Èske w ta eksplike sòti tankou yon 'helping verb'? Pa egzamp ki sa vle di egzakteman 'li sòti pè'?

"Li soti pè" sounds to me like "He became a priest."

Other than to go out, to go outside, to come out
Soti or sot is used to say to come from:

1. Mwen soti New York.
    Mwen sot New York.
    I come from New York.

2.  Mwen fèk soti lavil.
     Mwen fèk sot lavil.
     I just came from town.


You can use "soti" as a verb helper here too:

3. Mwen sot wè li.
    I just saw her.

4. Mwen sot pale avè li.
    I just spoke to her.

5. Nou sot benyen nan larivyè a.
    We were just bathing in the river.
     We just come from bathing into the river.


Soti is also used to say to come out as, to become:
6.  Tout timoun ou yo soti byen.
      All your children have become well behaved/grounded kids.

7.  Mwen mete pen yo nan fou a, yo tout soti tou boule.
     I put the bread in the oven, they came out all burned.


We can also use soti to say from one thing to another, from one place to another
8. soti nan yon kote ale nan lòt la
    to come out of one place and go into another.

9.  Mwen te kondui sot New York ale Miami nan yon jou.
     I drove from New York to Miami in one day.

10. Nou te mache soti nan ri Touusaint rive nan ri Dessalines.
      We walked from Toussaint Street to Dessalines Street.

11.  Aswè a n'ava priye soti nevè nan aswè rive jouk senkè nan maten.
       Tonight we'll pray from nine p.m. until five a.m.

12. Distans pou nou kondui soti lakay nou rive lopital la, li te gentan akouche bebe a.
     By the time we drove from our house to the hospital, she already had the baby.

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

Is it grammatically correct to say "Eske ou gen kichòy pou mwen?"

Wi, li kòrèk.  Ou kapab di sa.

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

"If you see me as a Macoute, then I'm a Macoute. If you see me as gay, I'm gay. What you think of me is no problem, as far as I am concerned. You have the right to think what you want. I know who I am, and that's the main thing."

By "...gay...", do you means "...homosexual..."?
Or did you mean "...a jolly person..."?
I'm translating it here as homosexual. That's what it looks like to me.

"Si w gade m tankou makout, donk se sa mwen ye.  Si w gade m pou masisi donk se sa mwen ye tou.  Annega mwen menm, sa'w panse osijè mwen pa trakase m. Ou gen dwa panse sa w vle.  Mwen konn ki moun mwen ye, e se sa ki enpòtan"

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

I'm a bit confused about the placement of pronouns; I thought they usually follow the noun, but then I found this line from RAM's song "Fèy": 'Jou ou wè'm tonbe a, se pa jou a m'koule'. Is this grammatically correct or am I just missing some rule?

From the looks of it, all the pronouns in this sentence are subject pronouns.

Jou |  ou wè     |  m tonbe   |  a    | se pa    | jou a      |  m koule
day |  you see  | I  collapse |  the |  it's not |  the day | I  fail / deteriorate / fail
The day you see me fall is not the day I failed

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

Is there a Creole equivalent for the interj Eew!, or will that work in Creole too?

In Creole it's wouch!

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

Pafwa lè m' li nouvèl-la m wè yo ekri non peyi-yo nan plizyè fason. Pa egzamp lè yo ekri United States yon fwa yo ekri 'Lezetazini' lòt fwa 'etazini' epi lòt fwa tou 'Ozetazini'. Yo trete lòt non peyi yo konsa tou. Ki lès ki diferans-la ant chak youn?

That's a direct results of the French spelling.
French for United States is Etats Unis, thus the H. Creole term Etazini.
French for THE United States is Les Etats Unis, thus H. Creole term Lèzetazini.
and French for IN THE United States is Aux Etats Unis, thus the H. Creole term Ozetazini

many other Haitian Creole words are a combination of French definite article (le, la, les),  French prepositions (à, a la, aux) and French terms.
orevwa (from French Au revoir) → goodbye
ozanj (from French aux anges)→ to be elated
ozabwa (from French aux abois) → to be desperate
alafen (from French à la fin) → finally
alamen (from French à la main) → by hand
lajounen (from French la journée) →  day


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

M' fèk li yon pakèt pawòl nan kèk ti kont Kreyòl (pi presize nan kat kont) ki m' pa ka jwenn yo nan Google (oubyen si m' te jwenn yon signifikasyon li pa fè sans). Tanpri souple èske w' ta ede-m? Men yo ye: 1. kalbas (pou pòte dlo) 2. Kòmè 3. Mouri frèt 4. Rechany 5. Kichòy 6. Manzè 7. Palto 8. Woukoutoukoutou tanmanniga (nan yon chante). 9. Li pa tande pe menm. 10. Òfelin 11. Rale (lè yon figi rale). 12. Bòs (nan yon do) pitikouya sarafino (yon chante) 13. Koube. 14. Bagèt. 15. Lougawou 16. Modi 17. Douvan 18. Miri 19. Rigwaz 20. Kranponnen Mèsi mèsi

Hi :)
When you say "Here they are", no need to add "ye".
We simply say:  Men yo. (Here they are.)

 1. kalbas (pou pòte dlo)  → calabash, gourd.  The Calabash is of the gourd family of vegetables.  They are usually oval shaped, or as round as a medium pumpkin or squash.  They are picked, gutted through a small hole at the spot where the stem would be, dried and used as water container.  Beggars sometimes cut them in half after they are gutted, and use them as a bowl to beg for money or food.  It is also call a kwi when it's in a bowl shape. Poor people use those as plates to eat also.  Some people use them as a bowl to feed dogs.

2. Kòmè (or makòmè) → female friend, female buddy

3. Mouri frèt  (or mouri sibit) → to die cold, to die suddenly

4. Rechany (or derechany) → a spare, extra parts, clothes, extra clothes

5. Kichòy  (or bagay) → thing, something
   
a. Mwen gen yon kichòy pou ou.
    I have something for you.

 b. Ban m yon ti kichòy.
    Give me something.

 c.  Mwen pa gen kichòy pou m ba ou.
      I don't have nothing to give you.

  d. Fè yon ti kichòy pou mwen.
      Do something for me.
   

