Bonjou! Learn to Speak Haitian Creole
Most requested translations added here for your convenience: I love you → Mwen renmen w. I miss you → Mwen sonje w. My love! → Lanmou mwen!
pronunciation of Li
First, Christ identified Himself with sinners by dying for them. Second, He was literally counted among the transgressors by dying between two thieves and therefore, viewed by many as common criminal.
Premyèman, Kris te idantifye ak pechè yo lè li te mouri pou yo. Dezyèman, yo te vin konte Li kòm yon transgresè lè li te mouri nan mitan de vòlè ki te gentan pote non gwo kriminèl
Apiye pou nou monte
Lean so we go up (literally)
Team up so we can succeed
Kole zepòl pou nou reyisi
Put our shoulders together to succeed (literally)
Team up so we can succeed.
Mete tèt nou ansanm pou nou reyisi.
Put our heads together so we can succeed
Team up so we can succeed
koute - tande?
M'ap koute w.
I'm listening to you.
Koute m tanpri.
Listen to me please.
Tande → to hear
Mwen tande w'ap pati.
I heard you're leaving.
Monte volim nan, mwen pa ka tande anyen.
Turn up the volume, I can't hear anything.
these are people
Based on what you might want to say, there might be a difference between a word to word translation and when everything is put into context
Haitian Creole word "kont"
Yo te reyini ansanm e yo t'ap tire kont.
They were gathered together and telling tales.
kont → enough, satisfactory, adequate
Would you like more food? No thank you, I ate enough.
Eske ou ta renmen plis manje? Non mèsi, mwen manje kont mwen.
Kont → against, oppposed
They arrested everyone who spoke against the government.
Yo te arete tout moun ki te pale kont gouvènman an.
kont - dispute, argument, friction
There's some friction between them.
Yo gen kont.
That girl's always looking for trouble.
Ti fi sa toujou ap chache kont.
Pou kont → by self, alone
pou kont ou → by yourself
pou kont li → by himself
pou kont nou → by ourselves.
Mwen pito rete pou kont mwen.
I rather stay alone.
Sou kont → in the trust of, on the account of
They entrusted me with everything.
Yo kite tout bagay sou kont mwen.
I left the kids in her care.
Mwen te kite timoun yo sou kont li.
The house is your responsibility in my absence.
Kay la sou kont ou lè m pa la.
Ala yon sovè espesyal mwen genyen lyrics - thanks :)
He hideth my soul (in Creole)
M'asire m Nan Kris lyrics, do you have it?
by Remy Lochard
Eske ou kapab di m ki diferans ki genyen ant sos pwa nwa kiben an ak sos pwa nwa Ayisyen an?
Mwen imajinen youn gen kèk klou jiwòf ladan l, epi lòt la pa genyen l :)
Gen de restoran Kiben ki konn rive fè sòs pwa nwa byen gou wi.
Yo fè li nan espesyalite pa yo.
Nou menm, Ayisyen, fè li nan gou pa nou.
How do you say "nothing happening"? Is it "Nan boule"?
A Haitian will definitely say: "Anyen non!" when they mean to say "nothing's happening" after you've asked them how they're doing.
Nothing's happening → anyen pa'p pase, pa gen anyen k'ap pase, anyen pa bouje
do you know the lyrics to the hymn "konbyen mwen dwe" i've heard two different ones. "mwen pa ka di konbyen mwen dwe..." "...mwen konnen sa li fe pou mwen, mwen kapab di konbyen mwen dwe.."
Lè Kris mouri se te pou mwen
Mwen mande eske m'ap konnen
konbyen mwen dwe, konbyen mwen dwe
konbyen mwen dwe lanmou san fen
konbyen mwen ka kris pou mwen
Mwen konnen sa li fè pou mwen
Mwen pa ka di konbyen mwen dwe
Sovè mwen nan Jetsemani
Te pase pi gran agoni
Se pou mwen soufrans sa te ye
kouman pou m di konbyen mwen dwe
Se te lanmou li gen pou mwen
ki fè l soufri yon mò wonte
Lè tout san kò li te koule
Li sove mwen konbyen mwen dwe
Lè m'a rive nan syèl la tou
Rete avèk li pou toujou
Mwen mèt pale di mil ane
Mwen p'ap fin di konbyen mwen dwe
if you were translating for a medical missions team, what are some key important phrases to know?
