This question is about fek and soti. I see that you use it for past tenses, you wrote ‘m fek pale ave l’ – ‘I just spoke to her’. Would it make sense to add ‘te’ to that sentence: ‘m fek te pale ave l’ or is it ‘m te fek pale ave l? would it mean the same thing then? Mesi

Fèk and sòti, in this case, will indicate an event that happened a short while ago, very recently, not too long ago

FYI: Some people may say fèk, fenk,fèrank, or fenrank

Some people may say sòti or sot

And sometimes they may use fèk sot together

Egzanp:

1. M fèk wè papa w. – I just saw your dad (not too long ago)

2. M sot benyen, se pousa cheve mouye konsa. – I just showered that’s why my hair is so wet.

3. Nou pa grangou. Nou fenk sot manje. – We’re not hungry. We just ate. (a short while ago)

 

If you do add “te”, the  Haitian Creole past tense determiner, then it will make the difference between past tense or present perfect and past perfect.

4. M fèk pale avè l – I just spoke to her. OR I’ve just spoken to her

5. M te fèk pale avè l – I had just spoken to her.

It’ll make more sense in the next sentence:

6. Nou te fèk fin manje ansanm lè lapolis te parèt douvan pòt la. - We had just finished eating together when the police showed up at the front door.

You could not have said: Nou fèk fin manje ansanm lè ….

 

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

Ki denye mo ou lan sa? What’s “lan sa”?

…lan sa – (in this literally), on the subject, on the matter

“Ki denye mo ou lan sa?”

What’s your last word in this? literalman

What are your thoughts?

What’s your perspective?

What’s your opinion on this?

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

Do you know why a humming bird is called WANGANEGES in Creole? I was under the impression the word WANGA has to do with voodoo.

Yes, the name wanganègès is made up of two common words in Haitian Creole.

wanga - sorcery, magic spell, luck; nègès – black woman

Besides getting praise for its beauty and radiance the wanganègès has been known to be used as love potion to gain a woman’s affection. Specifically a man may kill the bird, burn it and concoct a powder mixture with the ashes. He would carry the powder in his handkerchief.

Kolibri, another type of wanganègès, will also be translated as hummingbird.

Have you heard the song about a humming bird Kolibri by Ticorn? On Youtube: http://youtu.be/v3yVPiMj2Fw

 

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

Mandaly. Ki jan ou di an Kreyol Ayisyen a mixed group of boys and girls? Is it as in Spanish; the masculine form "los muchachos" / "gason yo"? Mesi bokou.

We say mesyedam for mixed group of males and females.

How’s your trip to Haiti coming along? I was thinking of you and thought you had left already :)

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

How do you say culture, to be cultured, to harass

To harass – entimide, toumante, kaponnen, pèsekite, ran (subject) san souf

Culture – kilti, levasyon

Cultured – kiltive, edike, save

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

What does "kalewes"mean ? Example "tout moun ap kalewes yo"

Kalewès – to sit around and do nothing, to loaf, to chill, to bum around

"tout moun ap kalewes yo" – Everyone is sitting around doing nothing, or Everyone is loafing around.

Kèl lòt egzanp:

-Mesye sa yo pa gen responsablite.  Tout lajounen y’ap kalewès.

-Fanm nan chita sou bouda l maten midi swa ap kalewès. 

-Kalewès pa peye lwaye.

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

A woman in Haiti told me of a medicine that helps kids to stop sucking their fingers.I may spell this wrong it’s lalwua and something else. Would you happen to know what it is and where to get it?

I do not know of any medicine in Haiti that would do that.  The woman may have told you about lalo (aloe) or a plant like aloe which they cut and slice and rub on the kid’s finger.  It’s bitter.  Haitians also try other things like covering the finger with a sock or smearing it with piman (hot pepper) or kaka poul (chicken feces) – imagine the handful of harmful bacteria a child could ingest with that last one.  They say that most kids eventually grow out of this behavior, but if he/she doesn’t and you are worried then talk to a doctor.