6. Manzè (or Manmzèl, mademwazèl, madmwazèl) → unmarried woman, Miss.
   
  a. Manzè Sarah malad.
      Miss Sarah is ill.

7. Palto  → a jacket, a parka

8. Woukoutoukoutou tanmanniga (nan yon chante).  → not a meaningful word
     "Woukoutoukoutou" It's the noise that a dove or pigeon would make
     "tanmanniga (or tanmiga, or tanmigamiga)" is not a meaningful word (at least not in Creole),         people might use it in songs.  It might mimic the beating of a drum.

9. Li pa tande pe menm.
    He doesn't want to quiet down / stop at all.
    
    a. pe (verb) → to quiet down
    b. Li pe. → He quieted down.
    c. Tanpri, pe la. → please be quiet

10. Òfelin  → orphan

11. Rale (lè yon figi rale).
     
      a. rale → too pull
      
      b. figi rale → long face, face that looks depressed, sad, chagrined
     
      c. Poukisa figi w rale konsa?
          Why such a long face?

12. Bòs (nan yon do) 
      "Bòs" is a hump
      "Bòs nan yon do" is a hump in the back
      We also say do bosi hunchback

13. Koube
      to bow

      a. Do koube → having a curvature of the spine
     
       b. yon granmou k'ap mache do koube
           an old person walking with a curved back

       c. Mwen koube devan ou.
           I bow before you.

14. Bagèt → a stick
     
       a. yon bagèt pen → a stick of bread
     
       b. yon bagèt, yon bagèt maji → a wand
     
       c. Bagèt pye l byen long.
           Her skinny legs are long

15. Lougawou  → (lit. werewolf) evil people that go out at night with evil intentions.  It is said that they shed their skins and turn into all sort of animals (dogs, frogs, cats, ...). They are every kid's "monster under the bed" in Haiti. It's also a sorcerer.  Lougawou are also called zobob, dyab, chanpwèl, sanpwèl, move je, manbo, hougan.   

16. Modi   → to be cursed, or to curse (lay a curse on)
      
      a. Ou se yon moun ki modi.
          You are cursed.

      c. Bondye te modi li.
          God cursed him.

17. Douvan (or devan) → in front, in front of, forward
       
       a. N'ap vanse douvan.
           We're moving forward.

18. Miri → to mature, to become ripe

19. Rigwaz  → is a whip made of cow hide for disciplining kids usually.  They are sold at the Haitians market

20. Kranponnen   → to scare, to intimidate, to be intimidated

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

Can you explain the use of "OU RIVE KOTE OU TE PRALE A"? I think it means "no" or "no, it will not happen" or something similar.

When it's used that in that way I think it's sarcasm.
It's a funny thing that Haitians always say.  Although literally the phrase means "you've reached your destination",  when used sarcastically it means "One is clearly mistaken", "one has misjudged", or "one is barking up the wrong tree"
Here are some examples:

1.  Si'w panse m'pral rete nan vye kay sa a, ou fin rive kote w ta prale a.
     If you think I'm going to stay in that shabby old house, you're clearly mistaken.

2. Si terowis yo panse yo ka desann Ameriken sou jenou yo, yo fin rive kote yo ta prale a.
    If the terrorists think that they can bring Americans to their knees, they have clearly mistaken.

3. Si manman m kwè m'pral mete rad lèd sa pou al nan fèt la, li fin rive kote l ta prale a.
     If my mom thinks that I'll wear that ugly dress to the party, she's clearly mistaken.

4. Si w panse m'ap kite w mache sou mwen, ou fin rive kote w ta prale a.
     If you think that I'm going to let you walk all over me, you are mistaken.

5.  Si nou panse m'ap pran Nana pou Sizàn*, nou fin rive kote n ta prale a.
     If you think that I can't differentiate between Nana and Sizàn, you're mistaken.
      This really means:     
      If you think I'm that dumb, you have underestimated me.

*Pran Nana pou Sizàn is an expression that means that someone cannot tell the difference between two clearly different things.
*Bay Nana pou Sizàn means that you're tricking someone into taking a fake/bad thing for the real /good thing.
An example:
6. Nou pa'p pran Nana pou Sizàn.
    We will not be tricked.
     I think former president Aristide said that a lot in his speeches.

7.  Yo ban nou Nana pou Sizàn.
      They tried to trick us.
      They did not give us the real deal.
   

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

Mesi anpil pou ede no pou aprann creol¡¡¡Mwe se chilen .Mwen bezwen konnen koman itilise mo "alo".mwen koute anpil ayisien komanse pale ave aló. Me si Soledad

Dakò. Padekwa :)

alò is Haitian Creole for then, thus or so in English and entonces in Spanish.
for example:
1. Alò di mwen, eske ou prale avèk nou?
    So tell me, are you going with us?

2. M'ap pati demen.  Alò se orevwa mwen vin di w.
    I'm leaving tomorrow.  So I've come to say goodbye.

3.  Alò, sa k'ap pase w la? Eske genyen yon pwoblèm?
     So, what's going on with you? Do you have a problem?

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

as far as i know (in Haitian Creole) (and the others you sent :)

as far as I know
selon sa m konnen
pou sa m konnen

one of them
youn nan yo
or
youn ladan yo

One of them died.
Youn nan yo te mouri.

Ask one of them
Mande youn nan yo

Admirable

anfòm

ki gen bote

esepsyonèl

This book was translated by ..."Carl" :)

Se "Carl" ki te tradui liv sa.

