Based on your last answer about zel sapat, does sapata then mean that you beat someone with your sandals?

It does not necessarily have to be "beaten with sandals". Sapata yon moun means that the person was beaten up real good, knocked down, whipped, etc....

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

What does “zèl sapat” means?

"What does “zèl sapat” means? “Zèl sapat, poté kouto,  Zèl sapat poté chapo,  Zèl sapat poté dlo, Zèl sapat poté siwo, Zèl sapat poté sa’w vlé. I am referring to one of the Ti Manno’s song in DP Express."

zèl sapat (flip flops, sandals) makes a lot of noise, but they can be really flimsy and unstable, aren't they?   So zèl sapat has very little worth.

The same as bri sapat, lots of noises, lots of hype, lots of puffs .... with no substance.

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

What does "son de blé" mean in H.creole? Thanks Mandaly.

The 'ble" is wheat. You will find the coarse wheat in Haiti which looks like grains of rice. Haitians sometimes cook it like rice.
Son de ble (or some people write sondeble) is the fiber, the grain husk that some Haitians use to feed their pigs, goats, etc.....

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

What does “wetan’m metan’m” mean? “Ou se wetan’m metan’m”

Usually wetan m metan m is said of a piece of clothing, shirts, pants, skirts, etc..., that you wear a lot because it might be the only one you own or ... you may just love to wear it ...everyday.

So we call that piece of clothing wetan m metan m (from wete mete), which means ou wete l (you take it off), maybe just to wash it, and then ou mete l (you put it back on) immediately afterwards.
That's how, sometimes in Haiti, you might suspect that someone is on hard times. You see them wearing the same shirt every day, at every function. Sometimes people make fun of them and say, "Chemiz sa a, se yon wetan m metan m?"

I see that System Band uses it as an endearing term "ou se wetan m metan m" meaning you are all I have.

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

I love your creole word of the day and the example that accompanies it. I have just learned a lot of new words off of it. Keep it up!

Mèsi wi :)

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

Hello Mandaly, I'm curious, can you speak, read, and write in French fluently?

Yes.
Most Haitians that have gone to school in Haiti up to, at least 6èm ane can write and read French well. They would be more fluent in French if they spoke it at home, but usually they don't. They usually speak Creole at home and everywhere else.
Two of my sisters were born in French Guiana, When my mom finally brought them home to Haiti, they did not know Creole, so the household spoke French at home for a few years. I attribute my fluency to that.

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

Mandaly here's a sample of the sentence "e pou sa ou kriye tout kriye sa", what's ...kriye tout kriye....?

..kriye tout kriye sa a ... so much crying, all this crying (in context)

Was this sentence a question?
Other ways to say this would be ...
Poukisa ou fè tout kriye sa a?
which is the same as:
"Se pou sa ou kriye tout kriye sa a?"
Is that why you cried s much?

So you can use this form with other verbs/nouns combination.
Poukisa ou fè m mache tout mache sa a?
or
Poukisa ou fè m mache anpil konsa?

one more example:

M pa konprann poukisa ou bezwen pale tout pale sa a.
or
M pa konprann poukisa ou fè tout pale sa a.

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

What are words for "to scam or to screw or to fuck someone" For example, " He scammed(screwed, fucked) me out of a hundred dollars"

As long as it's not sexual, you can use pete, blo or blofe, woule, lolo, plimen, etc...
If it's sexual (screw, fuck) then you'd use plimen, taye, konyen, koupe, frape etc....

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

Explain me this proverb please. "Yo pa voye wòch sou mango vèt.”

"Yo pa voye wòch sou mango vèt" or sometimes you'll also hear "Se sou mango mi yo voye wòch"
means Don't bother doing what you're doing because your effort will be fruitless.

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

What word is usually used for "pinch"? As in, "Don't pinch me!" (said when a child runs up to you and pinches you to see if your skin turns pink.)

For the term To pinch we say in Creole penchen, pichkennen, pichkannen, zongle,  or pense

Don't pinch me
Pa pichkannen m.

Stop pinching me.
Sispann zongle m.

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Awesome! Go Chili!

mwen kontan, mwen se chilean, travay ak sekreté,
nan lopital, mwen aprann kreyol pou dé haysien ki vini nan chili. 

Yo estoy
muy contenta me encanta esta pagina, estoy estudiando creole, para ayudar a los
imigrantes haitianos que llegan a Chile.