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

Hello, Mandaly! I'm making steady progress through your lessons! Wa cheri mwen is SOOOO proud of me! Ha, ha! Anyway, I have a quick question. I seem to have hit a tiny snag--I have so much trouble pronouncing "w." I was like, OU is such a tiny word already! It's even SHORTER? :-O ha, ha. My question is....do I HAVE to use contracted forms? Is it mandatory since you said Haitians commonly use it? Xoxo (One more thing...how do you pronounce your name? ^_^)

Bonjou zanmi :)

Keep up the progress

My name is pronounced Muh-n-dah-lee with the accent on the first syllable. Some of my friends call me Mandy. Close Haitian friends call me Manda or Mandarine :)

No you do not have to use contractions if you’re not ready for them.  What I usually tell people is that even though you don’t use them you do have to know what they sound like and how they’re used since people that are having conversations with you will be using them.

The best way to be familiar with them is to listen to a lot of Creole.   Here these three posts might be helpful to your specific question.  The first and third post contain audio: http://sweetcoconuts.blogspot.com/search/label/you%20%22ou%22%20%22w%22

Pase bon jounen J

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

Mandlay, 'eske' seems to have many, many uses. Could you please explain

We use “eske” to form “yes or no” questions.  In English you have the auxiliary “do” or “did”, “will”, “should”, etc… In Haitian Creole just use “eske”.  

Here’s a couple of examples:

Are you ready? – Eske ou pare?  (verb to be – present tense)

Were you here before me? – Eske ou te la anvan m? (verb to be – past tense)

Do you want to eat now? – Eske ou vle manje kounye a? (auxiliary “do”)

Should we help this poor kid? – Eske nou dwe timoun mizerab sa a? (asking question with auxiliary verb “should”)

Can please close door after you leave? – Tanpri eske ou ka fèmen pòt la lè w sòti? (with auxiliary verb “can”)

Etc…

We can also ask questions in Haitian Creole without using “eske”.

Questions for you? – Were these the “many” uses you were talking about?  Mèsi.

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

Premye So Pa So (Audio)

Download link for this audio:
http://limanecasimi.audioacrobat.com/download/45300580-3676-ff73-5667-3c08a876cfa3.mp3

Click here to listen to this audio:
http://www.audioacrobat.com/play/WqmkhStW


Saw genyen figi w kagou konsa?
What’s wrong your face is so down and out?
Why do you look so down?
 
M santi lavi a mete pye sou kou m. Tout sa m fè pou m libere tèt mwen pa reyisi.
I feel life has put a foot on my neck.  Everything I do to free myself has been unsuccessful.
I feel that life has a foot on my neck.  I’ve tried unsuccessfully to free myself.
 
M pa janm tande w pale konsa avan.  Sa’w genyen?
I’ve never heard you talk like that before.  What’s wrong?
 
Janm travay di pou konmès mwen mache enpi sa pa janm fèt!  Men kounye a m pral oblije fèmen biznis mwen. M pa konn sa m va fè kounye a.  M pa janm reyisi nan anyen m fè. Mwen toujou echwe nan tout sa m fè.  Petèt m pa t fèt pou m gen siksè nan lavi a ditou.
I’ve worked so hard for my business to flourish and it’s never happened.  So now I’ll have to close my business.  I don’t know what I’ll do now. I never succeed in anything I do.  I always fail at everything I do.  Maybe I was not meant to be successful in life at all.
 
Sa  w’ap di la?  Sanble ou deside fè bèk atè nèt?
What are you saying?  It’s seemed that you have totally surrendered.
 
Men wi, m fin dekouraje  nèt.
Of course, I’m totally disappointed.
 
Pa dekouraje w zanmi m. Premye so pa so ditou.  Ou ka kilbite plizyè fwa nan lavi a, men lè w tonbe se pa pou w rete atè a.  Se pou w leve pou kontinye lite.
Don’t be discouraged my friend.  The first "fail" is no failure at all.  You may stumble many times in life but when you fall you shouldn’t stay down.  You must get up to continue to fight.
 
Mwen fin bay tout enèji m ak tout sa m te genyen .  M pa gen fòs ki rete pou rekòmanse ankò.
I have given all my energy and all that I had.  I don’t have strength left to start over.
 
Si tout moun t’ap fè tankou w.  Si yo te bay legen nan premye echèk yo fè anpil envasyon sou latè a pa t’ap egziste.
If everyone was doing the same as you, if they gave up at their first failures many inventions on earth wouldn’t have existed.
 
