Hi Mandaly! What does this expression mean, "Jodia dan pouri gen fòs sou bannann mi"? Thanks!

Well, basically it's always been that way ----Dan pouri toujou gen fòs sou banana mi. (a rotten tooth always prevails over ripe bananas)
 The proverb in question suggests things as they usually are.
Other proverbs that may be in the same category:
Ravèt pa gen rezon devan poul. (Roaches don't have a chance when it's time to face chickens)
Jodi pou ou, demen pou yon lòt. (Today is your turn, tomorrow is someone else's.)
Yon jou pou chasè, yon jou pou jibye. (a day for the hunter, a day for the prey)

Your question is a little confusing because the word jodia erroneously implies that the tables have turned.






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

s "chagren" ever used as a verb when I want to say "I miss you"? Eg.: Mwen chagren w I also know I can say: Ou manke m, Mwen sonje w.

Hi,
It is best to use chagren as an intransitive verb if using it as a verb.
Kè m chagren.
Mwen chagren.
Maybe you could say ou ban m chagren lè w pa la or kè m chagren lè w pa la.

Chagren n. - anguish, sorrow, grief, heartache, regret....
Chagren v. - to be filled with grief


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

Pitit fi mwen, se pou w aprann tande lè yo pale ou.

Thank you Willeen for sending in this beautiful poem:

Pitit fi mwen, se pou w aprann tande lè yo pale ou. 

Avanse pi pre, pou m bay de twa ti koze 
  
Met zorèy ou byen fen pou w tande lè yo pale ou.  
                  
Depi m te tou piti maman m te pase m mesaj sa a tou.      
   
Pawòl sa yo te toujou nan tèt mwen, yo te ede m pase tout gè katòz
                                     
Y ava itil ou pou w pase nan pikan, pou w manje tout kalite zèb...   

E lè w di vwazinaj yo lonè, y ava toujou reponn repè pou ou. 

Pitit fi mwen, se pou w aprann tande lè yo pale ou. 
    
      
Ou gen yon trezò nan men w pitit mwen, w ale lekòl toulejou. 

Se vre chimen an pa fasil e li chaje gèp panèl. 

Men fò w ou toujou sonje... 

Apre bondye, se li k manman w, se li k zanmi w, se li k manje w,  e se li k tout ou. 

Se pou w renmen li, anbrase li, ancheri li, ba li tout nanm ou. 

Paske tout kote w ap pase, se li k ap akonpaye w. 

Angle, franse, panyòl, doktè, agronòm, pwofesè ,..

Yo tout se li. Pitit fi mwen toujou koute lè yo pale ou.   

                       
Jodia dan pouri gen fòs sou bannann mi, 

Pa solèy leve sou ou pitit di m, lanati va ban m rezon sou ou . 

W ava bezwen pran yon tèt zegui nan on chan mayi. ou p ap trouve li.    

Lamizè gen gou anmè, soufrans san konfyans se kraze nana. 

Men paske ou te tande m, lanati va louvri bra l pou ou, 

Zetwal va bat bravo pou ou, 

Linivè va kontan paske ou te ede l. 

Pitit fi mwen...lavi mwen...koute lè yo pale ou.

By Willeen (2016)

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

Mandaly, could you explain the rule, when to pronounce a hard "nn" as opposed to a nasal "en", such as in jén?

Sure.
If there is a double n or an accented letter before the n, then you will the "nn" prononciation, as in
kabann
lamàn
ijyèn
lapenn
reponn
sann
bann
pann
pàn
Otherwise it should bea nasal (non-resonating sound).
manman
tonton
lapen
san
ban
pan

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

HI Mandy, I realize now that 1 carreau de terre is not 1 acre.what's the equivalency? thanks

1 kawo tè is approximately 1/3 of an acre.

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

Question: What does "lanjèz"mean and "fè zè"? Are they the same?

fèzè- people who likes to brag.
landyèz - scandalous and slanderous person

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

Question: Can the Creole word "men" have another meaning aside from "hand" or "but"? Could "men" translate to a contraction? I am trying to translate this sentence: "Oke kijan ye Men"

No. it is not a contraction of any word.

people usually say Kijan ou ye menm? it's an expression which means How are you?

As for the word men, you can use it in  other expressions and terms other than 'hand' or 'but'.
For example, men can translate here in this sentence Men ni/li. → Here it is.
Another example would be Men liv mwen te prete nan men w lan. which means Here's the book I borrowed from you. The first 'men' means 'here' and the second means 'hands'.

Don't forget that as a conjunction, men can also translate however, yet, still, etc...

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

Question: Map brase vodou nan bouda What does that mean?

Lol!
It basically means "I'm going to do some voodoo after you" - and this was not said in a nice way.
Thanks
Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

Duke HAITI LAB | MIT-Ayiti | Kreyòl Alphabet Song

Here's a summary of the Haitian Creole Alphabet project.
Should be very helpful for those of you who had some questions.
Thanks

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

How do you say: “Put your hands down, please” and “wait your turn” and “don’t grab”? (the context is getting mobbed by kids trying to grab stickers or such out of your hands ;)

Awesome :)

Put your hands down, please.  
Desann men ou tanpri. (singular)
Desann men nou tanpri. (plural)

You may put your hands down.
Ou mèt desann men ou.
Nou mèt desann men nou.

Wait your turn.
Tann tou pa w.

Don't grab (them).
Pa fè va sou yo.

You can also say: Pa fè va sou mwen  which would mean don't mob / rush together towards me

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

Bonswa , m gen yon kesyon , m ta renmen konnen si let H fe pati alfabe lang kreyol la , paske nan liv Iv Dejan H pa egziste paske se yon lang myet . M te byen kontan jwenn yon repons souple. Mesi

Bonswa zanmi.

Wi, lèt H a fè pati òtograf  kreyòl la wi.
Ou va jwenn lèt sa a nan mo tankou lahèn, hounfò, anhan, enhen, hinghang, hey, lahont, hougan, etc.....

Alfabè Kreyòl la genyen 32 lèt/son.
Sa yo se lèt nan alfabè kreyòl la.

a      an    b    ch      d      e      è     en    f

g       h     i     j         k     l       m    n     ng  

o     ò     on     ou    oun     p       r        s      t    

ui       v     w      y      z

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

How do I ask "Where can I get my shirt ironed?"

Ki kote mwen kapap pote chemiz mwen pou yo repase li?

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

When would you use this proverb: "Chemen long pa touye moun" ? Thank you

I would use it if I wanted to encourage someone who's working on a long-term goal or a time-consuming project, to discourage them from taking shortcuts an to keep their eyes on the rewards of  perseverance.
Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

Why do you think about the official language being french instead of kreyol? Do you speak french or would like to learn ? Or do you feel kreyol is the pride of the haitian people?

Creole is the language that we speak from birth.
It is the language we speak at home.
It is the language we hear even when we are still in our mother's womb.
It is the language in which we say our first word.
It is the language in which we're most comfortable to curse you
It is the language in which we express our love to you
French is awesome, yes. It is part of our heritage too. The majority of Haitians start learning French once they start going to school. So we either speak or understand French. But Creole is the language that unites us as a Haitian people. Thanks
Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

La gè aveti pa touyé kokobé. Sal vlé di?

Sorry for the delay in answering your question.

This proverb means the same as "The early bird gets the worm'

If you require an explanation, let me know :) Thanks

Blackmasta says

I think it means If I act first, I have more chance of being successful.

mandaly says

You got it!

Literally it says: War that is predicted doesn't kill the handicap.

I'll translate it as, in a race the disadvantageous people should know to get a head start.

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