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Saturday, May 11, 2013

Èske w te ka di mwen ki sa vle di mo sa yo...

 1. devègwòn (from French "vergogne") unscrupulous, shameless, dishonest 

2. monte desann (use as verb or noun) labor the ups and down, hustling and bustling, be very busy with activities
    a. Depi maten m'ap monte desann nan lari a, men m pa regle anyen ditou.
        I've being very busy since this morning, but I haven't done anything really.

    b.  Mezanmi o! Se pa ti monte desann mwen te fè non, anvan magazen an resi ranbouse m lajan m. 
         Mezanmi!  It's not little labor I had to do for the store to finally refund me my money.
         Geez, I had to jump through hoops before the store finally refunded me my money.

3. Tonnè! (literally "thunder") (or Tonnè boule, Tonnè kraze, Tonnè krizous, Tonnè krizbòt, Fout tonnè!) → "swear cuss word"
    example:
     Tonnè boule m, m'ap regle avè w pou sa.
      I swear, I'll get back at you for that.

4. fè dibyen or fè byen  (French "faire du bien") →to do good deeds
    example:
     Misye se te yon nèg ki te fè anpil dibyen.
     He was a good man who did a lot of goods.

5. fè dimal or fè mal (French "faire du mal")  → to do s.o. wrong

6. deng (dengonn, dengòt) → ass
     Example  
     Si w rate yon peman machin, kreditè pral kole nan deng ou, yo pa'p ba w souf non.
    If you miss a car payment, creditors will be right up your buttock, they won't let you breathe.

7. dengòt (same as deng)

8. bwachat (ale bwachat) → to die
    Example:
    L'al bwachat.
    She died.

9. blofè n. → liar, deceiver
    blòf n. → lie, deception
    blofe, bay blòf → to deceive, to lie
    Example:
   Pa kwè anyen li di w.  S'on blofè li ye.
   Don't believe anything he says to you.  He's a liar.

10. granpanpan → snobbish, pompous, showimg off
      Example:
     Li pa menm gen lajan enpi l'ap fè granpanpan.
     He doesn't even have money, and he's being pretentious.

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

'Lè w'al lakay avèg, fèmen je w'. Does this mean 'when in Rome do as the Romans do?


Anjeneral, se sa wi.  Sa vle di pou w adapte ak lantouray ou.


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

Mandaly, is one able to say both "M ta renmen sa (for that)". and "M ta renmen sa a (for this)"? And also,in affected speech, can you tell the difference between "sa" and "sa a" in these two sentences? Mesi anpil.


Yes in these sentences, I can tell the difference.

"M ta renmen sa."
"I would like that."

"M ta renmen sa a'
"I would like this one ( or that one).


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

'Remèsiman se va flè sou tonm mwen' Thanksgiving will be a flower on my grave? Ki lè ou ta itilize fraz sa a?


My grandmother used to say that a lot whenever someone is grateful towards her.
To her (and to me) it means:  Your gratitude will serve as flower on my tomb.


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

Tanpri tradui fraz sa a pou mwen: 'l'a kraze brize jouk li fese kò a atè mò rèd'.

"l'a kraze brize jouk li fese kò a atè mò rèd'. 
"He/She/it will cause damage until he/she/it knocks the body to the ground dead."  

fese (or bay yon fese) atè → to beat up, to spank, to throw to the ground, to conquer

Mwen fese l atè.
I knocked him to the ground.




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

Bonjou Mandaly. M swete tout bagay anfòm avè w. :) Kesyon mwen se èske yon mo oubyen fraz an Kreyòl ki vle di 'don't take it personal' oubyen 'it's not personal'?

Wi mèsi tout bagay anfòm nèt maten an.  Mwen toujou panse se yon gran privilèj pou fè pati nan bèl inivè Bondye kreye a.  Lanati avèk lanmou Bondye se yon sous enspirasyon pou mwen.  M'ap pwofite yo jouk sa kaba.  M'espere se menm bagay la pou ou tou :)

There's a Haitian Creole expression that says:
M voye dlo, m pa mouye pèsonn.
I throw water, I don't get anyone wet.
It means:
I'm talking generally, don't anyone take it personally.