Mandaly says:

Keep it up!

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

Would "lakolèt" and "fè lakolèt" mean "offering/collection" and "to take up offering/collection" in a church context respectively? ...

Would "lakolèt" and "fè lakolèt" mean
"offering/collection" and "to take up offering/collection" in a church context
respectively?  For example, "In the protestant church, they take up
offering/collection every Sunday" Have you also heard of  "kèt", "ketay/ketaj"
and "fè kèt", "kete" to mean "offering/collection" and "to take up
offering/collection" respectively? Also, what are words for "usher" in the
church context in creole? And what are other words for "offering/collection" and
"to take up offering/collection"?

Yes, we use kèt and lakolèt or fè kèt and fè lakòlèt
It does not necessarily have to be in a church setting.
I haven't used the other terms that you have up there, that does not mean that they don't exist.

And the word that I have used for usher is ofisye.

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

Hello Mandaly, how would translate these phrases (Top/upper left-hand corner, middle left-hand side, bottom/lower left-hand corner, top/upper right-hand corner, middle right-hand side, bottom/lower right-hand corner) in creole? For example, "Write your name on the top/upper right-hand corner of the page" or "Click on the start button on the bottom/lower left-hand corner of the desktop"

corner - kwen, pozisyon
top/upper - nan tèt, anwo, 
bottom/lower - anba, 
left hand corner - nan pozisyon goch, sou bò goch
right hand corner - nan pozisyon adwat, nan kwen adwat, sou bò dwat
middle - nan mitan

upper left-hand corner - anwo nan pozisyon goch, anwo nan kwen agoch, anwo sou bò goch
bottom right-hand corner - anba sou bò dwat, anba nan pozisyon dwat

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In your blog, it’s says that “malatchong” in creole means fake but what does boul malatchong means? I think it is related to the lottery if I refer to the song of Nemours Jn Baptiste.

malatchong - yes it means fake, bogus, also something which involves, trickery,  a sham, fraud, etc...
yon boul malatchong - yon boul fo manmit, bagay magouy

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

What are verbs for "to pride oneself in/on something"? For example, "She pride herself in her ability to spot a shoplifter" or "I pride myself on my ability to find compromises"

to pride oneself in/on .... - tire satisfaksyon nan ..., pran fyète nan ...., jwenn satisfaksyon nan ....

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"The leaders of the parish" = "Chèf pawas yo" or "Chèf pawas la"? (Not "the leader of the parishes" nor "the leader of the parish" nor "the leaders of the parishes".) I'm looking for a rule or strategy that will work with any similar phrase (e.g. "the keys of the kingdom", "the principles of the lesson").

I see what you mean, it's hard to determine whether the first or the second word is plural in Creole when we say:
1. the leaders of the parish - chèf pawas yo
2. the principles of the lesson - prensip leson yo
3. the keys of the kingdom - kle wayòm yo
4. the students of the chemistry class - elèv klas chimi yo
5. the workers of the store - travayè magazen yo

If it is important for you to differentiate which is plural, then you can say
1. chèf yo nan pawas la
2. prensip yo pou leson an
3. kle yo pou wayòm nan
4. elèv yo nan klas chimi an
5. travayè yo nan magazen an

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What does “assorossi” means in creole.

I think you mean 'asosi". Te asosi? non?
Here's a link for te asosi on the blog: te asosi.  Be sure to check the comment section as it may answer some of the questions that you have.

Dakò. Mèsi.

http://sweetcoconuts.blogspot.com/2011/05/te-asosi.html

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Hey Mandaly, great blog! My question is What is bonkou and can you use it in a sentence? thanks

bon kou (or bon valè)  may be used as adjective or adverb means plenty, considerable amount, quite a few

Te gen yon bon kou moun nan miting lan jodi a.
There were quite a few people at the meeting today

Misye travay vit. Li gen tan fè yon bon kou travay nan lakou a.
He works fast. he's already done a lot of work in the yard.

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There is a system band song named dom laj. In the chorus, they are saying “dom laj, dom laj, pli laj passé yon layé” . I don’t know if I spell light right but I just want to know what does it mean and especially what does layé means in this context?

A laye is a round, flat sifter basket (does not usually have a handle).

Manno Charlemagne also sings a song; Do m laj pase yon laye tou.

It's an expression which means I can handle whatever you throw at me. I can carry a big load, I'm not afraid to carry a burden. Compris?

