what exactly is 'simagri' in Creole? I know about 'grimacing'. Someone told me it means gesture and I asked if it was any type of gesture like waving hello. She said no. What kind of gesture do you use this word for then? Thanks.

You can use it to describe gestures that are annoying, activities or patterns that are irritating, and even disorderly or hysterical conduct.

Let's say: a comedian/performer who's on stage trying to make funny gestures, but is not funny at all.
You can say: Misye moute sou podyòm nan, li fè yon bann simagri. Pa gen moun ki ri.

Let's also say: a grown person throwing a huge tantrum because he didn't get his way.
You can say: Misye lage kò l atè, li fè yon bann simagri.


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how do you say 'next door' as in 'next door neighbor'? Thanks Mandaly . Awesome blog!

nextdoor neighbor - vwazen, vwazen a kote a, vwazen ki tou pre a, vwazen ki anfas la
use vwazin for female neighbor

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What is a LAGON? Ex: frape baton an sou lagonan ak tout rezèvwa dlo yo Thanks

lagon - lake, river, lagoon

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Salut, m panse siw te konekte blog a ak lot sosyal network tankou facebook e twitter ou tap jwenn plis trafik. mesi, Haitien

Mèsi anpil! Petèt mwen va fè sa.
M'apresye kòmantè ou.

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

What is a GANMÈL in this sentence please: yo te vin nan pi a pou yo pran dlo e pou yo plen ganmèl yo ak dlo

Ganmèl is a container for holding water. It maybe used for showers as a wash basin or for water storage.
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What is the meaning of the word CHOUKÈT in the following sentence please: Li di yo: “Lè n ap ede medam ebre yo akouche , lè nou wè yo sou choukèt, si nou wè timoun nan se yon tigason, touye l, men si se yon tifi, kite l viv.”

Choukèt is a birthing stool or chair which women use to support their hips during childbirth.

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How do you write happy in Creole

happy - kontan

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Hello, Please help me with this. How is the word twouve used when it begins a sentence. For example: Twouve, te vin gen yon gwo grangou nan peyi a, apre premye gwo grangou ki te genyen nan epòk Abraram nan

We say twouve, vin twouve ke or twouve ke - it so happens that, it happens that or incidentally

Madanm nan te voye toude timoun yo lekòl la san dejene. Twouve ke m te gen yon ti monnen nan pòch mwen, mwen te tou achte de (2) wayal ba yo.
The women sent both kids to school without breakfast. Incidentally I had some change in my pocket, so I bought them 2 wayal.

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What is a common or colloquial name for farmers? Is there a common name or phrase used to describe farmers or those involved in agriculture? A sort of collective name?

Most Haitians would say abitan. In more cultivated environment educated people would say  kiltivatè or agrikiltè

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

Is there any good better version of gospel song Jéricho miray la kraze because I can't find any?

You must be asking about a better 'audio' version.
I haven't come across a professionally recorded version yet.


Jeriko miray la kraze (3 fwa)
nanpwen miray Jezi p ap kraze

Ad lib
Miray peche
Nanpwen miray Jezi p ap
Miray pwoblèm
Nanpwen miray Jezi p ap kraze

Gen yon men ki frape nan pòt la (2 fwa)
O O Senyè
Gen yon men ki frape nan pòt la

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Hi Mandaly, are the terms moute kabann and pran kabann interchangeable? also, what is pran sak?

moute kabann (ale kouche) - to go to bed
pran kabann - to be confined to bed because of illness, depression or some type of suffering
pran sak - to pray on sackcloth

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Hi I learned about FE MANTI (lying) and BAY MANTI(to tell a lie), but what is NAN MANTI?

It also means to be lying, to be full of lies

To tell a lie
Fè manti
bay manti
nan manti ak
also:
benyen ak manti (use when there's an object)
sometimes:
benyen anba manti (use when there's an object)

examples
1.
He lies.
Li manti
Li nan manti
Li fè manti

2.
He lied to everyone.
Li bay tout moun manti.
Li benyen tout moun anba manti.
Li benyen tout moun ak manti.

3.
You lied to me.
Ou ban m manti.

4.
I can't lie.
M pa ka fè manti
M pa ka bay manti

5.
I cannot lie to you.
M pa ka ba w manti.

6.
So and so is lying to me.
Entèl nan manti avèk mwen.

7.
You're lying to yourself.
Ou nan manti ak tèt ou.

8.
Mwen pa fouti di m renmen w. Mwen pa ka nan manti ak tèt mwen.
I cannot say that I love you. I can't lie to myself.

9.
To lie about someone
Fè manti sou yon moun.
Bay manti sou yon moun

10.
You lied about me.
Ou te fè manti sou mwen.



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Mandy, is there an expression in creole equivalent to "counting your chickens before they hatched"? thanks

Yes. It's Pa konte ze nan vant poul

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

Eske w konn gou bouch ou?

konnen gou bouch ou
or
konn gou bouch ou
know/taste/mouth/your
To know what's good for you
To know what's you want
To know how to choose for your own interest.

1.
Eske w konn gou bouch ou?  
Do you know what's good for you? 
Do you know what you like?
Do you know what you want?

2.
Nou konn gou bouch nou. Nou konn sa nou vle.
We know what's good for us. We know what we want.

3.
Nan zafè chwazi gason, gen anpil fanm ki pa konn gou bouch yo.
When it comes to choosing a man, many women do not know what they want.

When Joan's family met her husband for the first time. they saw that he was a simple, homely man with no future, no money, and no ambitions......
Everyone said, "Joan pa konn gou bouch li"
How would you translate the Creole sentence that everyone said?

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Mèsi anpil pou enfòmasyon ki nan blog ou a. Èske genyen diferans ant "lapriyè" ak "priyè"? Mwen kwè pa gen okenn diferans ant mo sa yo. Èske mwen korèk? M konnen vèb la se "priye". E, ki sa ou t ap di sou "lespri" ak "espri"? Èske gen diferans?

Bonswa!

Wi. Sa w di a se sa. Pa gen diferans ant mo priyè ak lapriyè ki vle di envokasyon onswa rekèt

Pa gen diferans, nonplis, ant mo espri ak lespri ki vle di konpreyansyon, entelijans, onswa zonbi. 

Men gen de sikonstans nan lang lan kote li fè plis sans pou itilize youn sèlman. Yon egzanp: Li se moun lespri (ki vle di: Li edike) Mwen pa kwè w ap jwenn moun ki va di: Li se moun espri.

Kòm ou dwe deja konnen, se atik franse a (le, la, les, l’) ki fè yon sèl avèk mo kreyòl la ki vin ba ou, kòmkwa, yon prefiks nan mo a.

Lòt egzanp konsa, se: espwa onswa lespwa; delivrans onswa ladelivrans; kranp onswa lakranp; rezon onswa larezon; etsetera…

Dakò, mèsi. W a kenbe la.

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