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

School words and terms in Haitian Creole - "M we w' te fe yon lis nan mo odinate. Eske w kapab fe yon lis mo lekol? Thanks!"

achievement siksè

algebra   aljebra

arithmetic  arithmetic

athletic field teren espò

backpack  Sakodo

bad grades  move nòt

to have bad grades  fè move nòt

bell  klòch

blackboard  tablo

book   liv

book bag sak lekòl, valiz lekòl

Bully  elèv k’ap anmède yon lòt

to bully entimide

cafeteria kafeterya, kantin

Calculator kalkilatris

chalk lakrè

chemistry chimi

class klas

classmate kondisip klas, zanmi lekòl

classroom sal klas

colored pencils  kreyon koulè

computer òdinatè

computer science  syans enfòmatik

course kou, klas

day care center gadri

desk biwo

detention pinisyon

dismiss a student  ranvwaye yon elèv

drill egzèsis

eraser efas kreyon, gòm

essays  redaksyon

examination egzamen

fail echwe

Final exam  egzamen final

First day of school   premye jou lekòl

flunk a class  echwe yon klas

friend zanmi

geography jewografi

glue  lakòl

good grades    bon nòt

to have good grades    fè bon nòt

grade class

first grade premye ane

second grade dezyèm ane

third grade twazyèm ane

....

grammar gramè

gym klas jimnastik

highlighter souliyè

history  istwa

holiday konje

homework devwa

honor roll  tablo onè

ink  lank

laboratory  laboratwa

Last day of school  dènye jou lekòl

library   bibliyotèk

Literature  literati

lockers  kazye

lunch box bwat lunch, bwat manje

mathematics  matematik

music mizik

name tag  pòtnon, etikèt idantifikasyon

notebook  kaye

notes nòt

nursery  jadendanfan

paper  papye

pass pase, reyisi

Did you pass the class?  Eske ou  te reyisi?

pen  plim

pencil    kreyon

pencil sharpener tay kreyon

physics fizik

playground  lakou rekreyasyon

principal (female)   direktris

principal (male) direktè

principal’s office   direksyon, biwo direksyon

private school  lekòl prive

public school  lekòl piblik, lekòl leta

quiz        ti egzamen

reading lekti

recess   rekreyasyon

register for class anwole nan yon klas

registrar’s office biwo enskripsyon

repeat a class  double yon klas

report card  kanè eskolè

roll call apèl

take attendance, to do roll call  fè apèl

ruler règ

schedule of classes orè klas

School bus Bis lekòl la

school nurse enfimyè lekòl la

school supplies founiti klasik

school year  ane eskolè

science syans

semester semès

social sciences   syans sosyal

Spanish espanyòl

speech deba

spelling òtograf

student elèv

studies etid

Your studies come first.  Etid gen plis enpòtans.

subject (of study) matyè

summer vacation  grand vakans

tardy  anreta

teacher  pwofesè, mèt

team     ekip

teamwork  travay angroup

test  tès

the school curriculum     pwogram lekòl la

the school principal  direktè lekòl la (male)

the school principal direktris lekòl la (female)

To learn aprann

to study etidye

To teach anseye, edike, fòme

trigonometry trigonometri

tuition   ekolaj

tutoring  leson patikilye

writing  ekriti

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

How do you say "throw a party", "start a car" and "abuzz with activity" Mesi :)

Dakò :)

throw a party
fè yon fèt

1. M'ap fè yon fèt pou anivèsè manman m.
    I'm throwing a party for my mom's birthday.


start a car
derape yon machin 
demare yon machin

2. Demare machin pou n ka pati.
    Start the car so we may leave.


abuzz with  activity
plen ak aktivite
boudonnen ak aktivite

3. Mache a toujou plen ak aktivite chak samdi.
    The market's always abuzz with activity every Saturday.

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

It seems that the word 'koze' has several meanings. Can you cover them? Thank you greatly! I just don't think I can thank you enough for this website!

Dakò.  Mèsi :)

Koze (as verb or noun) can mean talk, chat, story, matter, your own business, your own private affair, a situation, things, stuff, gossip, chatter

koze v. → to chat, to talk
1. Yè m te kwaze ak yon zanmi ke m pa't wè depi twazan.  Nou te rete koze lontan.
    Yesterday I met a friend which I haven't seen in three years.  We chatted for a long time.

koze → baloney, nonsense
2.  Ki koze sa a?
     What is this nonsense?

also,
3. Gade yon koze! (or Gade yon tenten! or Gade yon kaka!))
    What the hell!
     WTF?!

Koze → situation
4.  Nan ki koze ou foure tèt ou la?
     What situation did you put yourself into?

koze v → to woo, to court
koze ak yon fi → courting a woman
5. Mesye a ap koze ak fi sa lontan.
    The man has been courting this woman for a long time

koze n. → story
6. Mezanmi! m gen yon koze pou m di w.
    Oh man! I got a story to tell you.

koze n. → private business, matter
7. Pa janm antre nan koze m.
    Don't meddle in my affairs.

8. M pa antre nan koze w, pa antre nan koze m.
    I don't meddle in your business, so don't meddle in mine.

9. Regle koze w non!
   Mind your own business!

10. Koze mande chèz.
    You need to sit down for this.

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

M' te li mo epi fraz sa yo nan kèk kont Kreyòl epi m' pa t konprann yo konplètman. Èske ou ka di-m sa k' yo te vle di? 1. San mank. 2. Tantin. 3. Kata. 4. Li pa t manke bèl. 5 Kote ou te ye Tijan? Se pa jodi m ap tann ou. Mèsi anpil anpil!

M' te li mo epi fraz sa yo nan kèk kont Kreyòl epi m' pa t konprann  yo konplètman. Èske ou ka di-m sa k' yo te vle di?
1. San mank.  (or san rate, san ratman)
    With no miss
    Without missing a beat
    Without any loss
    Without fail
    to be very thorough
Example:
     Li ban nou travay la san mank.
     He did a very thorough job.

2. Tantin is a derivative of tant or matant (aunt), it's the equivalent of Auntie

3. Kata can be a type of dance.  It can also mean sickly looking or feeble individual

4. Li pa't manke bèl. (lit. He/She did not miss in beauty. or He/She did not fail in beauty.)
    He / She was very pretty.