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What does “choumoumou” means in creole? Does it mean soft or softly?

No. Where I come from it means very short or tiny person.
In what context was the choumounou used?


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Is "kevledi" a synonym for "setadi"? Are there other expressions for "that is to say" in creole? Does the word "namely" belong in this category? For example, "There is always one person stuck with cleaning up the mess, namely me" or "They brought lunch, namely sandwiches and sodas"

Yes, they basically mean the same..... ki vle di, sètadi.

In that same category we also have kòm ki dire, kòm kwa dire which means namely, as if to say

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Hey Mandaly! What does it mean to "tonbe lwa"?

It could either mean to be possessed by the loa, or to dance in a highly spirited way as if possessed by the loa.

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Hi, just wondering if in kreyol if they have a way to say a woman is thick? mesi :)

Thick as in overweight?
If yes, then you can use gra or gwo.

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

What does 2 gidon means in creole?

Actually it's 'lage de (2) gidon' which means to go after someone without giving them a break, to pursue tirelessly, to persist or also to harass.

You can say:
to pursue someone
lage de (2) gidon dèyè yon moun
or
lage de (2) gidon nan kò yon moun.

An example could be that you promised a friend that you'll lend him your bike and the friend keeps calling you day and night to ask you to bring him the bike. In Creole, you'd say, "Misye lage de gidon dèyè m pou m pote bisiklèt la ba li."

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Awkward social question: so last time I was in Haiti the people were all surprised that at my age I’m not married and they decided to help me out by showing me the single ladies in the village and asking “ou renmen li?” Seeking a graceful way to extract myself from the situation I latched onto the fact that the first couple ladies were much too young to make an appropriate match for me, however there were no translators around and so I had to wing it in trying to convey that. I wasn’t sure how to say ‘she’s too young’ so I tried the closest thing I thought might communicate that general idea and said “li pa laj.” They got the general gist but I’m wondering did I actually communicate what I intended or something totally different? Is there a better way I could have said this? Mèsi.

Oh man... that must have been awkward for you :)

"Li pa laj" could mean that "She's not of age."
You could also say, "Li twò jenn pou mwen." - "She's too young for me."
or you could just say, "Mèsi, men m ap tann Bondye chwazi pou mwen" or "Mwen poko deside fè afè."
Best of luck.

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J’aimerais savoir ce que signifie “ Ti tendresse” en créole?

Bonjour mon ami.

Ti tandrès, en créole peut se traduire comme souplesse, affection, gestes delicats et doux, et mème amour.

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

ATIYAYO BON POU VERTIGES?

Hmmm... Li ta pi bon si w mande yon doktè.

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Eske gen yon lòt mo kreyol ou kapab itilize pou yon moun ki renmen bay manti, tankkou yon mantè?

Wi, moun sa a se yon mantò, yon koken oubyen ou gendwa rele l rizyèz tou.

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What are verbs "to shut down (someone or something) or to shut (someone or something) figuratively?

To shut down (someone or something) - anpeche, fèmen bouch (yon moun), pa bay (yon moun) bouch pou pale. koupe (yon bagay) sèk.

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You asked:

... "to guilty somebody into
doing something" or "to guilt-trip someone" For example, "I only went because
she guilted me into it" .....

Mandaly says:

I would use "fòse" or "Bay remò pou fè yon bagay"

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

What are words for "whatever" as an interjection in creole? For example, "Parent: 'For the last time, brush ...

What are words for "whatever" as an
interjection in creole? For example, "Parent: 'For the last time, brush your
teeth!' Child: 'Whatever!'" or "Speaker: 'Do you want to go uptown?' Response:
'Whatever!'" or "Friend: 'Bob isn't coming tonight.' Friend 2:
'Whatever!'"

Hi. There's not a standard way to express such indifference in H. Creole. Some Haitians express it by 'tchuipe', some express it by 'boude' or 'fè bouch long', some say 'di sa w vle' oubyen 'ak bò dèyè m w ap pale'; but if you're looking for a standard translation for 'whatever' as it used in your example, you will not find one.

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

What are verbs for "to size someone or something up"? For example, "He sized up his opponent" or "The two men sized each other up" or "I often see them watching her and sizing her up"

Hi
For the English term size up I would you use tcheke, egzaminen, sonde or teste in H. Creole.

