What does "Tijwa" mean

Sounds like someone's nickname to me... which translates "little joy"


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This is actually not a question. I just want to express my appreciation.......

"This is actually not a question. I just want 

to express my appreciation for the time and effort that goes into this blog
site. I have been using your site as a resource for a WHILE now (maybe 2 years)
and it has been an enormous help to me!! I think it probably takes a lot to be
diligent and consistent with something like this, and I just want you to know
how grateful I am to you, as I'm sure, many others are as well!! For the last 5
years, I have worked with an orphanage on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince. I
travel there maybe a couple times a year. At first, even though I didn't
understand a WORD that was said, it was absolutely amazing getting to know the
kids and watching them grow --- that is, until body language and hugs could no
longer bridge the gap left by the language barrier. I was desperate to
communicate with them on a deeper level and this blog site has been a HUGE aid
in helping me do just that!! Mwen toujou gen anpil aprann, men, kounyea lè m wè
timoun yo, mwen ka konprann majorite yo di mwen a e piti a piti map aprann
kiminike kè mwen avèk yo. Thank you for what you are doing here :) God
bless!!"

Mandaly says:  Mèsi anpil. I appreciate your comment. Kontinye aprann toujou :)

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What is another common expression that I can use for the word voryen

Men wi! Absolutely!
Kokorat!
Avadra!
Vagabon!
Sanmanman!
Malandren!
Fritè!
etc...


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what is meaning of a man putting his red briefs under woman mattress or baby mommy mattress

I guess he's marking his territory :)
Basically he wants to own her for life.
They do more than that ...sometimes his and her "briefs" are sewn together and placed under the mattress... very desperate move.

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Ki jan ou di "nevermind" an kreyol? lol. M konprann kounye a :)

Nevermind 
Ou pa bezwen okipe w
Or
Kite sa.

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I miss your posts Mandaly! I hope all is well with you and your family. Thank you for all the work you put into the blog over the last 4 years!

Dakò, mèsi anpil :)

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I don't really understand this - does "kot" mean side of the family? Li se sè franck kot manma,mwen se frè franck kot papa sa vle di jonatha pa sè mwen.

Yes.

Frè kot papa meaning brother from the father's side ... a stepbrother
Li se sè m kot manman m meaning she's my sister from my mother's side meaning we have the same mom but not the same dad ... a step sister

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I can't understand this because I don't know what "yen" is. Pou manman w, ou tap mande m ou yen pou grann ou. For your mother, you were going to ask me “yen” for your grandmother?

Looks like the word "yen"  should have been "anyen".

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Map pose w ton kesyon ou par kraze Jonathan?

I don't get it either. Perhaps they meant to sa "pa kraze m ...."



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It appears to me that most of the time the adjectives in Creole don't follow the gender of the noun. But sometime it does. Like I see "Mwa pwochen" and I see "Semèn pwochèn". Are there some rules for this or does it only comes from common usage? Also does the gender of the nouns are inherited from French or is there somewhere I can find a dictionary that gives the gender of the nouns?

Principally there's no agreement between the gender of nous and adjectives in Haitian Creole but we do have a very few instances where the French articulation is preserved in the Haitian Creole language and it just seems as if there are some sort of agreement where the adjective would change depending on the gender of the noun.  It is not so in Haitian Creole.

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How do you say: "You are out of your mind¨" AND "you are not in your right mind" ? I am trying to relate these expressions to a discourse I have in Haitian creole concerning the subject of "bonsans". Mesi anpil pou tout travay ou fe pou Nou.

You are out of your mind 
(Ou pèdi bon sans ou)
Ou fin tòltòl nèt
Tèt ou pati
Ou pèdi tout fakilte w
Tèt ou pa byen
Lòlòj ou fin chavire

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Gen "materyèl" ak nou gen "materyo." Kisa diferans? In regards to construction, I think one is used to talk about materials such as sand, gravel, blocks, etc., while the other can be used to talk about tools. or maybe there is no difference.?

materyo - construction equipment and tools
materyèl - gear, stock, stuff

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What does rann li kont mean?

rann kont has two meanings.
rann kont - to account for
rann (pronoun) kont - to realize, to become aware.

1.Mwen pa't rann mwen kont se te ak yon vòlè m t'ap boule.
   I didn't realize that I was dealing with a crook.

2. Mwen byen ak misye lontan men se tou lotrejou la a mwen vin rann mwen kont ke se itilize li t'ap itilize'm.
    I've been friends with him for a long time but it's only recently I realized that he was just using me.

3. Li pa't rann li kont ke tout moun t'ap gade li nan yon kamera.
    He didn't realized that everyone was watching him on a camera.

and the other meaning.....

4. Nan jou jijman an tout moun pral rann kont de sa yo te fè sou tè a.
    On judgement day everyone will give account of what they did on earth. 

5. Se granmoun mwen ye.  Sa mwen fè pa konsènen okenn moun. Mwen pa gen pou m rann kont bay pyès moun.
I'm an adult.  What I do is my business. I don't have to report to anyone.

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The word maybe in francais is petet. Is the creole word poutet sa the same expression as maybe?

Non it's not the same.
poutèt sa or pousa - ...the reason why

Misye wont fanmi l se poutèt sa li pa janm kite yo konnen kote l'abite.
or
Misye wont fanmi l se pousa li pa janm kite yo konnen kote l'abite
He is ashamed of his family that's why he doesn't let them know where he lives.

Mwen te bliye se te fèt ou jodi a, eske se poutèt sa ou fache konsa a?
or
Mwen te bliye se te fèt ou jodi a, eske se pousa ou fache konsa a?
I forgot it was your birthday today, is it why you're so angry?

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Ok, I am getting really confused. At times Haitian people say BONJOU all day long. But other times they start saying BONSWA after 12pm. So when do we say BONJOU or BONSWA pls? Are there other time expressions that are said during the day. Thanks

 bonjou - good morning, hello is used from morning until noon time.
After noon time Haitians usually say bonswa which is good afternoon or good evening.

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