Listen to and Follow The Podcast at SOUVNI ON THE MIKE with Podcast Transcripts available. Advanced Haitian Creole Learners, you have arrived :). Souvni On The Mike stands as a vibrant cultural beacon in the digital soundscape, offering a weekly immersion into the heart of Haitian language and life. This Haitian Creole podcast transforms the airwaves into a dynamic classroom and cultural salon, where education, entertainment, and community connection converge. Follow the podcast.

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

"pyeskeseswa, kelkelanswa, kelkeseswa, kelkilanswa...": Which ones do not mean the same and what meaning they carry in different contexts?

These indefinite pronouns can be translated as no one, whoever, or anyone

Kèlkelanswawhoever, whatever, no one, anyone

1. Kèlkelanswa sa ki pase a m ap toujou renmen w. - Whatever happens I’ll always love you.
In number one it means whatever

2. Kèlkelanswa moun ki frape a pa louvri pòt la. – (whoever knocks on the door, do not open) Do not open the door no matter who comes knocking.
In number 2, it means whoever

3. Mwen p ap desann tèt devan kèlkelanswa moun nan. – I will not submit to anyone.
In number three, it can translate "anyone", "no one" or "whoever"

More examples:
kèlkeseswa, kèlkilanswa , kikseswa (or kikeseswa) -  nobody, anybody, whoever

4. kèlkilanswa moun ki vle goumen avè m, m ap fout kale l. – Whoever wants to fight with me, I’ll beat the hell out of him.

I’ll use the same sentence from #3 with "kikeseswa".
5. Mwen p ap desann tèt mwen devan kikeseswa. – I submit to no one.

I’ll let you figure out the next sentence:
6. Tout moun gen pou mouri, kèlklanswa ras li ye a, fò l pase anba tè kanmenm.

pèkseswa,  pyèskeseswa – usually used with negative sentences: no one, anyone

Let’s that same sentence again:
7. Mwen p ap desann tèt mwen devan pèkseswa. - I will not submit to no one.

Keseswa – whoever, whatever, be it….,
8. Mwen p ap desann tèt mwen devan keseswa moun nan, keseswa prezidan, keseswa pap, kèlkilanswa moun nan li ye a!
I will submit before no one, whether it’s the president or the pope, whoever it may be!


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

Hello, I know that hot flashes mean "boufe chalè" in creole. What I want to know is how to translate "to have hot flashes". I have the possible verbal expressions: Fè boufe chalè, gen boufe chalè, or pran boufe chalè. Which of these is correct or are all three can be used to express that meaning or is there another expression? Also, is there another way of say hot flashes and are there verbal expressions that accompany them?

It’s gen boufe chalè

You might also hear: chalè granmoun nan (only used between friends, sometimes jokingly) - You should not use this expression with someone you barely know: Chalè granmoun nan monte w.

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

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

BYEN JWENN BYEN KONTRE

byen jwenn byen kontre - to compete with someone equal in strength or ability, to have met your match.
Joe mande Wilfrid goumen. Se byen jwenn byen kontre. 
Joe provoked Wilfrid into a fight. He's met his match in Wilfrid.

Kite yo vin atake m avè zam yo non! Mwen menm ak yo se byen jwenn byen kontre!
Let them come at me with their weapons! They've certainly met their match in me!

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

Ann fè sa! Is that the correct way to say "Let's do this!" or is there a better way to say that in Creole?

Yes, it is the correct way.

Ann fè sa!
or
An nou fè sa!

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

Monday, May 25, 2015

Si Bondye krache nan men w, eske se benediction ouben malediction?

Krache Bondye , sa vle di benediksyon.
Yon moun gen dwa ap pase yon move moman enpi..... konsa konsa Bondye krache nan men yo ... ki vle di ke sitiyasyon gen dwa vin amelyore enpe.

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

Hey Mandy, did you remember to send Kalve song 'Ou mèt KONTE SOULI'? mèsi

https://plus.google.com/112582004390447685562/posts/L6u9JCvZDDQ

Lè w an sante, ou gen anpil lajan
Lè sa va byen, ou gen anpil zanmi
Kote w pase, se onè ak respè
Tout moun renmen w, lavi a parèt bèl

Men lè w malad, lè ou pedi travay
Lè pa gen kòb, ou pa enteresan
Lè ou fin granmoun, lè jenès ou ale
Tou moun kite w, tou moun abandone w

Refrain
Men gen yon bon zanmi
non li se Jezi Kri
Depi lontan l ap chache fè zanmi avè ou
Se yon zanmi fidèl
Ki p ap abandone w
Nan moman difisil ou mèt konte sou li.

Si ou twouble, si gen anpil pwoblèm
Avan w fè lèd, fè w  ti koze avè l
Li gen sekrè, se pa youn palèlè
Ou pa bezwen wont,ou mèt koze avè l

Refrain
Li ze youn bon zanmi, se youn zanmi fidèl
Li p ap tronpe w, ou mèt konte sou li
Nan moment difisil, wa wè li toujou la
Li p ap tronpe, ou mèt konte sou li

Si yo trayi w, si lanmò menase w
Si w an danje, rele li l ap vini
Si kè ou tris, si w santi w dezole
Si w santi w sèl, ou mèt konte sou li

Refrain
Men genyen yon bon zanmi
non li se Jezi Kri
Depi lontan l ap chache fè zanmi avè ou
Se yon zanmi fidèl
Li p ap abandone w
Nan moman difisil ou mèt konte sou li.