 Other examples with the term ...pa't manke (past tense) and ...pa manke (present tense), you can even use future (p'ap manke).

    a.  
    Ou pa manke frekan.
    You are very cheeky.
     
     b.
     Fanm sa a pa manke jouda.
     This woman is very nosy.

     c.
     Timoun yo pa't manke kontan lè yo te wè manman yo yè.
     The kids were extremely happy when they saw their mom yesterday.
   
      d.
      Mwen p'ap manke di w sa'm panse osijè ou menm.
      I will not fail to tell you what I think of you.


5.  Kote ou te ye Tijan?  Se pa jodi m ap tann ou.
   
     Se pa jodi (lit. It's not today) means it's been some time, it's been a longtime, for a long time
     It kind of shows impatience and annoyance
     Other Creole expressions that are synonymous with Se pa jodi are:
      Se pa yè
      Se pa pou dat
      Se pa tanndat
      Se pa dat

a. Kote ou te ye Tijan?  Se pa jodi m ap tann ou.
    Where were you Tijan?  It's not just today I've been waiting for you. lit.
    Where were you Tijan?  I've been waiting for you for a long time.

b. Mwen fin dekouraje.  Se pa jodi m'ap tann delivrans mwen.
    I'm so discouraged.  I've been waiting for my deliverance for a long time.

c. Se pa dat fanm sa di l ansent.  Kilè l'ap akouche?  Petèt li pa ansent vre.  Petèt se gwo vant li gwo sèlman.
    It's been a longtime since that woman says that she's pregnant.  When will she give birth?  Maybe she's not really pregnant.  Maybe her belly is just big.

d. Se pa jodi moun sa yo marye non!
    These people have been married for a long time!
     

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

Hi :) Could you translate this sentance to creole? "Would you like to go to a swimming pool with me tomorrow?"

 "Would you like to go to a swimming pool with me tomorrow?"
"Eske ou ta renmen ale nan pisin avèk mwen demen?"

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

How would you say 'by accident', 'accidently' and 'on purpose'?

by accident (accidentally) → pa aza, pa chans, pa aksidan, pa erè, aksidantèlman
on purpose (purposefully) → eksprè, espre, pa espre

1. Mwen rankontre misye pa aza.
    I met the guy by chance.

2. Anpil gran dekouvèt nan monn nan te fèt pa aksidan.
    Many great discoveries in the world were made by accident.

3. Li fè eksprè.
    He did it on purpose.

4. Li pile m pa espre.
    or
    Li fè espre li pile m.
    He stepped on me on purpose.

5.  Se te yon aksidan.  Se pa't fòt mwen.  Mwen pa't fè espre.
     It was an accident.   It wasn't my fault.  I did not do it on purpose.

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

Can you give some examples for the usage of the term 'sou san' which I believe means 'willing'. How can I best use it?

Sou san → to be amenable, to be in good mood, to be well disposed
You got to use a pronoun after "sou san."

1. Li pa sou san l jodi a.
    He's not in a good mood today.

2. Tanpri kite m anrepo. Mwen pa sou san m jodi a.
    Please leave me alone. I'm not in a good mood today.

3. Madanm sa a, se lè l sou san l sèlman li fè manje nan kay la.
    This woman only cooks in the house when she feels like it.

4. Depi w wè li pa sou san l, pa gen pyès moun ki ka pale avè'l.
    When she's not in a good mood, no one can talk to her.

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

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vh0zS4rCCvM watch from 1:00:08- 1:01:12 please can you write his speech as he said it on kreyol...it's only few sentences

Poor Aristide, he had all the right intentions, but none of the big shots that are pulling Haiti's strings wanted to back him up.  They had their own interests and Aristide didn't want to play along with them.

This is what he said:

"Nou mete fanm sou nou

Nou mete gason sou nou

Pou nou kapab konbat mizè a

Nou p’ap tolere ensekirite nan peyi a

Mwen vle, mwen deside pou tout Ayisyen viv anpè

Lè w nan plas piblik, fò w santi w alèz

 Fò w pa gen kè sote

Fòk zenglendo pa ka vin oze menase w

Peyi a se pou nou l ye

Peyi a se pou nou tout li ye

Ou pa ka deja nan mizè

Enpi pou kounye a, pou kriminèl konprann l’ap fè w viv avèk kè sote

Nou p’ap tolere sa."

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

Is there a difference between lepè and tonton. Can I call my future father-in-law by either of these names?

lepè sounds like he's old.
tonton could be an old guy, a person of very short stature, or a name that everyone calls him by... such as Tonton Max, Tonton Clovil, etc....
If everyone calls him lepè, then you can call him that.  Same thing as tonton too.
Otherwise call him Mesye intèl (intèl meaning such and such)
Or ask him, " Kijan pou m rele w?" (How should I call you?)

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

Kisa vle di kèlkelanswa epi gendemoun?

AnonymousApril 15, 2013 at 7:24 AM

Kisa vle di kèlkelanswa epi gendemoun?

________________
Kèlkelanswa, kèlkeswa, kèlkilanswa, pèkeswa → whichever, whatever
see this link: Kèlkeswa oubyen kèlkilanswa

________________

gende in front of a word means there are some.  
Ou kapab itilize l avèk anpil lòt mo.
It is mainly like using Gen to translate there is / there are

Pa egzanp:

gendemoun (gende moun) → There are some people, some people
1.
Gendemoun ki pa renmen manje kalalou.
There are some people who don't like to eat okra.

gende bagay (gen de bagay) → There are some things, some things
2.
Gende bagay ki pi bon lè pa pale yo.
Some things are better left unsaid.

gende fwa (gendefwa, gen de fwa) → sometimes
3.
Gendefwa li pi bon lè w pa di anyen ditou.
Sometimes it's better when you don't say anything at all

gende pawòl → there are some words
4.
Gende pawòl ki blese.
Some words can hurt.

gende koze → there are some things
5.
Gende koze ou pa bezwen pale.
Somethings you don't to talk about.
You don't need to talk about everything.

gende machin → there are some cars
6.
Gende machin ki gen sis kawoutyou
Some cars have six tires.

gende timoun → There are some kids
7
Gende timoun nan peyi Etazini ki al dòmi tou grangou chak swa.
There are some kids in the US who goes to sleep hungry every night.

etc....