Men mezanmi si m’ap pede tonbe leve konsa, moun va di se madichon ki nan kò m kifè m pa ka reyisi nan anyen.
But If I keep going up and down like this people would say that it’s a curse that makes me unsuccessful.
 
Bliye sa tout moun panse oubyen di – Se pa pou yo w’ap viv.  Apre Granmèt la se ou menm ki mèt tèt ou.  Gade machè met fanm sou ou tande! Premye so pa so.
Forget what everyone thinks or says.  You’re not living for them. After God you are your own master.  Look my dear be courageous you hear!  The first fall is no fall.
 
Pou m di w laverite sa se pa ni premye ni dezyèm so mwen pran non.  Mwen kwè m sou katriyèm oubyen menm senkyèm.
To tell you the truth this is neither my first nor my second fall.  I believe I’m on my fourth or even my fifth.
 
Enben se pa gwo zafè.  Tank ou pran so se tank ou va jwenn divès fason pou pare so a.
Well that’s no big deal.  The more you fall, the more you’ll find diverse ways to break the fall.
 
A! petèt yon jou m’a envante kouman moun pare so.   Mèsi pou ankourajman ou.  Mwen te byen bezwen sa.
Ah! Maybe one day I’ll invent ways for people to break a fall.  Thanks for your encouragement. I really needed this.
 
Pa gen pwoblèm.  Kontinye eseye e kenbe la.
No problem.  Keep trying and hang in there.
 
 

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

madichon k nan ko ou? (k nan ko ou?)

Madichon ki nan kò w
Madichon k nan kò w
or
devenn ki nan kò w.
You must be cursed or you must be under a curse

Pa bon ki nan kò l.
He's no good.
He's up to no good.

Mechan ki nan kò l.
He's wicked.

Vagabon ki nan kò l.
He's being a stud.

Poukisa w'ap kriye.  Pa okipe Mario.  Se anmèdan ki nan kò l.
Why are you crying. Pay no attention to Mario.  He's just being a tease.

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

"bonnanj li pati, loloj li chavire" which one can be used for "crazy in love" as opposed to "crazy lunatic" or do you know some other expressions that I can use. thanks

I believe that you can use both unless there's something specific you want (or don't want) to imply..... such as you want to say "infatuation" instead of ..."crazy"
for example you could use:
Bonnanj li pati
Bonèt li chavire
Lòlòj li chavire
Tèt li pati
Tèt li fin cho
Li fin fou

as opposed to:
Li andyable
Li fin andenmon
Li fin anraje
etc....


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

what is ke soubisket? could you use in a sentence please?

kè sou biskèt  (kè sote, kè kase) - apprehension, nervousness, fear, suspense
kè (pronoun)sou biskèt - to be anxious

1. Depi maten kè m sou biskèt.
    I've been anxious since this morning.

2. Kè manman m toujou sou biskèt depi l gen randevou kay doktè.  Li toujou pè pou doktè a pa ba l move nouvèl.
    My mom is always anxious when she has doctor's appointment.  She's always afraid that the doctor will give her bad news. 

3. Kè tout moun te sou biskèt lè asansè a te bloke. Men nanpwen moun ki te di yon mo.
    Everyone was tense when the elevator got stuck.  But no one said a word.

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

Iam working with an orphanage in Port-au-Prince and a couple of our kids get these things on their skin which the staff calls "Klou" or "bouton". I know 'klou' is blister but these don't look like blisters. They get infected and fill up with puss, then they pop (yo pete sou po a, tout moun di). I've tried to look this up to find out what they are but I can't find anything anywhere. Any ideas?

This requires a professional examination by a licensed medical doctor in order to diagnose it. I hope the kids are okay and I pray that they recover from this quickly.

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

"bèkatè"? what does that mean Mandaly? Mesi anpil.

Bèk atè (Fè bèk atè) -  to be defeated, to sag,  to fall flat

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Can you please post the lyrics to this song Chè Senyè. Thank you.

