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Thursday, July 10, 2014

God bless you. I'm puertorican, I took basic creole lesson my question is is it ok "10 liv yo" or I can omit the "yo'" because of the number and say 10 liv. mesi anpil.

It depends.
If you’re talking about ten particular (ten specific books), then yes add “yo”
Pa egzanp:
Eske w te achte dis liv yo m te mande w achte a.
Did you buy the ten books I asked you to buy.
So we’re talking about ten particular books that I had asked ou to buy.

Li te boule tout dis liv yo.
He burned all ten books.

Or if we’re being non-specific we omit “yo”.
Pa egzanp:
M bezwen dis liv.
Mwen t’achte dis liv nan libreri a.

Magazen sa a pote dis liv sèlman.

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Tuesday, July 8, 2014

What does "Anwo pa desann, anba pa monte" mean? Thank you.

Anwo pa moute, anba pa desann
Nothing’s moving (as if at a standstill).

We also say:
Anwo pa moute, anba pa desann, Ti Mari rete rèd
Anwo pa moute, anba pa desann, Ti Mari rete tennfas
Or
Anwo pa moute, anba pa desann, nan mitan rete rèd
(same meaning)

A somewhat literal meaning would be “nothing moving up there, nothing moving down here and it’s also stiff in the middle :)

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When can I use "nan" or "a" after a sentence? Like, depi famn nan kite m nan, m pa t ka dòmi byen, or like, pwoteje ou kont jwisè yo ki deyò a? Or, se sa m vlè a? When can I use them and what are the rules?

You will have to know the rules for the definite articles. Here’s a couple of links: 
The definite articles a, an, la, lan, nan

There are some good exercises there especially toward the bottom.  Let me know if that helped after you've gone through it. Thanks

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Taking public transportation in Haiti is horrible.the body odor is unbearable especially if you’re in for a long haul.

Yeah I see what you mean, the smell of farmers going home after they sweated in the market selling their merchandise, the smell of teachers and students going home after they’ve been in a non-air-conditioned classroom the whole day, the smell of produce,  live chickens and mud on people shoes, and if it’s in the afternoon, the smell of burning garbage in the streets and don’t forget the smell of spicy foods cooking in the street corners , God I miss that :)

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Eske m pwononse sa kòrèk? Eske m di sa bon? Are these proper translations of “Did I pronounce that correctly?” and “Did I say that right?” Are there better ways of asking this?

The first one is correct.  In the second sentence I’d say “byen” instead of “bon”.
Eske m di sa byen? – Did I say this correctly?
Eske m byen di l? – Did I say it correctly?
Eske m byen pale? – Am I right?
Men wi, ou di l byen. – Certainly you said it well.
Men wi ou kòrèk. – Yes you are correct.

Wi ou byen pale. – Yes you’re right

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Sunday, July 6, 2014

As you know, I have to start my Creole lessons over. But do you think I should learn French simultaneously or at least pursue French at some point since Haitians also speak it? Would learning French help me with the Creole at all or vice versa?

No, that would not be a good reason to learn French.  French and Haitian Creole are two very different languages – the grammar and spellings are totally different.  Learning French will not help you to learn Haitian Creole any better.  You’ve been doing well so far. So keep at it :)

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Thursday, July 3, 2014

I love the song "Ayiti Cheri", but there are so many expressions that are unfamiliar to me. For example what is the meaning of AYITI TOMA please? Or what's a MARABOU or a GRIFONN KREYOL? or a KAYIMIT?

Ayiti Toma is the African name of Haiti, meaning “this land is mine”.
Also you will sometimes hear Ayiti Kiskeya, which “Kiskeya” is Haiti’s Indian name

Grifòn refers to a dark-skinned Haitian woman born possibly of a light and dark-skinned individual.
Marabou is a dark-skinned woman with flawless skin, luxuriant hair and beautiful teeth that is rooted in violaceous  gums
Kayimit is a fruit with skin dark violet in color.  Looks like plum.

Haitians sometimes say “po kayimit” which means “refined and vibrant dark skin”
All are considered beautiful.

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How do you say promote? and How do you say "expect" in creole and what does temwen mean?

1.Promotepwomote, bay jarèt, jarete, bay piston, or pistonnen
          egzanp: Lè misye te nan lekòl medsin tout moun nan katye a te ba l bon jarèt paske yo te konnen li ta pral itil yo yon jou.

2. Temwen – witness

       a. Mwen se yon temwen – I am a witness.

       b. Ou dwe sèvi m temwen.
          You must serve as a witness to me.
          Be my witness

      c. Se pou Bondye sèvi n temwen … – May God be a witness …

      d. Yo te mande m sèvi kòm temwen … - They asked me to be a witness to …..


3. Expect – atann (pronominal verb)

    e. Mwen te atann mwen a sa. – I was expecting this.

    f. Mwen pa’t atann mwen a sa. – I was not expecting this.

    g. Nou pa’t atann nou a sa  ditou. – We were not expecting that at all.

   h. Nou tout te chita ansanm enpi li parèt sou nou sanzatann (san-z-atann).
       We were all sitting together and she showed up unexpectedly.



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Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Can you please post the lyrics to this song that says, "Pouki move jou yo fe nou doute?"

Pouki move jou yo fè nou doute
Jezi mande pou nou pa enkyete
Nou se yon ras eli
Nou se yon pèp aki
Se nou Bondye chwazi pou temwen’l

Pandan n’ap avanse leve men ou anlè
Chante glwa a lanyo Bondye a
Valè moun ki mouri nan tout fanmi nou yo
Se nou Bondye chwazi pou temwen

Eske nou pa konnen nou se yon pèp espesyal
Se nou Bondye chwazi pou temwen

Valè moun ki dejwe nan tout fanmi nou yo

Se nou bondye chwazi pou temwen’l

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Tuesday, July 1, 2014

Yo pa gen anyen aswe a vini demen swa pito

Yo pa gen anyen aswè a. Vini demen swa pito.

They don’t have anything tonight. Come tomorrow night instead

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A few translations please ...

english to creole translation:
assume – sipoze, imajinen
stop the car – kanpe machin nan
excited – eksite, anlè anlè, antyoutyout, sou sa
bald  - chòv
spot - tach
callus – kò, zonyon
flood - inondasyon
sand - sab

creole to english:
deprime - depressed
exprime – to express
lanjèz – malicious and backbiting woman
debouyèz - resourceful

foke – fuck up, insane, crazy
Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

hat does "makrel" mean. For example when someone calls you makrel