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

Ki sa fraz la 'sa pa pou dat' vle di? M te koute l andann yon chan epi m p at kalkile sa li vle di a.

Se pa pou dat 
Tanndat
or
Depi tanndat
It's been a long time since
For a long time

1. Se pa pou dat m'ap jwe lotri. Mwen pa janm genyen.
    I've been playing the lottery for a long time.  I never win.

2.  Tanndat nou t'ap tann delivrans lan.
     It's been a long time since we were waiting for the deliverance.

3.  Depi tanndat m pa wè w.
     It's been a long time since I've seen you.
   
Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

Pou moun ki t'ap pale zafè blag ki pa't komik la, fò'l konnen ke depi Ayisyen wè lasosyete, si blag la pa an bon Creole, yo pa lage kò yo atè pou ri non. Se ti ri anba bab y'ap ba ou.

M pa konn si m ka fin dakò ak sa.  Si blag la komik, moun ap tonbe atè pou ri kèlkelanswa nasyonalite moun k'ap bay blag la.  Gendemoun, fè lakomedi se metye yo.  Depi yo parèt sou ou, yo poko menm koumanse di premye mo a, tout moun te gentan atè ap griyen dan yo.

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

"Li mouri anvanlè." oubyen "Li mouri anvanlè l"? Which one should I use?

You can use both.
anvanlè means prematurely or before one's time.

If you use the first one, then you are saying:
He/She died prematurely.
Li mouri anvanlè.

If you use the second one, then you are saying:
He/She died before his/her time.
Li mouri anvanlè l.

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

Computer language (in H. Creole)

remote control → telekòmand
to download → teledechaje
downloading → teledechajman
upload → telechaje
uploading → telechajman
ripping or burning(cd, dvd, etc) → grave yon cd, grave yon dvd
computer hardware → materyèl enfòmatik
software → lojisyèl
online chating → kozman sou entènèt
printer - enprimant
to print → enprime
e-mail → imèl
To e-mail → imèl
to  surf the internet → navige sou entènèt la
scroll up → defile tèks la anwo
scroll down → defile tèks la
browser → navigatè
to browse the internet → eksplore entènèt la
cursor → kisè
search engine → motè pou rechèch
to crash(computer) → gen pàn òdinatè
to log on /in → konekte, antre nan koneksyon, etabli koneksyon
to log off/out → fèmen sesyon an
to  save(document) → anrejistre yon dokiman, anrejistre yon fichye
to backup(files) → sofgade yon fichye, sofgade yon dokiman 
account(facebook, twitter) → kont
bookmark a page → make yon paj 
to drag and drop → trennen e lage
to google → gougle
hacking → pirataj 
to hack a computer → pirate yon òdinatè
junkmail → kourye piblisitè
password → mo sekrè, modpas, modepas
to text → tekste, voye yon tèks
to zoom → agrandi
to  format(computer) → fòmate
browser tab → onglè navigatè 
recycle bin → panye resiklaj

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

"Ou pèdi tet ou" What are other ways to say this?

Ou pèdi tèt ou.
Ou pa byen nan tèt ou.
Ou gen yon wou ki pa mache
Ou fou.
Ou dechennen.
Ou fin debòde.
You've lost your mind.


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

Kisa vle di kaporal twa pa?

Yon jandam ak baton.
Yon polisye k'ap mache ak yon koko makak
Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

In other words "glise desann" means 'to slide down'? If I wanted to say "slide it down" should say - glise desann li? thanks

Slide it down.
Glise l desann.
with pronoun after "glise".

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

Okipe Zafè Pa'w! - Mind your own business! (Audio)

Download link:
Click here to download…

To listen to this audio, click on the play button and follow along.

 

-Chouchou?

   Sweetie?

-Wi cheri!

  Yes honey.

-Mwen enkyete anpil.

   I am very worried.

-Poukisa w enkyete?

   Why are you worried?

-Depi kèk jou mwen pa wè madanm vwazen an.

  Well, it's been a few days since I've seen the neighbor's wife.

-Petèt li ale anvakans.

  Maybe she went on a vacation.

-San mari li? Enposib!  De moun sa yo toujou ansanm.  Youn pa janm ale ankenn kote san lòt la.

  Without her husband?  Impossible!  These two people are always together.  One never goes anywhere without the other.

-Eske se sa ki te enkyete ou?

  Is that what worried you?

-Non.  Mwen enkyete paske mwen te wè vwazen an t’ap fouye yon gwo twou nan lakou li an lotrejou swa.

   No. I'm worried because I saw the neighbor dig a big hole in his yard the other night.

-Petèt se yon gwo pye kokoye li t’ap plante!

  Maybe he's planting a big coconut tree!

-Men non, M pa kwè sa. Mwen te wè li t’ap glise yon bagay desann anndan twou a ak yon kòd.  

  No.  I don't believe that.  I saw him slide something down into the hole with a rope.

-Petèt se yon gwo trezò li t'ap sere anbatè a.

 Well, maybe he was hiding a treasure under the ground

-Non, se pa sa.

   No.  It's not that.

-Se pa sa?

  That's not it?

-Non.  M kwè se yon bagay li t’ap antere nan gwo twou a.

   Nope.  I believe he was burying something in the big hole.

-Petèt li t’ap antere yon gwo rat.

   Maybe he was burying a big rat.

-M pa kwè se te yon rat! M panse vwazen an touye madanm ni, enpi l’antere’l.

   I don't believe it was a rat.  I think the neighbor killed his wife and he buried her.

-O! Sa se yon akizasyon ki grav anpil. Li pa bon pou pale bagay ou pa konnen. Kite sa tonbe non.

    O!  That's a very serious accusation. It's not good to talk about things you know nothing about. Just leave it alone.