Chè Senyè, kenbe men m, ede mwen rete fèm
Mwen bouke fatige tèlman
Nan loraj, nan fènwa, klere wout la devan m
Kenbe men m, chè Senyè fè m rive

Lè chemen difisil, e m bezwen ou anpil
Senyè rete la tou pre mwen
Lè mwen prèt pou m ale, ede m pou m pa bite
Kenbe men m, chè Senyè fè m rive

Lè solèy la kouche, e nwit la  ap pwoche
E tout lavi mwen va fini
Ede m pa regrete nan ou sèl mwen konfye m
Kenbe men m, chè Senye fè m rive
Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

Enben Lotrejou motè a tonbe chofe nan men m(Can you translate ?) for 'nan men m'. kamsa hamnida

Nan men m (“nan men mwen” when it’s not contracted) – literally: In my hands

The best definition for this expression would be : in my care, while I was in charge, while under my care.

1. Enben lotrejou motè a tonbe chofe nan men m. – Well the other day the engine started heating in my hands

We often say:

2. Pitit la tonbe malad nan men m. – The child fell ill while in my care.

3. Machin nan pran pán nan men m. – The car broke down while in my hands.

4. Ti bebe a manke mouri nan men m. – The baby almost died in my care.

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

Hi Mandaly! What does it mean to "avili yo" and "avili'm"? Mesi bokou madam!!!

Avili - To discredit, to shame, to put down

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

Hello again, Mandaly! Quick question: I know 'Mwen renmen' means "I love you, " but how do you respond or say "I love you, too?" Also...lol, how do you say "My Beloved Haitian King?" like a term of endearment? :3

Awesome Hee hee ; )

I love you too – Mwen renmen ou tou.
my beloved Haitian king – wa Ayisyen cheri mwen
my beloved king – wa cheri mwen
my king – wa mwen

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

What shows can you suggest to someone who would like to practice his/her listening comprehension in Creole? Nothing with a lot of French and shows that are clean with no innuendos to uncomfortable topics.Thanks

Haitian comedians of the 21^st century are all about “uncomfortable” topics :-\
Have you tried the episodes of Lavi Nan Bouk la or Languichatte (in Youtube).  They may be old but most of them are pretty decent.  Are you able to watch Island TV from Miami?

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Mandaly, happened upon your website, Thank You! Question is: which dictionary would be more useful learning Creole, the one offered by Indiana U. or Kansas U.? Thanks again, peace, chuck

Bonswa Chuck.

Kansas University has more of a variety of materials including a medical dictionary that’s useful.  I have not seen the dictionary from Indiana University.  I was told it’s more recent.

For online use, see if you can download the Haitian Creole – English Dictionary with Basic English – Haitian Creole Appendix by Jean Targète and Raphael G. Urciolo.  It’s the most complete and, to me, most useful.

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

How do you say shooting star in Haitian Creole? How do you say to wish upon a star.

Shooting star – zetwal file, zetwal filant.
I see a shooting star – Mwen yon zetwal file

When you see a shooting star in Haiti, it means impending death – someone (not necessarily family – it might be a neighbor or someone else) is going to die.

After someone has passed, if you hear a Haitian say “I did see a shooting star”, they’re just saying that they saw it coming.

Sometimes people even say “yon gran tèt ki tonbe” meaning that someone important/significant has or is going to die.

To wish upon a star – fè yon souwè sou yon zetwal.

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

Mandaly. As in "Ki kote ou prale?" I am running into "prale" at the end of sentences, instead of "pral." Is "prale" like "genyen" at the end of sentences? In other words, with "genyen", you are supposed to use the long form at sentence end. Is "prale" the same way? Mesi bokou.

Yes you got it. We do not use “pral” at the end of a sentence.
Yes, the same goes for GENYEN and GEN.
And, the same goes for the following words below. Their contracted form is not found at the end of a sentence

1.
fini and fin (used as auxiliary) – to be done
Eske ou fini? - Are you done?
Do not say:  Eske ou fin? (“fin” cannot be used at the end of this question.)
But you can say:  Eske ou fin manje? – Are you done eating?
 
2.
pote and pot – to carry, to bring
Kisa w te pote? - What did you bring?
Do not say:  kisa w te pot?
But you can say: Kisa w te pot pou mwen? - What did you bring me?
 
3.
mete and met – to put
Ki rad w’ap mete? – What dress will you wear?
Do not say:  Ki rad w’ap met?
But you can say:  Ki rad w’ap met sou ou? – What dress will you wear?
 
4.
konnen and konn – to know, to be used to
Eske ou te konnen? – Did you know?
Do not say:  Eske ou te konn?
But you can say: Eske ou te konn nonm sa a? – Did you know that man?
 