I'd recommend the English/Haitian Creole Medical Dictionary by Maude Heurtelou and Fequière Vilsaint. It's basic, but it'll be a start.
Mwen renmen ou anpil cheri
Mwen renmen w anpil ti cheri.
"I won't let you down" (as in "disappoint" or "fail").
I won't let you down.
Mwen pa'p fè w wont.
Mwen pa'p desevwa w.
Mwen kontan w? (I'm happy for you?)
I'm happy of you.
I'm proud of you.
I'm pleased with you.
Mwen kontan pou ou.
I'm happy for you.
"A wake-up call" in haitian creole. 'This was a wake-up call to everyone. So take pracautions."
This incident was a wake-up call to everyone.
Zafè sa a te yon avètisman pou tout moun.
This was a wake-up call to everyone.
Sa te yon mizangad pou tout moun.
So, take great precautions.
Konsa, pran anpil prekosyon.
Konsa, fè atansyon.
Konsa, mache sou trèz pou w pa pile katòz.
Konsa, mache sou pinga w pou w pa pile si m te konnen.
sometimes it looks like the definite article goes before the noun. Can they be interchanged (before or after a noun), or is there a rule? It looks like the same applies for adjectives.
Example:
liv la → the book
machin nan → the car
tant lan → the tent
soulye a → the shoe
soutyen an → the bra
The examples above contain the 5 different definite articles you will see in Haitian Creole.
2. Sometimes Haitian Creole speakers use the French definite articles (le, la) along with the root word, and makes it one "compound word". Remember that you will also see the word without the French article (ex: sante → health) and you'll see the word without the French article (ex: lasante → health). Keep in mind that you may still use the Haitian Creole definite articles (a, an, la, lan, or nan) after these types of words.
Example:
larivyè a sèch. → the river is dry
or
rivyè a sèch → the river is dry
Yo te klouwe sou kwa a. → They nailed to the cross
or
Yo te klouwe l sou lakwa a. → They nailed him to the cross.
other such words you may find in Creole are:
lemonn or monn → world
laverite or verite → truth
lalibète or libète → freedom
latè or tè → earth, soil
lagerizon or gerizon → healing
lapolis or polis →police
lavant or vant → sale
lagè or gè → war
lasosyete or sosyete → public, society
3. As far as the adjectives are concerned, there's a small groups of adjectives which come before the noun in Haitian Creole. See this link for adjectives.
are u haitian lol
Mwen soti nan nannan zantray kafou Pòtoprens.
Mwen leve Akayè.
Mwen fè plis klas segondè mwen nan Wane, ti cheri a
come mo tally la voo
This is neither Creole, nor French.
But it may pass for some type of French :)
I am putting on a volleyball camp for Haitians. How do I say "set the ball" and "hit the ball"? What is word for teammate?
How do you say "the girls' pen"? plim fi yo?
Since you asked that question, you probably already know that "plim" could also mean "pubic hair" (in Creole). So, don't be surprise if you get a few chuckles out of this one.
Jolet?
is it correct to say he speaks creole or haitian
or
He speaks Haitian Creole (if you want to be precise as to which Creole he speaks)
A few years ago, it was debated whether to change the name of the language to Haitian.
That's why, in some books, you will notice that they called it Haitian instead of Creole.
Haitian Creole
since i started school i haven't able to check out your blog. due to the fact that i have a lot of homeworks.
yeap, a load of homework would do that to you :)
pouki ou fem sa lanmou.
creole for health and safety
Hi Mandaly, I finally started the blog teaching Trinidad French Creole and its coming along very nicely. Keep up the Good work. I see many similarities between our Creole and yours. Bondyé benni'w machè!
Most of the Trinidadian Creole that I know, I've learned through songs.
I'd be delighted to learn more from your blog.
I wish you much success zanmi m!
Kenbe la.
- paijeFebruary 29, 2012 at 1:17 PMCan someone tell me what is Trinidadian Creole??ReplyDelete
I hope my friends from Trinidad would answer this question.ReplyDelete
Trinidadian Creole is basically the Creole spoken in Trinidad.