We use that expression (a lot :) in the sense of "Don't take it personally"
or you can say:
Pa pran sa pèsonèl non.
Pa pran sa mal.
M pa lonje dwèt sou pèsonn. (I'm not pointing at anyone)
Don't take it personally


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

Friday, May 10, 2013

Hello there! Can you help me translate in Haitian creole: "trailer with low underneath clearance"

"trailer with low underneath clearance"
"remòk ki gen wotè limit ba"

Maximum Clearance 2 feet
Wotè Limit 2 pye.

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

"Si w we m mize, se pou m ka pote bon nouvel" (from the Word of the Day), is that an expression?

Si'w wè'm mize, se pou m ka pote bon nouvèl
If I delay, it is so that I can bring good news.
If your deliverance takes longer, it is because it's worth waiting for (or a similar translation)

This expression is to encourage someone to have patience......
There may an English expression that is similar but I do not know it.

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

I have a mural that I will be painting in St. Martin near Les Cayes. Could you help me with the words so I am able to say them in Creole? This is a link to the article when I went in Feb 2013: http://www.gainesvilletimes.com/archives/80862/

Gainesville Artist Teaches Haitians to 'Paint' Mural Using Recycled Trash

Church → legliz   (pronounced: lay-gleez)
Cross - kwa, or lakwa   (pronounced: ko-a, or la-ko-a)
gate - baryè   (pronounced: ba-ri-yɛ)
flag - drapo   (pronounced: d-ra-po)
Rooster - kòk   ( pronounced: kɔk)
ball - balon   (pronounced: ba-lon)
rocks - wòch   (pronounced: wɔ-sh)
Palm tree - pye palmis   (pronounced: pje-pal-mees)
chicken - poul   (pronounced: pool)
chicks - ti pousen   (pronounced: tee-poo-sen)
cow - bèf   (pronounced: bɛf)
girl - fi, tifi   (pronounced: fee or tee-fee)
water - dlo   (pronounced: D-lo)
well - pui, pui dlo, οr pi dlo   (pronounced: pee-d-lo)
bucket - bokit   (pronounced bo-keet)
butterflies - papiyon   (pronounced: pa-pee-yon)
horse - chwal   (pronounced: sho-al)
shell - kokiy   (pronounced ko-keey)
fish  - pwason   (pronounced poa-son)
sea turtle - tòti lanmè   (pronounced tɔ-tee-lan-mɛ)
sea weed  - algi, or plant akwatik   ( pronounced: a-gee)
dolphin - dofen   (pronounced:  do-fen)
bobber - apat, or flotè   (pronounced a-pat or flo-te)
trap - zatrap   (pronounced: za-t-rap)
starfish - zetwal lanmè   (pronounced zay-toal-lan-me)
sun - solèy   (pronounced so-lɛ-y)
goat - kabrit   (pronounced ka-breet)
pig - kochon   (pronounced ko-shon)
mango tree - pye mango   (pronounced pje-man-go)
banana tree - pye bannann   (pronounced pje-ban-nan-n)

http://www.gainesvilletimes.com/archives/80862/

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

What would be a good word for rest and relaxation?

rest and relaxation
repo ak detant

a little rest and relaxation
yon ti kanpo
yon ti detant
yon ti repi




How would it be best to say "House of Rest and Relaxation" for the name of a guest house?  Thanks.
I am thinking you could say:

Mezon detant
Mezon detant ak repo
Kay pou detant ak lwazi
Mezon lwazi (where lwazi means "leisure")
Kay pou lwazi
Mezon repo
Kay pou repo
Mezon konje (where konje means "time off")
Mezon serenite
Yon kay pou serenite

Mezon retrèt or Kay pou Retrèt (are retirement homes)
 
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