-Nou pa ka chita san n pa fè anyen.  Fò n’al dezantere madanm nan.

  We can't sit and do nothing.  We have to go dig the woman out.

-Mezanmi!  Ou genlè pèdi tèt ou!!  Sispann fè fouyapòt non!  Enpi okipe zafè w tande!

   Oh man!  You must have lost your mind!  Stop meddling and mind your own business you hear?

-Enben si w p'ap ede m, m’ava al fè l pou kont mwen

   Well if you won't help me, I'll go do it on my own.

-O O! Kote w prale? Cheri, tounen isit!!

   Hey!  Where are you going?  Honey, come back here!

-Mwen pral dezantere pòv malerèz la anvan vwazen an bouche twou a! aaaaaah!

  I am going to dig the poor woman out before the neighbor fills the hole! aaaaah!

-O O! Sa’w genyen?   Ou tonbe anndan twou a?!

   What's wrong?  Did you fall into the hole?

-Wi.  Anmwey! Vin ede m soti!  Tanpri, vin ede m soti!

  Yes.  Help!  Come help me get out!  Please, Come help me get out!

-Eske w te jwenn madanm vwazen an anndan twou a?!

   Did you find the neighbor's wife inside the hole?

-Non, mwen pa jwenn ni non! Se pa madanm ni li te antere, se yon pi li t’ap fouye.  Mwen tonbe nan yon pi dlo!  Mwen pa konn naje! Vin ede mwen tanpri!  

   No, I didn't find her.  It's not his wife that he buried, it's a well he was digging!  I fell in a water well! I don't know how to swim! Come help me please! 

-Kòm mwen te di w, cheri, okipe zafè pa’w! 

   Like I told you, honey, mind your own business!

___________

Track: Anmwey! by Yohann

Ayiti gen ragga Kreyòl

Ayiti gen hiphop Kreyòl

Ayiti gen reggae kreyol

Ayiti, men nouvo stil la

Fason nou manje se stil la

Fason n’abiye se stil la

Fason nou chante se stil la

Ayiti cheri

Nou monte Wo!

Anmwey!

Apre evènman, nou tounen pou tout bon

N di mèsi, nou toujou douvan, chaje enspirasyon

Menm lè moun ap pale, jenès la apiye n

Kout gita bas batri, nou  …pou lavi

Chak moun gen yon zanmi ki di l pa renmen rock

W’ap wè l nan pwogram nou k’ap goumen devan pòt

Le ou wè’ l pèdi vwa l mande l kote l te ye

Ou te wè’l nan fon pwogram nan, li menm k’ap rele

Gade lè l non!

Anmwey! Kite rock la mache!

 Anmwey! Danse rock la!  Ponpe!

M poko fin pale

Mwen p’ap janm konprann ou

Lè w di m rock la pa pou ou

Pou w jan pran plezi ou

Lè n lage mizik nou

Lè mwen di li pou ou

Ou di w gen yon zanmi ki di l pa renmen rock

W’ap wè’l nan pwogram nou k’ap goumen devan pòt

Le ou wè pèdi vwa l , mande’l kote l te ye

Ou te wè’l nan fon pwogram nan li menm k’ap rele

Ou pa wè’l

Amwey! Kite rock la mache!

Anmwey! Danse rock la! Ponpe!

Ayiti, men rock, si nou tout dakò, rele!

Leve men n anlè, tout moun fè bri

Ti medam yo, mayestwo ak Yohann ki la

Pa bezwen danse,  ponpe pou n ponpe!

Ou di w pa konn danse

M’pa’t mande ou fè anpil

Tout sa m te mande’w

Se lage’l jan ou santi’l

Amwey! Kite rock la mache!

Anmwey! Danse rock la! Ponpe!

Vole!

Ponpe!

Rele!

Fè sa w vle!

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

Besides 'fòs', what are other words for 'strength'?

We say fòs, kouraj, kouray, bravou, kran, fyèl, pisans, grenn nan bouda
Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

What is "l'll be damned" in Haitian Creole? Thank you in advance for the answer.

I'll be damned (indicating surprise)
Mezanmi!
Mezanmi o!
O O!

I'll be damned (I rather be cursed than to ....)
Anverite!
Tonnè kraze m!
Tonnè boule m!

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

"Pòv malerèz"?

1. Pòv malerèz
    Poor miserable woman
    "Poor thing"

2. Pòv malere
    Poor miserable man

3.  Fò n ede pòv malerèz la.
     We have to help the poor woman.

4. Pòv malere! Li te bezwen yon ti manje. L'al dòmi tou grangou.
    Poor man!  He needed some food.  He went to bed hungry.

5. Ki sa n'ap fè pou pov malere sa yo?
    What will we do for these poor people?
.
Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

M gen twa kesyon. :) Dabo, kouman ou ta di 'came upon' an Kreyol? Pa egzamp 'he suddenly came upon a lion'. Anplis, kouman ou ekri atik definitif la le ou gen de non swivi swivi ki toulede bezwen yon atik definitif yo? Pa ezamp 'the wood from the tallest tree' oubyen 'the hat that the boy wore'. Anfen, M fek li post-ou-a ke ou ekri sou sevi ak 'double words' pou mete aksan sou yon bagay. Eske yo kapab konbine teknik sa a avek teknik ki itiliz pran kom yon helping verb la (ede veb?)? Pa egzamp, Lamenm li pran koupe koupe pyebwa-a, he went right to work chopping and chopping the tree'. Mesi

I. Came upon

1. to encounter something/someone and be startled by it? to come across?
    pantan sou
    sote sou
    kontre bab pou bab avèk
    kwaze

2. I came upon a big snake.
    M'al pantan sou yon gwo koulèv.
    M'al sote sou yon gwo koulèv.
    Mwen kontre bab pou bab ak yon gwo papa koulèv.
    Mwen kwaze ak yon gwo koulèv.

