I saw your blog and you had answered this, but wasn't sure as there are many ways the word stop could be used. When I was in Haiti any Stop sign I saw was in English. What word in Haitian Creole should be on a Stop sign...sispann? Thank you so much!

Hi!
I love your question. Why, indeed, are all the stop signs in Haiti in English? Maybe when the Haitian government ordered the stop signs they sent them the wrong batch, and the H. government never thought to return them. No return slip included?

Anyways, the proper terminology for a stop sign on the streets of Haiti should be arè which means to halt. It comes from the French arrêt (noun), the verb is arrêter in French, and rete in Creole.

Other words in Creole that means to stop is kanpe.
Kanpe la! - Stop there!
Kanpe machin nan  / Rete machin nan - Stop the car
Kanpe mizik la - Stop the music

It would be hard to use sispann in that sense. Sispann means to cease or to end something.
Li sispann pale. - He stopped talking
Konpani manifakti a sispann fè modèl rad sa a. - The manufacturing company stopped making this type of dress.
To use sispann by itself, you'll need a context.
Li lè pou sispann manje gato. Sispann! - It's time to stop eating cake. Stop!


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

Bonjou! When I was in Haiti a couple months ago we used a popular greeting with a fist bump, but I don't know how to spell it or what it literally means. It sounds like "ah - fom" in english. I would have expected the Kreyole to be like "an fam" or similar. Do you know what it is? Thanks,

Bonjou zanmi. With the fist bump greeting, they are saying "anfòm".

Anfòm can be used various ways. Usually it means awesome, great, excellent, attractive or sexy (if you're describe a female's physique), athletic or good-looking (if you're describing a male's body). When someone asks you about how your day is going, you can say anfòm! if you're having a good day.

Anfòm?

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

How do you say: "We are friends in Christ."

We are friends in Christ. - Nou se zanmi nan Kris.
We are friends in Jesus Christ. - Nou se zanmi nan Jezikri.

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

Hi Mandaly. Can you translate this proverb for me? What does it mean? le gen lanmou, gen doule

So true, isn't it? "Lè gen lanmou, gen doulè" - ""When there's love, there's pain."

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

how would you say present tense meaning they are doing it right that second? For example... I am sitting. I am cleaning. I am eating.

Use "ap" as the present progressive indicator

I am cleaning. -  Mwen ap netwaye.
I am cleaning the room. Mwen ap netwaye chanm nan.

I am singing. - M ap chante. ("M" being a contraction of 'Mwen')

I am eating. - Mwen ap manje. or M ap manje.
We are eating. - Nou ap manje. or N ap manje.


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

How can I say: "bust line, chest line, waist line and hips line" for teaching dress-making? Thanks a lot!

bust line - pwatrin
waist line - tay
hip line - kuis

bustline measurement - mezi pwatrin nan
What's your waist line measurement - ki mezi tay you
Take the hip line measurement - Pran mezi kuis la.

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

M salye ou. Mwen se yon ayisyen ki fet Itaz Ini. Mwen gen lontan map chache yon liv ki esplike reg grame kreyol la. Eske ou pa gen okenn ide sou ki jan mwen ka jwen akse ak yon liv konsa?

Bonjou zanmi, mèsi pou kesyon w lan. Kite m ba w enfòmasyon sou sit lengiwstik MIT kote ou va jwen lyen pou pifò ouvraj ki genyen sou lang kreyòl la.  Pou le moman, liv gramè ke nou va jwenn sou kreyòl la se liv tankou  "Ann Aprann Òtograf Kreyòl la" avèk plizyè lòt atik ki atake diferan pòsyon nan gramè lang lan. Tanpri, tcheke lyen sa a: http://t.co/h1MtJdrcfc

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

Can you translate 'se sèl sa yo te ka fè"? What is "sa" and "te"? Thanks

Se sèl sa yo te ka fè.
It's all they could do.

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

Is it best to use the word 'andikape' as opposed to 'kokobe' when referring to a handicapped person in Haitian Creole?

Yes. We use the word andikape or enfim.

yon moun enfim - a handicapped person
yon moun andikape - a handicapped person

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

This blog is amazing! How can I say" we miss you very much and we will be back to see you soon"? Mesi!

Thanks!

We miss you very much and we will be back to see you soon.
Nou sonje w anpil e nou va retounen wè w byento.


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

sèjousi meaning?

sèjousi - these days, lately

M pa wè w sèjousi. Kote w ye konsa? Sa w ap regle?
I haven't seen you lately. Where have you been? What are you up to?

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

How do you say sides in kreyol? Like if I was getting a haircut and I wanted to say to the barber "Cut the sides" how would I say that?

sides - bò, kote, arebò

cut the sides (haircut) - taye arebò yo

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

How do you say "I'm confused"?

I'm confused - Mwen twouble
I'm confused - Lespri m bwouye.

I was so confused - M te fin gaga nèt.

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

How do you say ... or disturbance in creole. And also could you .......

disturbance (ruckus)  - lòbèy, deblozay, lobo, or kabouya

Jean caused a lot of disturbance at work when the boss fired him.
Jean te fè yon bann lobo nan travay la lè patwon an te revoke l.

2.
disturbance (illness) - twoub
emotional disturbance - twoub mantal

This doctor also treats people with mental disorders.
Doktè sa a trete moun ki gen twoub mantal tou.

3.
disturbance (shaking) - soukous, sakaj

We experienced a lot of disturbance during the flight today.
Avyon an te ban n yon bann soukous pandan vòl la jodi a.

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

How do you refer to someone's height in creole? Like if I said "He's 5'10", how is that said?

What is your height?
Ki wotè w?

I am 5'10".
Wotè m se 12.7 cm. (cm is preferred)

5 feet - senk pye
10 inches - dis pous

I am 5 feet 10 inches.
Wotè m se senk pye, dis pous.



How much do you weigh?
Konbyen w peze?

I am 145 pounds.
Mwen peze san karannsenk liv.

You gained weight.
Ou gwosi. or
Ou pran pwa.

You lost weight.
Ou megri. or
Ou kase. or
Ou pèdi pwa.


What size clothes do you wear?
Ki gwosè rad ou mete?
Ki lajè rad ou mete?

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