Thanks so much for your work to make this website! Mesi anpil! I would like to ask if there are any rules for stress in terms of where the stress falls on individual words or sentences. In other words, if I want to speak more naturally, where should I put the accent when I speak? I haven't listened to much spoken Kreyol yet, so I'm sure I'll learn more as a listen more. Thanks again for you time and work, Lisa

Hi Lisa,
It would be extremely hard to answer this question in just a few lines, as you know each word is different. I would recommend that you find a way to practice what you have learn so far. Though practicing conversations with someone who knows the language well is the best way to achieve fluency, you may start by listening to Haitian radio program, watching Creole TV programs, sitting in in gatherings where Creole is spoken. If you do this, you might find a way to exchange words with peple who speak the langauge. Best of luck :)

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

Bonswa! Eske kek moun ka ekspikem kisa vle di "U fem nan yon lot vi"? Mesi

It means 'you put me in another life'.
It's more like: 'You gave me a new perspective on life'. It's about happpiness.

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

Hello, everyone. I am seeking some information regarding Kanaval (both in Haiti and around the world). Any help would be greatly appreciated:

 Hello, everyone. I am seeking some information regarding Kanaval (both in Haiti and around the world). Any help would be greatly appreciated: 

I recently got into a discussion with a group of people about the history behind carnival (not just in Haiti, but throughout the West Indies). One woman believed that carnival was a Catholic celebration with roots in European history. I was told a different story from a Haitian friend of mine (I am not Haitian). His understanding was that although Catholic figures are portrayed during the celebration, they historically represented figures from Voudou and African traditions, more so as a way for African, Taino, and other indigenous people to disguise their beliefs from their abusers/colonizers and that the suffering that the enslaved had to endure was so taxing physically and mentally that the slave captors allowed one day out of the year for the enslaved to experience freedom.... One day out of the year where the enslaved could drink alcohol, sing, dance naked in the street, anything goes.... So that is the celebration that we know as carnival today. Basically, it is a celebration of freedom. Another woman from the Virgin Islands believed that no slaves were allowed to participate in the street parades until 1838, but did have their own parties in their backyard and have mini carnivals. Then once slavery was abolished they used it as a celebration of freedom.

There is a lot of mixed information out there and I was just wondering if anyone could shed some light on this for me. Mesi anpil!

Mandaly says: In Haiti, it is a little different. One cannot talk about kanaval without mentioning rara which is the true celebration of freedom of expression that continues way into the night after kanaval. In rara, people file the streets after kanaval playing bamboos, cans, tanbou, whistles, the whip, singing, and dancing. It has its roots from the days of slavery that led to the Haitian revolution. Any such gathering was done at night, like the one where Boukman, a slave, a oungan, had the gatherers drink blood and made a pact to revolt.
Kanaval, to me, is about celebrating our culture and music. The tradition I remember as a child, at kanaval time,  was men totally covered in molasses, only wearing dry banana leaves to cover their loins and head, running into the streets every year.

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

Tanpri, is there a Haitian proverb that would be the equivalent of this scripture Eklezyas 4:6: “Li pi bon pou yon moun pran yon ti repo olye l plede ap travay di e li kontinye ap kouri dèyè van.”

I can think of 3 proverbs that are within the lines of this verse:

Anvi tout, pèdi tout
Zwazo ki chante pa gra
or even
Anbisyon touye rat

They all could mean that working hard doesn't usually gives you the results hoped for.

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

I love your blog!!! How do you say Let's have fun?? An nou gen.........? Mesi

Thank you :)

Let's have fun - An nou pran plezi nou. or Ann anmize nou.

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

Do you know any book resources for Haitian Creole?

It depends on what your needs are. Are you looking for beginner, intermediate, or advanced? Are you looing for books to learn Creole, or books to read ... to reinforce your Creole?

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

can you help explain the following expressions: "mewi" and "mezanmi" . thanks in advance.

Men wi! is an adverb (literally 'but yes') which may be translated as Sure!, Of course!, Naturally!, Indeed! etc....

Mezanmi (literally 'my friends') is an interjection that expresses surprise, shock, anger, happiness, and many other emotions in between, such as Oh God! Oh my God!, Oh my! Gee whiz!, Oh my goodness! Oops! etc....

Some examples:
Expressing happiness
Mezanmi, mwen kontan wè w.
I am so happy to see you!

