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Wednesday, April 13, 2016

How would you say "can I get smaller bills, please" in the context of exchanging money?

Can I get smaller bills, please?
Eske w kapab ban mwen lajan an degrennen?

Let me have smaller bills please.
Degrennen lajan an pou mwen souple.

to break a bill - degrennen lajan an

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Monday, April 11, 2016

Friday, April 8, 2016

Tuesday, April 5, 2016

Friday, March 25, 2016

If I wanted to play the game “I’m thinking about something that…” and have kids guess what I’m thinking about would I say: “Divine sa m’ap panse…” and “M’ap panse sou yon bagay ki…”? What would be the most natural way to phrase this?

Hi. Although both can be used, the first one gets my mind ready to start guessing....feels more interesting.
And I think you would proceed slightly differently with whichever one you use. For example, if you're thinking about a banana,

Devine sa m’ap panse… li jòn ... li long... li se yon fui...
M’ap panse a yon bagay ki jòn... ki long... ki se yon fui...

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Thursday, March 24, 2016

What does lanjèz mean? I always hear "yo lanjèz"

Landyèz or landjèz - malicious, gossiping woman with a dirty mouth.

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Is there a certain poem or biblepassage, common at Creple weddings, that contain the phrase-you are the breath of my life. Please explain.

When you say Creole weddings, do you mean Haitian weddings?
 Nope, we do not have any traditional bible verse or poem that includes this passage in the Christian arena. There are a couple of traditional hymns that we do sing at Christian weddings, especially #312 of the Haitian Chants D'Esperance. These days most Haitian weddings are westernized, but you can still see traditional Haitian weddings in the countryside.
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Sunday, March 20, 2016

I'm looking for all the lyrics for "Li Touche m"

Kè mwen te chaje ak fado lou
Peche ak wont mwen te kouvri mwen
Alò men Jezi te touche m
Kounye a mwen santi vin chanje

Li touche m
O li touche m
E lajwa te neye nanm mwen
Yon bagay te pase
Kounye a m konnen
Li touche m nan gran bonte li

Depi m te jwenn Sovè beni an
Depi l te sove m e geri m
Mwen pap janmen sispann louwe li

M ap chante glwa li etènèlman

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What does "Mazonbel" means?

Friday, March 18, 2016

Just wondering if you know of any Haitian Proverbs related to gratefulness? Thank you!

Hi, a couple of proverbs about gratefulness:
Poul bwè dlo, men li pa bliye Bondye - Chickens drink water, but they don't forget God
Sonje lapli ki fè mayi leve - Remember the rain that makes corns grow.

And a couple of proverbs about ingratitude:
Ou pa ka chita sou kui bèf enpi w ap pale bèf mal - You can't sit on the cow's leather and then badmouth the cow.
Fè byen, granmesi nanpwen - There's never any thanks for good deeds
Granmesi bourik se kout baton - Gratefulness is shown to the donkey by whipping the donkey.


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Thursday, March 17, 2016

Hi Mandaly, what's the reference here? bet mouri kite mize pou pwal (or po)? thanks

I think is bèf (with an accented "e" and an "f" at the end) mouri kite mizè (with an accented "e") pou po (instead of pwal) li.

bèf mouri kite mizè pou po li - some people may have different meaning for this, but my grandmother used it to refer to what happens to this animal's hide after death. The hide is used in drum, whip, stool, floor mat fabrication and many other things.  She especially says it to refer to many beatings sustained by the drum's or conga's head.

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Yon zanmi m te ban m "Dous makos." Ou konnen manje sa a?

Wednesday, March 16, 2016

How do you say these terms in the context of playing a game: "it's your turn," "go clockwise" or "counter-clockwise"? Mèsi!

It's your turn - Se tou pa w. Sometimes we also say Se kou pa w.
your turn - tou pa w. or kou pa w.
Go clockwise - Ale an rotasyon adwat, tankou zegui yon revèy.
Go counterclockwise - Ale an rotasyon agoch, nan san envès zegui yon revèy.

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Thursday, March 10, 2016

Could you help me translate this instruction: “Read this story out loud, please. When you’re done you can keep it.” (I’m stuck on how to specify “out loud” as opposed to silently and on “keep it.”)

Haitians say a hot vwa or byen fò for out loud or aloud
to keep (in this instance) may be translated as kenbe or pran.

"Read this story out loud, please. When you’re done you can keep it.”  - Tanpri, li istwa sa a a hot vwa. Lè nou fini, nou mèt kenbe li.

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