3. He suddenly came upon a lion.
    Li pantan sou yon lyon.
    L'al pantan sou yon lyon.
    Li kontre bab pou bab ak yon lyon. (He came face to face with a lion)



II.  "Kouman ou ekri atik definitif la lè ou gen de non swivi swivi ki toulede  bezwen yon atik definitif ?"
Respons:  Ou kapab ajoute atik definitif la pou toulede mo yo.

Pa egzanp:
We can break it down:

4.  The hat.
      Chapo a. 
5. The hat that the boy wore.
    Chapo ti gason an te mete a. 


6. The hat that you wanted.
     Chapo ou te vle a.
7. The hat that the boy wanted.
      Chapo ti gason an te vle a. (This sounds natural to me)
     

8. The girl that was ill.
     Ti fi ki te malad la.
9. The neighbor's daughter that was ill died. (Remember in Creole, it's ...THE daughter of THE neighbor...)
    Ti fi vwazen an ki te malad la mouri.

10.  The police officer who was at the bank
      Polisye a ki te nan bank lan.
      or
      Polisye ki te nan bank lan.

11.  The wood
      Planch lan
12. The wood from the tallest tree
       Planch lan ki te soti nan pyebwa ki pi wo a

13. The little girl
       Ti fi a
14. The little girl that the police were looking for was found alive.
        Yo te jwenn ti fi police yo t'ap chache a tou vivan.



III. "Double wording"  
        Yes, it can work like you said.

In you example: "Lamenm li pran koupe koupe pyebwa-a."  I think that:
"Li prab koupe pyebwa a." or "Li tonbe koupye bwa a."  will work just fine.


"double wording" with two adjectives or adverbs will be an emphasis.
such as:
15. Mwen renmen l anpil anpil.
     I really like it.

16. Mwen te wè yon gwo gwo koulèv.
     I saw a very big snake.

17. Yo t'ap danse kole kole.
       They were dancing very tightly.


"Double wording'" with  verbs USUALLY means  " to keep at it", "to continue doing what you're doing"
such as:
18. Danse danse w non!
      Keep dancing!

19. Pale pale w pitit!
      Keep talking child!

20.  Mache Mache w non!
       Keep walking!

21. Nou te ale yon kote ki lwen. Nou mache, mache, mache anvan nou te resi rive.
      We went somewhere far. We walked and walked and walked  before we finally got there.

22. Pitit mwen te malad.  Li leve lannuit lan li vomi, vomi, vomi jouk li endispoze.
     My kid was ill.  He woke up in the night and kept throwing up until he feinted.

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

what does "tchup sou ou" mean in h. creole, also can you plese use it in at least 13 examples, thank you et Bonjou!!!

WHOA!!!!   13 examples!?  That sounds like a lucky number :)
"Tchoup sou ou" indicates some sort of penetration, stabbing, spitting at, or assault with a intrusive object.  The term might also be sexual in nature. To have an accurate translation, we'd need to know the context.
Also, the spelling could have been tchuip which means to show contempt for someone by smacking one's lips.

Dakò :)
Pase bon jounen.

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

A dual ? A bit of culture and / language? What type(s) of humor are funny to haitian people? Is there a type of humor that is offensive or unappreciated in the culture? I tried to say something funny today, it didnt work! Thus the curiosity. Kijan ou di laugh? Funny? Humor? Silly? Etc. kidding? Joke with? Or joke around?

Sorry to hear that.
They might not have understood the joke.  It might have gotten lost in translation.
If you ever read about Bouki and Ti Malis, if you've ever watched Languichatte, Lavi nan Bouk La, or listened to Tonton Bicha, you'll know that Haitians are into all types of comedy, especially silly and goofballs stuff.
You must know that just because some jokes are funny in English doesn't mean it will be funny in Creole and vice versa (but that only happens to just a handful of jokes)
Also, some jokes, you might have to tweak a little to give it that "Haitian flavor" :)

And as far being offensive, I think in any culture, if people feel that they are the target of the joke, they might not appreciate it.

I'd like to hear the joke that you told.

dual → doub
a bit of culture and language → Yon ti kras kilti, yon ti kras langaj?
laugh → ri, griyen dan
to enjoy one's self → pran plezi, anmize, distrè (they pronominal verbs)
funny, silly → komik, anmizan
humor → komedi
jokes → blag, lodyans
tell jokes → bay blag, bay lodyans
to be kidding, to joke with, to joke around → jwe, sou jwèt, sou blag

He's always joking around.
Li toujou sou blag.
Li toujou sou jwèt.

I am just kidding.
Se sou jwèt mwen ye.
Se sou blag mwen ye.
Se jwe m'ap jwe.

We're telling jokes.
N'ap bay blag.
N'ap bay lodyans.

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

Kouman ou di 'inside out' epi 'upside down'?

1. inside out → nanvè oubyen lanvè
    Example:
    Chemiz li a te gen kèk betiz  ekri sou li, donk direktè fè li mete chemiz la nanvè.
    His shirt had some profanities written on it, so the principal made him wear the shirt inside out.


2. upside down → tètanba, tèt anba
     Example:
    Monn nan tètanba.
    The world is upside down.


3. shoe on the wrong foot → soulye dwategoch (dwat-e-goch)
    Example:
    Pitit gason mwen gen dezan.  Li toujou ap mete soulye li dwategoch.
    My son is two years old.  He's alway wearing his shoes on the wrong foot.

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

I have read several verb phrases such as lese-frape, kicking and screaming; chita-tande, talks (political) and voye-rele, to summon. Can you list other common verb phrases such as these?

Yes I can list some.  And you'll also find that these verb-verb combinations are often used as nouns.  Number 8 is my favorite :)

1.
mòde soufle  (lit. to bite, to blow) → to double cross, to betray, being hypocritical 
This comes from the fact that a rat (as it is believed in Haiti) bite and blows if it's biting you, so that you don't feel the bite.  By the time the rat's done with you, you'll have a big hole in that area of your body.

a. Pa fè mesye sa a konfyans. Li se yon mòde soufle. (used as noun here)
    Do not trust this guy.  He's a hypocrite. 

b. Fanm sa a mòde soufle.  Pa kite li mele nan zafè w.  (used as verb here)
    This woman is a double-crosser.  Don't let her into your business.