Expressing shock and disbelief
Mezanmi, m pa ka kwè ke misye mouri.
Oh my God, I can't believe that he died.

Expressing annoyance
Mezanmi, sispann pale nan tèt mwen!
Please stop babbling!

Expressing  Oops moments
Mezanmi, mwen panke lage estati 12.000 dola a sou mozayik la.
Oops, I almost drop the $12,000 statue on the tile floor.

Expressing impatience
Fè vit non mezanmi!
Hurry!


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

How do you say "clock/punch in" and "clock/punch out" in creole? For example, "I clock in to work at 11 pm and I clock out from work at 7 am."

punch in - pwente lè w rive
punch out - pwente lè w ap kite

Did you punch in before you start working?
Èske w te pwente anvan w koumanse travay?

You must clock out before you take your break.
Ou dwe pwente anvan ou pran midi.

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

Hello Mandaly, thank you so much for your extremely useful site! My question, I've seen "Labib" and "Bib la" used to mean Bible, even both in the same sentence, but I can't figure out why one or the other would be used. What is the difference between the two, and in what context would each be used?

Thanks :)
There's no preference. There's no difference. Whether you say 'labib' or 'bib', they will be both considered as noun, and will take an article, such as 'labib la' or 'bib la'.

Whenever you have these types of nouns, it does not do too much except to give you options. For example:

Pote lakwa w. or Pote kwa w - Carry your cross

lalwa Moyiz la or lwa Moyiz la - the law of Moses

Mwen pale verite. or Mwen pale laverite. - I speak the truth.

Mwen pase tout lajounen an avè l. or Mwen pase tout jounen an avè l. - I spent the whole day with him/her.

It's a matter of preference.




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

Question: How do you say "hang out" Ex: I am hanging out with my friends

to hang out - pase tan, soti ak, ale nan zanmitay ak
I am hanging out with my friends - M ap pase tan avèk zanmi m.

We also say frekante in the sense of I don't hangout with these people - M pa frekante moun sa yo.

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

Hello Mandaly Is the word "bata" the only slang that means "to be about, to be on verge of, to be on the brink of" or are there other slang words beside this one?

My friend, you know there's always more in Creole :)
I wouldn't call it slang though. It's just a word that they might use in some regions more than others.
Some people may say bata, other might say tou pre or sanse or vanse or pa lwen, or sanlè...

Such as:
Nou bata rive
Nou pre rive
Nou vanse rive
Nou sanse rive
Nou pa lwen rive
Nou sanlè rive
They all mean 'we're almost there'.

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

Does the English word grace translate to favè in Haitian Creole?

Yes it could.

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

Hello Mandalay, Can you explain the usage of "La" in creole, specifically when referring to certain greetings or situations. For example "Kouman w ye la?" Why would the la? be added there? there are also similar situations where the la would be added. Thanks for your help!

Yes you will find that we use them especially when asking questions. In these instances 'la' is used as an adverb. Though it may represent there, at this time, at the moment, or right now there should be no attempt to translate it.  Those meanings are just implied.

Kouman ou ye la? - How are you?
Poukisa w ap fatige kò w la? - Why are you worrying?
Sa w ap di la? - What are you saying?
Poukisa w ap fè tout bagay sa yo la? - Why are you doing all this?
Kisa w vle di la? - What do you mean?
Kounye a la ou pa respekte m ankò? - What now, you don't respect me anymore?
Kisa nou dwe fè la? - What should we do now?

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

Is the Creole word for rape 'kadejak' derived from Cadet Jacques, the lecherous character from Justin Lhérisson's Zoune chez sa ninnaine?

Wi, ou kòrèk. Mo kadejak la vin sinonim ak vyòl gras a woman Misye Justin Lhérisson an.

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

What is the definition of the word "sanse" and how do you use it in a sentence?

sanse - to be expected to, intended to
also
sanse - on the verge of, practically

Nou te an reta pou reyinyon an. Nou te sanse ale ak Jeep la, men l te pran pàn.
We were late for the meeting. We intended to use the Jeep, but it broke down.


Nou swete w byenveni nan òganizasyon nou an. Kounye a nou sanse fanmi w. Ou mèt konsidere nou kòm fanmi.
We welcome you to our organization. Now we are practically family. You may think of us like family.

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