5.
ale and al – to go
Ann ale. – Let’s go.
Do not say:  Ann al.
But you can say: Ann al nan sinema. – Let’s go to the movies.
 
6.
rete and ret – to stay, be left
Konben pen ki rete? – How many breads are left?
Do not say:  konben pen ki ret?
But you can say Konben pen ki ret nan panye a? – How many breads are left in the basket?

7.
soti and sot – to go out, to come from, to be derived from
Nou te soti. – We went out.
Do not say:  Nou te sot.
But you can say:  Nou te sot nan mache. – We came from the market.

8. 
Also adj piti and ti – small, minor, little
Machin nan piti. – The car is small
Do not say:  Machin nan ti.
But you can say:  Se yon ti machin. – It’s a small car.

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

One more question Mandly. I’m finishing up my comparisons and contrast. How would you translate these similes in Creole ‘as eager as a beaver, as bitter as gall, and as cold as ice’?

 “as eager as a beaver” - cho pase leve danse
“as bitter as gall” – anmè tankou fyèl
“cold as ice” - frèt tankou glas (Oubyen) frèt kon nen chen

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

What’s an antonym for ankatimini? Thanks

Openly - aklè

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

Kisa nan chenn vle di? Someone asked me “oua te nan chenn”

Nan chenn – in chain, in restraints

Sound like “Ou te nan chenn? – Were you restrained? Were you in chains?

Since this is out of context, if this is not about chains or prison, it may be that someone is displaying weird behavior such has extreme voracity or hunger for something; then a Haitian would ask, “Ou te nen chenn?”

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

This might seem silly to ask but I better be sure now. Is it common to compliment someone who’s lost weight in Haiti? How would you say “you’ve lost some weight”?

I guess if the person was dieting it would be a compliment to notice his/her loss of weight.  Haitians often use the word “seksi” – “W’ap fè seksi.” or “Ou pèdi pwa”.

You’ve lost some weight
Ou mèg
Ou megri / Ou fè yon ti megri.
Ou kase/ Ou fè yon ti kase.
Ou desann
 
You look good.
Ou anfòm
Ou byen kanpe
Ou seksi
 
Ou vin sèch.
You look emaciated.

 

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What is the difference between anplis and diplis? Which one can I use to say “additional” (If you receive additional payments…..)? Thanks

Use anplis – If you receive additional payments … - Si ou resevwa peman anplis ….

Anplis (adv) – furthermore, besides, in addition; more.
egzanp:
-Li t’ap fè wout la apye.  Solèy t’ap pike l.  Marengwen t’ap mode l.  Anplis de sa li te grangou.
-Kisa l di w anplis?
-Ou te ban m $5.00 anplis.
 
Diplis (n) – more, extra
egzanp:
-Se pa tout non, gen yon ti diplis.
-Se pa gran choz non. Se yon ti diplis nou mete sou apwentman w.

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When can you use 2 menms like ‘li menm menm”? is it the same as using it three times like “Li menm menm menm”?

Sometimes two menm’s may be the same as three menm’s  as in the following examples:

Two menm’s usually translates “as for …”

Ou menm menm…. / Ou menm menm menm – as for you
As in
1. Ou menm menm kilè w’ap koumanse chache yon travay?
    As for you, when will you start looking for a job?
 
2. Rosie menm menm pa konnen li pa sipoze soti ak mennaj bon zanmi li?
    As for Rosie, doesn’t she know she’s not supposed to date her best friend’s boyfriend?
 
3. Nou menm menm, nou panse se sou jwèt li ye.  Nou pa’t kwè l te serye.
   As for us, we thought he was playing.  We didn’t think he was serious.
 
And other times, it may indicate an objection:

Someone might say:
4. You stole my car! - Ou vòlè machin mwen!
And you would answer:
  Me?! Why would I want your old ugly car? -Mwen menm menm?!  Poukisa pou m ta vle  vye machin lèd ou a?
 

Other times it indicates certitude.

5. Eske se mesye sa a ki te frape w la?  Wi se li menm menm.
     Was this the man that hit you? Yes it is him indeed.

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

"Mwen pa imajine kijanm renmenw non" what does that mean? Is it trying to say that I don't love you or maybe I can't imagine how much I love you?