In Trinidad we actually dont call it Creole tho- we call it Patois, or French Patois. The word "creole" in everyday trinidadian is used to refer to people of African or African mixed descent, or their culture, but that's an old usage.ReplyDelete
Trinidadian Patios, Haitian Creole, and St. Lucian Creole are very similar though - they are basically the same language - Trinidad was never colonized by the French, but the Spanish allowed the French from other islands to settle in Trinidad - this they did, coming from Haiti esp around the time of the Haitian revolution, as well as from other french speaking islands at the time (like st/ Lucia). Trinidadian Patois and Creole are the same language that was spoken by the Africans who were transported thru the islands along with the french slavers. As an example - one of the most famous villages in Trinidad for its french heritage - Lopinot, is named after a Haitian white soldier and plantation owner who fled Haiti, along with his slaves, stopped off in st. Lucia before eventually settling in Trinidad.Replies
WOW. This is very helpful information. Thank you :)
How do you say why they so scared of one little skinny girl ?
What does toule mean?
tou le jou, toule jou → everyday
tou le swa, touleswa → every night.
toule dimanch → every Sunday
"Require" -This requires a lot of schooling
This requires a lot of schooling
Sa mande pase anpil tan lekòl
This requires some thinking.
Sa mande yon ti refleksyon.
to 'hurt one's feelings'
You hurt my feeling
Ou blese santiman m.
Ou fwase m.
I'm sorry I hurt your feelings
Eskize m deske m blese santiman w.
Eskize m deske m fwase w.
citrus fruits
How would say 'there may be...' as in "There may be blood".
*ka may also be written as kab or kapab
"Sak vid pa kanpe." What do you say in this?
Literally, it's a simple law of physics.
Figuratively, it's a simple rule of life: Your body needs food to survive.
Se ki kote mwen ka jouinn yon ti luil maskriti?
Se nan ki peyi w ye?
Si w nan peyi etranje, chache yon kominote/magazen Ayisyen.
Men si w Ayiti, w'ap jwenn sa nan tout ti kwen mache.
Chache, wa jwenn :)
'Nou tout nan ka'?
Nou tout nan ka.
Nou tout nan tchouboum.
Nou tout pran nan pèlen
Nou tout pran nan twa wa.
Nou tout pran nan mera.
We're all screwed.
"shortcut" - Do not take any 'shortcuts' with me please.
Do not take any shortcuts with me please.
Pa pran okenn chemen dekoupe avè m tanpri.
Ann fè lanmou.
I AM MOVING TO HAITI IN ABOUT A WEEK, FOR A YEAR. WHAT PHRASES SHOULD I KNOW?? I DON'T WANT TO GO AND NOT UNDERSTAND ANYTHING I THINK TOO MANY PEOPLE GO UNPREPARED... I REALLY NEED AUDIO!!!
At this point in time, get a Haitian Creole language learning book, and also a Creole-English/English-Creole dictionary. Bring them with you. You'll have plenty of time within that year to learn from the natives.
alèkile, alòkile, lèkonsa?
Alèkile (alòkile) → nowadays, these days
Alèkile ou pa salye m ankò.
Nowadays you don't say hi to me anymore.
Nowadays (in Creole) → alèkile, alòkile, sèjousi, sètansi, denojou, aprezan
Are you familiar with the song "Ole Ole" by Lakol? Could you help me with the lyrics (I really want to sing along) and the meaning?
Today we get up
Pa vle chita gade
Don’t want to sit around
Vini, an al danse
Come, let’s go dance
Yon konpa ki byen mate
A bouncing Konpa
An nou chante
Let’s sing
An nou danse
Let’s dance
Pa kite tan pase
Don’t let time pass
Tout moun mete deyò pou y al danse Lakòl
Nan kadans, bèl pawòl
With entertainment, beautiful ambiance
Nou pral kole zepòl
We’ll come together
Sa fè depi lontan n’ap ret tann moman sa
We’ve been waiting for this moment
Jodi a nou kontan pou nou ale
Today we’re happy to go
Leve pou n ale
Get up, let's go
Pa kite tan pase
Don’t let time pass
Leve leve leve pou nou ale
Get up, get up, get up so we can go
Aswè a m te la
Tonight I was there
Nou te ka danse, ole ole
To dance Ole! Ole!