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Creole Classes in Queens, NY Library.

http://www.caribbeanlifenews.com/stories/2015/9/2015-09-11-tm-creole-classes-cl.html

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What are verbs for "to provide" in creole? For example, "It is difficult to provide for my family on minimum wage."

You can use, swen, pran swen, okipe or nouri.

"It is difficult to provide for my family."
"Li difisil pou  m okipe fanmi m."

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Wap twouble sante m?

Jouk kote sante w ye a pou w ap kite moun twouble l, mezanmi o!

Twouble sante yon moun, se anniye l, deranje l, entenwonp li, djigèt lespri l.

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Est-ce-que penyen lage gen lòt siyifikasyon autre que kwafi?

Wi.
Li vle di alèz (tankou yon moun ki mete l konfòtab, ki pa jennen, ki alèz kon blèz).

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I had my friend write this for me after she said it. "Se Americain ou ye sorry ou nan pointe bouche ou". She said it means that I'm not sincere. Can you explain this for me? Thanks.

She is right about the meaning
..nan pointe bouche ou (written: nan pwent bouch ou) - at the tip of your mouth (meaning not from deep within)
as far as the sentence "Se Americain ou ye sorry ou nan pointe bouche ou" it means "You are American, your apology is not sincere"
Sorry to hear that she's got some bad sentiments toward you.

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Bonjou Mandaly. Mwen se Ayisyen. how would you translate this quote to English, "sòt ki bay egare ki pa pran"?

Do they also use 'egare' for this expression? I often hear 'Sòt ki bay, enbesil ki pa pran'.
Anyway the translation to English is: You'd be a fool not to take/accept/take advantage of this.

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Hello, I was wondering if you knew of any translators (such as google translator) that I could input a English word in at any time and hear the Creole pronunciation? Thank you

Of all the translator apps that can also 'speak' the translations, iHandy and Google Translator are the least frustrating. iHandy is cool, gets it right 60 to 70% of the time.

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Hi I would like to find this song, can you help me please it's called. Vini non vini non pa di ou va gintan demain se pa pou piga ou konte sou li. Thank you

M ap kontinye chache rès la pou ou :)


Les Etincelles de l'Evangile
Marie Mirca Tangar

Kouri vin jwenn Jezi avan ke li twò ta

Pa rete, sa  w ap fè?

Jezi vle ba ou la vi

Sonje Bondye renmen w

Pinga ou reziste

Kisa li di ou fè

Pou kapab genyen lavi

Vini non, vini non

Pa di ou va gen tan

Demen se pa pou ou

Piga ou konte sou li

Sonje nan tan lontan, 

Se te toujou konsa 

Noe preche san ven tan, 

Pèsòn pa t vle kwè nan li 

Lè delij la rive, 

Tout moun te vle sove 

Li te twò ta pou yo, 

Piga w kite sa rive w

Nou menm ki kwè deja,

Kenbe pi fè m nan jezi

Lè lè a va rive

Pou na l rankontre mèt nou

Ala bèl sa va bèl

Pou moun ki nan jezu

Se va lajwa lapè

Pandan tout letènite

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Bonjou Mandaly! I am pretty new at speaking Kreyol. On a recent trip to Haiti, we heard the word boadup (spelling?) a lot. I understand it as being a slang word for "broken". Is that correct. If not, what exactly does it mean. Thanks so much!

Hi,
I cannot think of a Haitian Creole word with similar spelling that would mean break or broken.
If, however, this word is used twice, like this (bodòp bodòp) it does describe the sound that a broken machine / equipment makes. In that case we use these terms in conversational context.

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How would you say, "you are dreaming?" As in, you are imagining that you are going to get that, but you are not. "W'ap reve" apparently doesn't translate the same. Mèsi pou tout ou fè!

You could say:
W'ap tronpe tèt ou.
W'ap pase tèt ou nan betiz.
You're fooling yourself if you think that 'this' is going to happen.

There are many other unconventional ways to say this in Creole, depending on the situation.
And instead of 'w ap reve', people might say, 'Ou nan rèv.'  or 'Ou dwe nan rèv.' which means the same as 'you must be dreaming'.


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kisa manfouben ak vag vle di? eske se menm bagay?

Wi. Yo kapab genyen menm siyifikasyon,

Manfouben means irresponsible, sloppy and careless
Vag - vague
They can be synonymous when 'vag'   means unconcerned or nonchalant.