Your second translation is right… “I can't imagine how much I love you” is correct


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Mandaly. M gen yon kestyon pou ou? Ki jan ""a" yo" pwononse nan fraz la: "Gason an gwo a abiye tonsiton." In case I screwed up with my Kreyol.......are the "a's" in "a abiye" run together (sound-wise), or are they 2 separate sounds? I am really having a "love affair" with Kreyol Ayisyen. It is like a great marriage; it keeps getting better every day! I apologize to all you HC's for stealing your language! Mesi.

I hope that the honeymoon in this marriage will last for a long time…. lol!
I guess this makes learning Creole more fun :)
Your hard work is paying off in a big way.
 

“a” the article before “abiye” AND The first letter “a” in the word “abiye” are pronounced like two distinct sounds.

Your example “Gwo gason an abiye tonsiton” instead of "Gason an gwo a abiye tonsiton."  does not require the use of the article “a”, but I’ll give you some other examples:

Ti fi a abiye bwòdè.
Where you pronounce it like:
Tee-fee-ya – a-bi-yay- bwò-dè
 
Here’s another example:
Mesye a achte kay la.
May-sye-ya-ach-tay-kai-la

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

How do you say 'random' in creole

Random – aksidantèl, pa aza, ki pa sistematik
Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

“Pou valè moun k'ap chache sekrè lavi a” Can you translate?

Pou valè moun k’ap chache sekrè lavi a …. – So many people looking for the secret of/to life, …

 

“pou valè” or “valè” translates in English as “many” or “a great quantity”; may translate “so many/so much” at the beginning of a sentence in a dependent clause.

Valè machin ki sou wout la…. – So many cars on the road

Valè mizè l pase ak pitit la … - (she went through) so much difficulty with the child …

Valè malonèt yo fè m nan restoran sa a, m pa janm tounen al manje  la ankò. – (I have received) so many insults in this restaurant I’ll never go back to eat there.

Pou valè moun ki t’ap chache ti gason ki te pèdi a, yo dwe kontan anpil dèske yo jwenn ni. – There were so many people looking for the lost boy, they must be so happy to have found him.

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There is no frigate like a book to take you lands away...Pa gen frigat tankou yon liv pou mennen ou jiskensi ( this is just my unsuccessful try, now it's your turn..lol) antwo, kijan ou ye, bel zanmi pa m'...mwen espere tout bagay mache byen nan lavi w...;)

O o mezanmi! M’anfòm wi :)
E ou menm, kijan w ye? W’ap boule?

Frigate – yon vwalye, yon bato

“There is no frigate like a book to take you lands away...”
“Pa gen yon vwalye tankou yon liv ki ka anpòte w ale byen lwen ….”

Ki vle di:
Nanpwen yon vwalye ki kapab anpòte w ale pi byen pase yon liv.

Ki vle di ankò:
Yon liv kapab anpòte ale pi lwen pase yon vwalye :)

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

If I wanted to say “I was born in 1978” – would it be “Mwen te fèt nan ane diznèf swasann dizuit”?

Yes, don’t forget to write in “san” after “diznèf”

“Mwen te fèt nan ane mil nèf san swasann dizuit”

Or

“Mwen te fèt nan ane diznèf san swasann dizuit”

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Mandaly do you know this haitian children's song in which you touch the parts of the face and it ends with tickling the neck? I think it goes: "ti je, gro je, nen kankan, bouch d'ajan..."?

It’s interesting.  Some people stop at the baby’s neck area (after “manton fleri”) and tickle the child:

Ti je gwo je
ti sousi gwo sousi
nen Kankan
bouch dariv
manton fleri … tikitikiti…..
 
 

And others will go all the way to the belly and tickle the child at the belly area:

Ti je gwo je
ti sousi gwo sousi
nen Kankan
bouch dariv
manton fleri
vant anfle
konkonm gaye … tikitikiti…..

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Which is the proper spelling? Is it creole or kreole when spelling it in Haitian Creole? I've even seen it spelled differently. I'm confused.

The proper spelling is “Kreyòl” or more specifically “Kreyòl Ayisyen”

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Mandaly. As in "Ou isit la depi yon mwa.", can the "ou" be plural as in "you all", or is it only singular? If it is only singular, then how would you say "you" (plural) in this sentence addressing more than one person? Mesi.