Vini pou nou chante
Come sing
Vini pou n ale
Come let’s go
Mete men w anlè
Put your hands in the air
Pou nou sa danse
So we can dance
Jouk demen maten
Until morning
Vini pou n ale
Come let’s go
Men si w kontan met men w anlè
But if you’re happy put your hands up
Apiye sere pa frape mesye pou nou banbile
Lean closer, no bumping , guys,so we’ll have fun
How can I explain to someone when and how to use the following stress words in Creole: Mwen la WI Li pa la NON Ban m sa a NON
I have some non-Creole speaking friends who actually went around a whole day adding a "yes" after each positive sentences they uttered, and a "no" after each negative sentences. Mezanmi! Sa te komik! ☺
What is the difference between "Se ki kote ou rete?" and "Ki kote ou rete?"
Se (from French C'est which means It is/This is) doesn't really belong there (in front of the question). But, H. Creole speakers use it anyway. You will find this inquisitive se before any non-yes/no →Eske questions. Go ahead and try it. Check out the following examples And then you may use it when you talk to your Haitian friends :)
You will often hear:
Kouman ou rele?
or
Se kouman ou rele?
What's your name?
Kisa ou genyen?
or
Se kisa ou genyen?
What's wrong?
Ki kote w rete?
or
Se ki kote w rete?
Where do you live?
Kisa sa ye?
or
Se kisa sa ye?
What is this?
Kisa w'ap fè la?
or
Se kisa w'ap fè la?
What are you doing here?
A kilè w'ap fini?
or
Se a kilè w'ap fini?
What time will you be done?
Konbyen sa a koute?
or
Se konbyen sa a koute?
How much does this cost?
''How far should we go?" How would you ask that in Creole? Help with asking questions with 'How far...?'
How far is it?
Ki distans li ye?
Jouk ki bò li ye?
How far did you get?
Ki distans ou te rive?
Jouk ki bò ou te rive?
How far do I insert the thermometer?
Jouk ki bò pou m rantre tèmomèt la?
How far away are you?
Nan ki distans ou ye?
How far do you want to go with this?
Jouk ki bò w vle rive avèk sa?
what does she have to do
nice?
You're very nice.
Ou trè janti. / Ou janti anpil.
Ou trè emab. /Ou emab anpil.
Nice (day) → bon jounen
I had a nice day.
Mwen te pase yon bon jounen.
Act nicely toward someone → aji byen avèk, trete byen
They were very nice to me.
Yo te trete m byen.
Yo te aji byen avè m.
Yo te trè janti avè m.
Kindness → jantiyès
Thank for your kindness.
Mèsi pou jantiyès ou
Se mwen menm → It's me
Se li menm. → It's him/her. or That's it.
Se yo menm → It's them
Se nou menm → It is us.
Eske sa a se ou menm? → Is that you?
Non, se pa mwen menm. → No, it's not me.
"left" as in 'She's been left behind.' and 'How many do you have left'?
to be left behind → kite, abandone, lese
She's been left behind.
Yo kite l dèyè.
We left it on the porch.
Nou kite l sou galeri a.
They left the kids on their own.
Yo kite timoun yo pou kont yo.
left (remain v.), left over) → rete
How many do you have left?
Konbyen ou rete?
Is this all that's left?
Se tout sa ki rete?
They took all my money. I have nothing left.
Yo te pran tout lajan mwen. Mwen pa gen anyen ki rete.
ki kote ou prale
ki kote ou prale?
Where are you going?
http://sweetcoconuts.blogspot.com/2012/02/where-are-you-going.html
Mwen renmenw jouk mwen mouri
How do you say "Please pray"?
Lapriyè tanpri.
Lapriyè silvouplè.
Please pray for them.
Tanpri, lapriyè pou yo.
Please pray for us.
Tanpri, lapriyè pou nou.
How do you say "pills" in Creole?
medicine → medikaman, remèd
laxative → medsin, pigatif, lòk
liquid medicine → siwo
ointment → pomad, ponmad