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If I wanted to say ‘look at Matthew chapter 20 verses 25-28’ would it be: ‘gade nan Matye chapit 20 vèsè 25 rive nan 28’? And for ‘look at John 3:16’ could I say ‘gade nan Jan twa sèz’ or do I need to say ‘gade nan Jan chapit twa, vèsè sèz’?

'gade nan Matye chapit 20 vèsè 25 rive nan 28' is correct.
and it will also be correct if you said:
'gade nan Matye chapit 20 vèsè 25 a 28'

‘gade nan Jan twa sèz' and ‘gade nan Jan chapit twa, vèsè sèz’ are both correct. It is isn't necessary to say the latter for people to understand.

Kenbe la :)

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What is ou pa ban m (mwen? is it?) bouch pou pale?

pa bay bouch pou pale, pa bay bouch pou di anyen - when one's babbling/talking is so much that you don't get a chance to reply or say anything.
ex: Marie and Esther are having a conversation. Mary's talking is so continual that she doesn't give Esther any room to reply or say what she thinks. Then you would say that Marie pa bay Esther bouch pou l pale.
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senkant kob a degouden? meaning please?

senkant kòb ak degouden - the same thing, one in the same

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Can you please translate this, 'm pa janm konnen ou te ka alsiyis konsa', for which online translating tools is no help. Thanks

Oh man! That is some serious r-rated stuff :)
M pa janm konnen ou te ka alsiyis konsa - I didn't know you could moan like that.
(sexually related)
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How do you say "She is 5' 2"" Do you use 62 santimèt? How would you say she weighs 110 lbs (50 kilograms)? Zanmi mwen petèt ka fè wob karabela la pou pitit fi mwen.

Yes, you may use centimeters or feet for the height which, for 5'2", should be about 157 cm.

We say "liv" for pounds. So 110 pounds will be translated as 110 liv.

Zanmi mwen petèt ka fè wob karabela la pou pitit fi mwen.

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

Hi Mandaly, can you explain this phrase please: yo pa t kò konnen okenn mal

Hi

Yo pa t kò konnen okenn mal.
yo - they
pa t kò (or patko, pa te ko) - not ...yet (past tense) [present tense is: poko, ponkò, pako]
konnen - to know
okenn - any, none
mal - evil, wrongdoing, immorality

Yo pa t kò konnen okenn mal.
They were still in their innocence.
They did not know any evil yet.

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door to door in h. Creole please?

door to door - de pòt an pòt

Yo te mache de pòt an pòt pou te bay bon nouvèl la.
They walked door to door to deliver the good news.

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

I understand that pesonn in Creole means no one, personage means older person and lapesonn means someone. Can you clarify this?

Sure.

1.

Pèsòn or pèsonn translates no one or nobody

Example:

Pa gen pèsòn nan kay la. – There’s nobody in the house.

Here’s another example:

-A ki moun ou te pale?

-Ak pèsòn.

-To whom did you talk?

-To no one.

2

Yes, pèsonaj is used for the elderly.

Example:

Mezanmi, repekte bouch ou. Ou pa ka ap derepekte yon pèsonaj konsa.

Watch your language. You can’t be disrespecting an elderly in this manner.

3.

Lapèsòn means you-know-who, use when talking about someone without revealing his/her name.

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Sa'k nan men ou se li ki pa ou? Thanks

Sa k nan men w se li k pa w.
What's in your hand is what's yours (literally)
You are only sure of the things you have.
Do not make plans or have expectations on things you don't have.

Dakò?

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How would you explain 'rale mennen kase' or is it 'rale mennen vini'? Are they both the same? thanks

rale mennen vini (brase lide, echany lide) , which can be used as verb and also noun, is a get-together with the objective of exchanging ideas on a particular issue.
 rale mennen kase can describe the same thing, but also has other meanings.

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What is Pase Pou in front of a sentence? mesi

It means rather than:

Pase pou m marye m pito mouri.
rather than I get married I prefer to die (literally)
I rather die than get married.

Pase pou m fè vye travay nan peyi Etazini, m pito tounen nan peyi m.
rather than I do menial jobs in the U.S, I prefer to go back to my country. (literally)
I rather go back to my country than do degrading jobs in the U.S.

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What does ban'm pan'm san dous mean?