The “ou” is singular.
You will use “nou” to indicate plural “you” .

Egzanp:
Depi konbyen tan nou isit la?
How long have you (you all) been here?

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How would you say "infection?" "Your foot has an infection." or do you just say, pye malad? Mesi

I think “pye malad” may be e general term for diseased foot.

Your foot has an infection – Ou fè yon enfeksyon nan pye. (or) Ou genyen yon enfeksyon nan pye w.

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

what does it mean to "priye" someone "en grace"?

priye angras - supplicate, plead, beg

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what h.creole term is equivalent to that of "conceited" in english? mesi anpil!

Conceited – pretansye, san modesti, jemekwa,

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What does it mean to "jere stress ou" in h creole? Btw the majority of the times I hear haitians say this phrase, I don't quite think they really talking about stress much, pa vre?

It means to “manage your stress”

And yes, "stress" might mean anger or anxiety

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what is mwen pran on refwadisman? to cactch a cold?

to be ill, to have the chills possibly with fever, body aches and shivering.

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Eske haitien se haitien ou haitien-afriken?

Ou reponn kesyon an wi.  Ayisyen se Ayisyen.  Yon pèp tankou tout pèp. Malgre yo gen orijin yo divès kote yo toujou konsidere yo Aysiyen, depi yo fèt Ayiti.  Menm jan ak Ameriken. Yo gen orijin yo divès kote men pa gen okenn dout ditou, non yo se Ameriken yon fwa lonbrit yo koupe nan tè Etazini.

Nou pa jete orijin nou ni nou pa kache l, men sa nou ye nan moman an, nou se Ayisyen
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Mandaly, please help. This proverb was put on a site by an NGO and I don't get it...please help: “Mwen se yon pitit Lafrik Ginen ki fèt Ayiti. Mwen konstate depi nan Ginen bon Nèg ap ede Nèg. Mwen kwè lanmou pi fò pase lanmò.”

Literally: “I am a descendant of Guinea Africa that was born in Haiti.  I understand since Guinea good nèg ap ede nèg.  I believe that love is stronger than death.”

Nèg usually has a general meaning in H. Creole.  It basically translates “man”.  But sometimes it means “black man” or “negro”.  And this is an example of this here.

Haitians consider Guinea as their roots, their origin, their mother land.

There’s a saying that goes “Depi nan Ginen nèg rayi nèg” – “Since Guinea nèg have hated nèg”.  – It’s about betrayal, inability to work together among brothers, hatred, ...the type of hatred that will push one man to sell another as slave.

That expression is turned around here and it reads instead:”“depi nan Ginen bon Nèg ap ede Nèg” – “Since Guinea good nèg have been helping nèg” – which depicts brotherhood, civility and love.

So the expression says that  “I am born in Haiti, rooted in Guinea Africa.  Since Guinea we’ve helped each other.   Love is stronger than death.”

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Can you make the Haitian Hot Chocolate with cocoa powder instead of a cocoa ball/stick? Or, do you know where you can buy the cocoa ball/stick in the USA?

You might be able to find the chokola Aysiyen in some Haitian grocery stores in areas where there's a Haitian community.
I guess you can use the cocoa powder, add water and cinnamon sticks - I'm not sure if it'll taste the same.
The chokola Ayisyen is more dense.  You basically make it from scratch.

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how do you say "empower yourself"

It can be specific to the idea you’re trying to convey. 
Ekipe tèt ou
Ranfòse tèt ou
Mete w enganm
Sele w.

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How can I say "I'm bored" in h.creole? Mesi!

I'm bored.
Mwen annuiye.
or
M'annuiye.

but you'd say to someone who's boring:
You're boring.
Ou raz.
Ou blèm.


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Ok, 2 questions: 1. Is using bon as an adverb bad grammar like it is in English? When I'm asked ........

Ok, 2 questions: 
1. Is using bon as an adverb bad grammar like it is in English? When I'm asked if I speak creole I always say "Pa bon" as a little joke (I thought at least) to myself.
2. Do Haitians not do a whole lot of hugging? Even spending several months in Haiti I can't really remember ever seeing anyone get hugged...

Answer:

1.

Instead of “bon”, use “byen”.  “Pa bon” here comes out as “sinful, defective, or faulty”.

“Pa byen” or even better “Pa twò byen” will work best.