Lè timoun yo malad…… ou mèt konte sou li

Doktè pa bay espwa…… ou mèt konte sou li

Lè bagay yo tou nwa…… ou mèt konte sou li


Lavi ap malmennen w….. ou mèt konte sou li


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

When I was 17 I went to Haiti on a mission trip. We sang "Come and go with me to my Father's House" in Creole. I am teaching this to my three year olds in preschool, but don't know how to write the words to the song In Creole. can you help me? The words are something like Mwe ve alles la lachai pappamwe gayuh jwa, jwa jwa and La pa gayuh peshay Can you help me? Please?

Tout bagay va byen
Lakay Papa mwen *(3 fwa)
Tout bagay va byen lakay Papa mwen
Genyen jwa, jwa, jwa

Pa va gen peche
Lakay Papa mwen (3 fwa)
Pa va gen peche lakay Papa mwen.
Genyen jwa, jwa, jwa

Mwen vle ale la
Lakay Papa mwen (3 fwa)
Mwen vle ale la lakay Papa mwen
Genyen jwa, jwa, jwa

Eske w vle ale
Lakay Papa mwen? (3 fwa)
Eske w vle ale Lakay Papa mwen?
Genyen Jwa, jwa, jwa.

Some people say "nan kay Papa mwen“ instead of "lakay Papa mwen
There’s no big difference between the two.
One says at my Father’s house

The other says in my father’s house.

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

Thursday, May 21, 2015

Mandlay, I understand that bonjan is a modifier.what does it mean in BONJAN VAN? and can I use it as in BONJAN MOUN DEBYEN? How else can i use it?thanks.

You can say bon jan or bon kalite which means good, legit, real,...

bon jan moun debyen??? .... I don't know about that. I would just say moun debyen.

bon jan van - a nice breeze
ex; Li chita anba pye mapou a l ap pran bon jan van

bon jan konpa - good music, lively konpa
ex: Gwoup la te byen frape. Yo pa t jwe mizik etranje. Yo te lage bon jan konpa sou nou. Nou te danse nèt!

bon jan presyon - relentless pressure or intimidation
Lè bòs la koumanse mete bon jan presyon sou ou  se kite w va kite travay la.

Bon jan fromaj - the good cheese
Restoran sa a se bon jan fwomaj la yo sèvi. Lè w ap manje la se koupe dwèt!

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

Monday, May 18, 2015

Can you clarify something about the use of the word depi? I understand that besides “since” it also means ALL? I saw it written somewhere. Can you provide some examples? Thanks

Depi, conj., usage: once, whenever, since, as soon as, as long as, from ….every, all

1. Situations where it can translate every or all:
Ti Djo t ap fè dezòd. Li lage bòl diri a atè a. Se pa ti fache manman l te fache. Li fè misye ranmase depi se grenn diri ki te tonbe atè a.
Ti Djo was misbehaving. He spilled the bowl of rice on the ground. His mother was really angry. He made him pick every grain of rice off the floor.
So,
ranmase depi se grenn diri
pick up every grain of rice

2. whenever, if
Depi se misye ki pale tout moun anbranl.
Whenever he speaks everyone is motivated.

3. once
Depi lapli tonbe ou dejà konnen pral gen inondasyon.
Once it rains you know that there will be flood.

4. As long as, if
Depi se ou ki di sa m ap kwè.
I’ll believe it if you say so.

5. since
Depi m fèt mwen poko janm wè yon bagay konsa.
I have never seen such a thing in my life.

6. From … to
Tout moun alawonnbadè depi sa k pi granmoun rive sou sa k pi piti dwe prezante.
Everybody everywhere from the oldest to the youngest must be present.

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

Sunday, May 17, 2015

Mandy I was told I can also use the word bwa for "drink". so I could say mwen vle bwa dlo. Is that correct?

Not in H. Creole. I haven't used this term like that.
You can say 'bwason' for 'beverage'. otherwise it's bwè as in mwen vle bwè dlo.

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

How do you say Flag day and Haitian Flag day?

Flag Day - Fèt Drapo, jou Fèt Drapo
Haitian Flag Day - Fèt Drapo Ayisyen, jou Fèt Drapo Ayisyen

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

"I transferred schools because the professors in my old school were constantly boring me by teaching the class the same concepts everyday".

Don't you just hate when teachers do that? :)

There it is:
Mwen te chanje lekòl paske pwofesè nan lekòl m te ye a te fè m dezenterese nan klas la afòs li t ap anseye menm matyè a chak jou.

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

Mandaly, with Haitian Flag Day approaching it’s nice to hear of all the preparations being made for the celebration. Will you be celebrating in Haiti or in the USA?

Hi. I’ll be in the US. It’s definitely a privilege to commemorate Haitian Flag day in a foreign land. It’s a great experience. Although I’ve lived in the US for some years and feel at home there, I’m always surprised to be overcome by this wave of pride when I see my country’s flag erected on foreign soil. The emotions range from feeling patriotic, and then that of belonging and then euphoria when all I see before me is the colors and symbol that unites us as a people and smell our food and hear our music. The ambience is unreal! I’m pretty sure other Haitians have done it; just losing themselves in the ambiance, blinking really quickly to be transported back home for a few seconds. Celebrating Haitian Flag Day together, whether it’s in Florida, Massachusetts, New York, Canada or France is a great reminder of who we are, how far we’ve come as a Haitian people and the work that lies ahead in order to make Haiti a successful country.
L'union Fait La Force

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

Can you translate that for me. i m not able to get a good translation from mdevice. 'jan l di sa a se komsi li ta vle pase m nan ten ten' thanks.

'jan l di sa a se komsi li ta vle pase m nan ten ten'
He/she said it in a way as if to make fun of me.

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

How to say be good