It's a popular (very well known and used phrase) from a Haitian song.
Ban m pa m san dous, m a mete siwo ladan l.
Don't add sugar to mine, I'll sweeten it myself. (basically)

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

I hear this a lot:"Mwen byen kontan" Does the word byen mean 'well' here? (I am very well happy or I might as well be happy?)

Here it means truly, really, very, so, so much

Nou byen kontan ou te vini. - We're very happy that you came to see us.
Mwen te byen sonje w pandan w pa t la a. - I truly missed you while you were away.
Kè m byen fè m mal pou ou. - I feel so sorry for you.

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

Please help me find the melody for that song " Pèsonn pa ka kanpe pou’l fè m pa louwe Satan pa ka bare’m pou’l fè’m pa chante Boulvès kapab vin"

 

Pèsonn pa ka kanpe pou l fè m pa louwe 
Satan pa ka bare m pou l fè m pa chante 

Boulvès kapab vini

Lè sa a, piga w kouri

Tout pòt kapab fèmen

Ou pa wè pèsonn pou rele

Satan kapab rale pye w

Jis pou l fè ou tonbe

Asire w nan bondye

M garanti w ou p ap tonbe

Le ènmi vin atake w

Mwen p ap dekonsantre

An nou tout fè linite

pou n kapab fè travay Bondye

Satan la pou l divize

Nou menm n ap resoude

Na p kenbe pye Bondye

E m konnen n ap rive.

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

Kijan ou di "flipflops" oswa "thongs". Sapat yo?

Hi :)
Yes, flipflops and thongs are called sapat, sandal, or sandal drive.

Thongs are especially referred to as sandal jezikri.

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

How do you ask: How many bags you are checking in? Where is your final destination?

How many bags you are checking in? - Konbyen valiz w ap tcheke?

How many suitcases are you checking in? - Konbyen malèt w ap tcheke?
Where is your final destination? - Ki destinasyon final ou?

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

Is there a Creole equivalent to the expression: "finding common ground"?

common ground - pwen komen
finding common ground - genyen yon pwen komen

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

When someone says "ou metdam" what does that mean?

It means "You're clever."
mètdam - clever, quick-witted, ballsy, crafty

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

The HaitiHub interview

Hey Everyone!
I got to talk a little bit about myself with the HaitiHub crew, and I enjoyed it.
Chapo ba! (Hats off!) to HaitiHub for continuing to be the go-to people for learning the Haitian Creole language online and for being a big voice in the kreyòl movement.
See The HaitiHub interview right here: https://haitihub.wordpress.com/2015/08/06/have-a-creole-question-ask-her-anything/

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

This is a reprint: What are some phrases or songs or rhymes that teachers use to get the attention of children in a group? I know in English we use phrases like "1-2-3 all eyes on me!" and the children respond "1-2 eyes on you!". Are there any that you know of? Thank you!

Rachel has left a new comment on your post " What are some phrases or songs or rhymes that teac...": 

When I was in Haiti last week, our translator used a cute little saying to get the kids' attention - similar to "1,2,3 eyes on me" in that it uses counting. He'd get the kids to all say together "youn-lance, de-lance, twa-lance, kat-lance, senk-lance, SILANCE!" :) I thought it was pretty clever! 

Mandaly says:
I absolutely love this. Clever indeed :)
Thanks Rachel


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

Bonjou Mandaly! I love today's Haitian Creole Daily Word.Does the term jou pou jou mean the same as de jou anjou? mèsi!

Hi :)
Non. De jou an jou means day by day, day after day.
ex:
Ti pitit fi Mercidieu a t ap grandi. Li t ap vin pi bèl de jou an jou.
Mercidieu's little girl was growing. She was getting more beautiful day after day.

jou pou jou  is the date on which an event took place in some previous year.
ex:
Jou pou jou ki pou fè maryaj Ti Mari ak Fanfan an setan, yo te divòse.
Seven years to the day of Fanfan and Ti Mari's wedding, they got a divorce.

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

Hi Mandaly. I love your blog... My mom is an ESOL teacher in an almost 100% Haitian school and she's making a list of the most common English words. She wants to have them in Kreyol as well. Could you translate the following into Kreyol? the, of, and, to, a, in, that, is, was, he

Hi,
We do not have an official 'most commonly used words' in Creole ... yet.
A lot of the words that you have here can be translated or used many different ways.
In order for your mom to make this Haitian Creole list of words, it would be best to think in Creole, not English.
 