2.

No, some Haitians (in Haiti), don’t hug, at least not in public.  We kiss on the cheek.  You can go wild and kiss on BOTH cheeks.  That would be very special.   

Haitians overseas do hug a lot tough.

It’s not uncommon that some Haitians would feel awkward hugging even their mother or father. I was taught to kiss on the cheek to greet, to show respect and reverence.

I remember when I just came to the USA, I kept going to kiss my mom’s landlord on his cheek every time he came to collect the rent.   One day my mother pulled me aside and told me, “This is the US, no kissing strangers on the cheek.” It took me a long time to get used to not going to someone face and kiss them when I greeted them.

Anyways after I came to the US, I really wanted to try some of that hugging :).  I was kind of anxious… mostly because I was not sure where to lean my head, ….was it the left of right?   What if I unintentionally bump face with a stranger I was trying to hug….lol!   So I had to wait to practice with my husband.  And I wasted no time.  As soon as I met him…. there was lots of hugging going on :)  Frankly, it felt good to embrace someone so closely.... no space in between us.  Hugging was great :)

After a few years in the USA I went back to Haiti and would you believe I got in trouble for hugging a man who was a classmate and whom I had known all my life?

 

Hugging is powerful. In March 2010 after Haiti's earthquake, I went to Haiti to visit my brother, Siméon, who's about 15 years younger than I.  As I was leaving at the airport I threw my reluctance out the window and hugged him for at least a few seconds.  Right then and there this young man broke down in tears.  He wrote to me later that he's never felt a hug before and how he felt that the hug was a blanket of love that was laid upon him. 

 

Anyways, now sometimes in Haiti, if I have to hug someone, I do ask, Eske m ka ba w yon akolad?  - Can I give you a hug? Especially if it’s someone of a different sex.

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

Nan fraz yo: "(Joj) Ou te achte yon machin nef aye?.....

Nan fraz yo: 
"(Joj) Ou te achte yon machin nef aye? Konbyen lajan ou te peye pou li? 
(Wobe) M te peye uit mil senksan katre ven dola pou li. 
(Joj) Ki kote ou te achte machin nef ou?  (Wobe) M te achte li nan Potoprens." 

Kestyon mwen se:  Mwen gen itilize kontraksyon nan paragraf sa, oswa mwen ka kite li kom se?  Pa egzanp:  "ou te" oswa "ou t" e "pou li" oubyen "pou l".  M pa konnen!  Mesi anpil.

Answer:

 

Yes you can use contraction  after “pou” but only when it’s not at the end of a sentence.

For example:

You can say: Chita pou m ka pale avè w.
But you cannot say: Li achte yon pè soulye pou m.

You should say:  Li achte yon pè soulye pou mwen.

 

The same goes for the other prepositions “san” and “sou”.

You can say: Li mache san l pa gade kote l’ap mete pye l.
But you cannot say: Ou pa ka ale san m.
You should say: Ou pa ka ale san mwen.
 
And you cannot say:  Li mete liv la sou l.
You should say: Li mete liv la sou li.

---------------

“te” is a past tense determiner. “te”  may be contracted before all the Haitian vowels (a an e è en i o ò ou on ) except  “i”, “ou”.   “te” itself cannot be pulled apart like “t’e” or “ou t’e”.

For example:

We do not write:
Ou t’e ale.
Nou t’e okipe
Or
Yo t’e eksite

We write:

Ou te ale.
Nou te okipe.
Or
Yo te eksite.

And you'll contract the sentences above as:
Ou t'ale.
Nou t' okipe.
Yo t'eksite.

you can use an apostrophe or not.

 
He are more examples of how you can contract “te” to “t’” before some verbs or attributes:

You can say: Ou te ale nan lekòl la. Or Ou t’ale nan lekòl la.
You can say: Lamizè te anpare m.  or Lamizè t’anpare m.
You can say: Li te elve timoun nan kòm pwòp pitit li. Or  Li t’elve timoun nan kòm pwòp pitit li.
You can say: Li te enspekte valiz tout pasaje yo. Or  Li t’enspekte valiz tout pasaje yo.
You can say: Li te opere samdi pase.  Or Li t’opere samdi pase.
You can say: Li te imilye nou.  You cannot say: Li t’imilye nou.

  

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