2.
mòde lage (lit. to bite, to release/ to let go) → is said when you start something and never finish it

a. Si w'ap mòde lage travay la, ou pa janm fini l, donk yo p'ap janm peye w.
    If you keep starting and stopping the job, you'll never be done, therefore you'll never get paid.

b. Misye p'ap janm reyisi nan lavi a si l'ap pede mòde lage konsa.
    He will never succeed in life if he keeps quitting everything he starts.


3.
kase double (lit. to break, to double up again) → to start over after stopping for a little while

a. Mesye yo te sipann goumen, apre sa yo kase double ankò.
    The guys had stopped fighting, but after a while they started over again.

b. Lapli a te fè yon ti rete, men li kase double pi rèd.
    The rain had stopped a little, but it started again stronger.

4.
pote kole (lit. to carry, to glue/bond) → to get together in support of something

a. An nou pote kole pou nou siprime grangou nan monn nan.
    Let's get together to end famine in the world.

b. N'ap pote kole pou yon demen miyò.
    We're working together for a better tomorrow.


5.
vire tounen (lit. to turn to come back) → from time to time

a. M pa konnen kisa l'ap regle, men vire tounen li nan òdinatè a.
     I don't what he's up to, but from time to time he's on the computer.

b.  Bay menaj ou tan pou l sonje w non!  Mwen remake vire tounen nou nan telefòn, eske nou pa fatige pale?
     Give your girlfriend time to miss you!  I notice that from time to time you guys are on the phone, Aren't you tired of talking with each other?


6.
voye ale (lit. to send, to go) → to dismiss, to fire someone from work

a. Yo te voye elèv yo ale bonè jodi a akoz tanpèt la.
    Today they dismissed the students early because of the storm.

b. Tanpri voye moun yo ale, pa gen manje pou n ba yo ankò.
     Please send the people away, there's no more food to give to them.

7.
chache konnen → (lit. to seek, to know) → to seek to know, to investigate,  to meddle inquisitively, exploration, inquisition

a.  Se nan chache konnen lasyans fè anpil dekouvèt.
     Science has made a lot of discovery through exploration.
    
b.  An nou chache konnen poukisa sa te pase.
     Let's try to find out why this happened.

8.
grate santi → (lit. to scratch to smell) →to procrastinate, to waste time, to be lazy,  to loaf around. 
 I like this one, it reminds of monkeys that are sitting around scratching and smelling their armpits :)

a. Mesye sa a pa janm travay.  Tout lajounen se grate santi.
    This guys never works.  He loafs around all day.

b.  Se pa pou nou rete ap grate santi.  An nou aji.
     Let's not waste time.  Let's act.

9.
lese tonbe → (lit. to let, to fall) → to quit, to drop it

a. Sa k te pase zafè lekòl la?  Ou lese sa tonbe?
     What happened to that school business?  Did you let it go?

b. N'ap lese pwojè a tonbe paske nou pa't jwenn ase sipòtè.
    We're letting the project go because we didn't get enough sponsors.

10.
voye monte → (lit. to send, to go up) → to keep at something, to ramble incessantly especially about things that we may or may not know about; also to give support

a. Gwoup nou an te jwe mizik nan yon ba yèswa.  Nou voye mizik monte tout lannuit lan.
    Our band played music at a bar last night.  We played music all night.

b. Si Hillary Clinton ta vle vin prezidan, yo panse anpil fanm ap voye l monte.
    If Hillary Clinton wants to become president, they think that many women will support her.
    


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

Is there a good Creole equivalent for the English word "feedback" ? I have sometimes heard native Creole speakers just say something like "fidbak" but would this be widely understood by all Haitians?

Yeah, we do say "fidbak" sometimes :)
But a Haitian who has not traveled to an English speaking country or has not come in contact with the diaspora would probably not understand it.
The H. Creole word for feedback is replik, reyaksyon, repons, and sometimes we say kritik or kòmantè.

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

Can you explain ‘pran’ as a helping verb? For example, ‘li pran kouri’ oubyen ‘zwazo-a pran chante’ oubyen ‘ti gason an pran rele’? Does it mean 'took to' or 'to start'? Is 'tonbe' able to play his same role as helping verb? M’ ap vle di w yon granmèsi pou tout èd ou!

Se yon plezi :)

As  helping verbs, "pran" and "tonbe" would indicate that the action has started and continued to occur for some duration of time.

1. Li te pran kouri.
    He ran, and ran, and ran.

2. Lè nou wè sitiyasyon te grav, nou tonbe lapriyè.
    When we saw that the situation was bad, we started praying. (continuous action)

3.  Fanm nan pa't kontan.  Li pran joure moun yo.  Se lapolis yo te blije rele pou l te kanpe.
     The woman was not happy.  She started cursing people out.  They had to call the police to make her stop.

4.  Ti gason an pran rele jouk tan vwazen yo te vini.
     The little boy kept on screaming until the neighbors came.

5.  Lè m'ap eseye dòmi, se lè sa a zwazo a pran chante.  Sa anniyan!
     When I'm trying to sleep, that's when the bird starts singing.  It's annoying.

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

I know that "tap" means "would have". Where does this construction come from? Is it a combination of "ta + ap" or something else? Thank you!

It can be te ap or ta ap

te + ap = past continuous forms

1.
Li t'ap mache byen vit pou l pa ta rate bis la.
He was walking quickly so that he would not miss the bus.

2.
Nou t'ap tann ou.
We were waiting for you.

3. 
M t'ap panse pou m anile kont lan.
I was thinking to cancel the account.


Ta + ap =  conditional statements

4.
Ou t'ap fache avè'm si m pa't pote manje a pou ou.
You would have been mad at me If I didn't bring you the food.

5.
Si w pa't wo konsa, m t'ap fese w atè.
If you weren't that tall, I would have thrown you to the ground.


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