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Tuesday, June 9, 2015

what is fe ti jezi nan pok rab

Do you mean, fè ti Jezi nan po krab?
It means to pretend to be shy or modest.

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

What does zizirit mean?

Zizirit is used in many different ways from the tingle you experience from being pricked, or pain in the neck to the expression ‘deal with it’.
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Do you know if there is a Haitian proverb about being accountable for your actions? Thanks!

Sa w fè se li w wè.
or
Jan w ranje kabann ou se jan w dòmi.
or
Se mèt kò ki veye kò.
or
Sa w plante se li w rekòlte.
or
Bat chen Legrant, tann Dajanson
or
Bat chen an, tann mèt li

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Monday, June 8, 2015

What is "sonnen ason"?

How would you say, "my stomach's growling"! And also what does, "anviwotman" vle di? Thank You!

My stomach is growling - Vant mwen ap bouyi ( indicates a rumbling stomach because of nervousness, indigestion, etc...)

Other great ways to say I'm hungry in Creole.
Ti trip mwen ap vale gwo trip mwen
Trip mwen ap kòde
Lestomak mwen vid
Grangou anpare m 

Concerning your word "anviwotman", I don't think it exists in Creole. Did you mean 'avòtman' or 'anviwònman'?

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Saturday, May 30, 2015

Once when I asked a father how long his child had had a particular condition, he told me "depi li fet, depi li tombe a ter". Is "tombe a ter" used generally for an idiom meaning birth, or was I just listening to a really colorful speaker? Mesi!

We do not generally use the term tonbe atè in reference to humans. This father might have been a farmer.
We use the term mete atè (to give birth to animals, such as a cow giving birth).
So people may say something like:
Manman bèf la met atè jodi a.
The cow gave birth today.
and subsequeltly:
Depi bèf la tonbe atè li leve kanpe l mache.
Once the little cow is born it gets up and walks.

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I blessed the Lord for you guys. Peace be with you all.

Friday, May 29, 2015

I learned that the word "clever" from a Haitian dictionary means "madre", which I never heard before, but I know it means "malen" as well. I also just learned from your previous post that "clever" also means "je kale". What do you think of them and what are other words for "clever"? Also, what are specific words for "cleverness" and "smartness" respectively?

All these Creole words you cited are synonymous to the word clever, but they have different meanings.
One can be clever as in resourceful, or clever as in cunning, or clever as in  wise.

So if you were an interpreter and someone asked you to translate the word clever, you should ask for the context first.

All the following H. Creole words can translate the English word clever
madre, mètdam, malen, rize can mean cunning, sly, crafty, etc...
debouya, degajanresourceful
entelijan, eklere, maton, fò - smart
etc...

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Thursday, May 28, 2015

Can you explain 'se male w' please? se male w si moin pa jwen ou la...

This expression is a warning or cautionary advice
We usually say "se malè w", "malè a ou" or just "malè w"

M ap fè yon sòti pou yon ti moman, se malè w si w kite moun antre nan kay la.
I'm going out for a little while, don't you let anyone in the house.

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How would you say, "I wish you wouldn't take me for granted." Mesi anpil.

take for granted - pran pou restavèk, pran pou timoun ki rete avèk .... trete san konsiderasyon

Example:
I wish you would give more consideration. You take me for granted.
Mwen swete ou ta ban m plis konsiderasyon. Ou pran m pou ti moun ki rete avè w.

I wish you wouldn't take me for granted.
Mwen swete ou pa ta trete m kon moun ki ret avèk ou.
or
Mwwen swete ou ta trete m avèk plis konsiderasyon.

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Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Can you explain rwa pa kouzen , prezidan pa beaupe –

Wa pa kouzen , prezidan pa bòpè, an expression that describes someone who’s pretentious, indifferent, self-sufficient …or at least thinks that he is.


Example:
Kote wè Jean-Marie ye la, depi l te fin genyen $2500 nan lotri a wa pa kouzen l, prezidan pa bòpè l.
You see this Jean-Marie guy? Since he won $2500 in the lottery he's been very indifferent.

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"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