va di se madichon ki nan kò m kifè m pa ka reyisi nan anyen.
But If I keep going up and down like this people would say that it’s a curse that makes me unsuccessful.
 
Bliye sa tout moun panse oubyen di – Se pa pou yo w’ap viv.  Apre Granmèt la se ou menm ki mèt tèt ou.  Gade machè met fanm sou ou tande! Premye so pa so.
Forget what everyone thinks or says.  You’re not living for them. After God you are your own master.  Look my dear be courageous you hear!  The first fall is no fall.
 
Pou m di w laverite sa se pa ni premye ni dezyèm so mwen pran non.  Mwen kwè m sou katriyèm oubyen menm senkyèm.
To tell you the truth this is neither my first nor my second fall.  I believe I’m on my fourth or even my fifth.
 
Enben se pa gwo zafè.  Tank ou pran so se tank ou va jwenn divès fason pou pare so a.
Well that’s no big deal.  The more you fall, the more you’ll find diverse ways to break the fall.
 
A! petèt yon jou m’a envante kouman moun pare so.   Mèsi pou ankourajman ou.  Mwen te byen bezwen sa.
Ah! Maybe one day I’ll invent ways for people to break a fall.  Thanks for your encouragement. I really needed this.
 
Pa gen pwoblèm.  Kontinye eseye e kenbe la.
No problem.  Keep trying and hang in there.
 
 

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

madichon k nan ko ou? (k nan ko ou?)

Madichon ki nan kò w
Madichon k nan kò w
or
devenn ki nan kò w.
You must be cursed or you must be under a curse

Pa bon ki nan kò l.
He's no good.
He's up to no good.

Mechan ki nan kò l.
He's wicked.

Vagabon ki nan kò l.
He's being a stud.

Poukisa w'ap kriye.  Pa okipe Mario.  Se anmèdan ki nan kò l.
Why are you crying. Pay no attention to Mario.  He's just being a tease.

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

"bonnanj li pati, loloj li chavire" which one can be used for "crazy in love" as opposed to "crazy lunatic" or do you know some other expressions that I can use. thanks

I believe that you can use both unless there's something specific you want (or don't want) to imply..... such as you want to say "infatuation" instead of ..."crazy"
for example you could use:
Bonnanj li pati
Bonèt li chavire
Lòlòj li chavire
Tèt li pati
Tèt li fin cho
Li fin fou

as opposed to:
Li andyable
Li fin andenmon
Li fin anraje
etc....


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

what is ke soubisket? could you use in a sentence please?

kè sou biskèt  (kè sote, kè kase) - apprehension, nervousness, fear, suspense
kè (pronoun)sou biskèt - to be anxious

1. Depi maten kè m sou biskèt.
    I've been anxious since this morning.

2. Kè manman m toujou sou biskèt depi l gen randevou kay doktè.  Li toujou pè pou doktè a pa ba l move nouvèl.
    My mom is always anxious when she has doctor's appointment.  She's always afraid that the doctor will give her bad news. 

3. Kè tout moun te sou biskèt lè asansè a te bloke. Men nanpwen moun ki te di yon mo.
    Everyone was tense when the elevator got stuck.  But no one said a word.

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

Iam working with an orphanage in Port-au-Prince and a couple of our kids get these things on their skin which the staff calls "Klou" or "bouton". I know 'klou' is blister but these don't look like blisters. They get infected and fill up with puss, then they pop (yo pete sou po a, tout moun di). I've tried to look this up to find out what they are but I can't find anything anywhere. Any ideas?

This requires a professional examination by a licensed medical doctor in order to diagnose it. I hope the kids are okay and I pray that they recover from this quickly.

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

"bèkatè"? what does that mean Mandaly? Mesi anpil.

Bèk atè (Fè bèk atè) -  to be defeated, to sag,  to fall flat

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

Can you please post the lyrics to this song Chè Senyè. Thank you.

Chè Senyè, kenbe men m, ede mwen rete fèm
Mwen bouke fatige tèlman
Nan loraj, nan fènwa, klere wout la devan m
Kenbe men m, chè Senyè fè m rive

Lè chemen difisil, e m bezwen ou anpil
Senyè rete la tou pre mwen
Lè mwen prèt pou m ale, ede m pou m pa bite
Kenbe men m, chè Senyè fè m rive

Lè solèy la kouche, e nwit la  ap pwoche
E tout lavi mwen va fini
Ede m pa regrete nan ou sèl mwen konfye m
Kenbe men m, chè Senye fè m rive
Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

Enben Lotrejou motè a tonbe chofe nan men m(Can you translate ?) for 'nan men m'. kamsa hamnida

Nan men m (“nan men mwen” when it’s not contracted) – literally: In my hands

The best definition for this expression would be : in my care, while I was in charge, while under my care.

1. Enben lotrejou motè a tonbe chofe nan men m. – Well the other day the engine started heating in my hands

We often say:

2. Pitit la tonbe malad nan men m. – The child fell ill while in my care.

3. Machin nan pran pán nan men m. – The car broke down while in my hands.

4. Ti bebe a manke mouri nan men m. – The baby almost died in my care.

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

Hi Mandaly! What does it mean to "avili yo" and "avili'm"? Mesi bokou madam!!!

Avili - To discredit, to shame, to put down

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

Hello again, Mandaly! Quick question: I know 'Mwen renmen' means "I love you, " but how do you respond or say "I love you, too?" Also...lol, how do you say "My Beloved Haitian King?" like a term of endearment? :3

Awesome Hee hee ; )

I love you too – Mwen renmen ou tou.
my beloved Haitian king – wa Ayisyen cheri mwen
my beloved king – wa cheri mwen
my king – wa mwen

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

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.

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