1. The article THE can be translated as a, la, an, lan, or nan depending on the words that precedes it.
ex: 
the car - machin nan
the door - pòt la
the girl - fi a
the friend - zanmi an
the watch - mont lan
 
2. OF is omitted in Creole sentences.
ex:
The roof of the house - do kay la
a glass of water - yon vè dlo
the day of the wedding - jou maryaj la
etc...
 
3. AND can be translated as e, ak, avèk or avè
 
4. TO sometimes is translated as nan, and sometimes is omitted
 
5 A is translated as yon
 
6. IN is translated as nan,  or lan 
 
7. THAT, as a relative pronoun or conjunction  is translated as ke, it is omitted sometimes.    THAT (or THIS), as demonstrative, is translated as sa a.
 
8. IS - verb to be (SE) is omitted in some instances such as noun + attribute combination
She is happy. - Li kontan.
as opposed to a noun + noun combination
She is an artist. - Li se yon atis.
 
9. WAS - there's no translation for WAS, but past tense indicator (for all verbs) is te.
He was shocked. - Li te etone.
past tense indicator te is used for other verbs too.
He came home last night. - Li te rantre lakay li yèreswa.
We had three cars. - Nou te gen twa machin.


 
10. HE, SHE, IT can be translated as li.

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

what exactly is 'simagri' in Creole? I know about 'grimacing'. Someone told me it means gesture and I asked if it was any type of gesture like waving hello. She said no. What kind of gesture do you use this word for then? Thanks.

You can use it to describe gestures that are annoying, activities or patterns that are irritating, and even disorderly or hysterical conduct.

Let's say: a comedian/performer who's on stage trying to make funny gestures, but is not funny at all.
You can say: Misye moute sou podyòm nan, li fè yon bann simagri. Pa gen moun ki ri.

Let's also say: a grown person throwing a huge tantrum because he didn't get his way.
You can say: Misye lage kò l atè, li fè yon bann simagri.


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

how do you say 'next door' as in 'next door neighbor'? Thanks Mandaly . Awesome blog!

nextdoor neighbor - vwazen, vwazen a kote a, vwazen ki tou pre a, vwazen ki anfas la
use vwazin for female neighbor

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

What is a LAGON? Ex: frape baton an sou lagonan ak tout rezèvwa dlo yo Thanks

lagon - lake, river, lagoon

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Salut, m panse siw te konekte blog a ak lot sosyal network tankou facebook e twitter ou tap jwenn plis trafik. mesi, Haitien

Mèsi anpil! Petèt mwen va fè sa.
M'apresye kòmantè ou.

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

What is a GANMÈL in this sentence please: yo te vin nan pi a pou yo pran dlo e pou yo plen ganmèl yo ak dlo

Ganmèl is a container for holding water. It maybe used for showers as a wash basin or for water storage.
Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

What is the meaning of the word CHOUKÈT in the following sentence please: Li di yo: “Lè n ap ede medam ebre yo akouche , lè nou wè yo sou choukèt, si nou wè timoun nan se yon tigason, touye l, men si se yon tifi, kite l viv.”

Choukèt is a birthing stool or chair which women use to support their hips during childbirth.

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

How do you write happy in Creole

happy - kontan

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

Hello, Please help me with this. How is the word twouve used when it begins a sentence. For example: Twouve, te vin gen yon gwo grangou nan peyi a, apre premye gwo grangou ki te genyen nan epòk Abraram nan

We say twouve, vin twouve ke or twouve ke - it so happens that, it happens that or incidentally

Madanm nan te voye toude timoun yo lekòl la san dejene. Twouve ke m te gen yon ti monnen nan pòch mwen, mwen te tou achte de (2) wayal ba yo.
The women sent both kids to school without breakfast. Incidentally I had some change in my pocket, so I bought them 2 wayal.

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

What is a common or colloquial name for farmers? Is there a common name or phrase used to describe farmers or those involved in agriculture? A sort of collective name?

Most Haitians would say abitan. In more cultivated environment educated people would say  kiltivatè or agrikiltè

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

Is there any good better version of gospel song Jéricho miray la kraze because I can't find any?

You must be asking about a better 'audio' version.
I haven't come across a professionally recorded version yet.


Jeriko miray la kraze (3 fwa)
nanpwen miray Jezi p ap kraze

Ad lib
Miray peche
Nanpwen miray Jezi p ap
Miray pwoblèm
Nanpwen miray Jezi p ap kraze

Gen yon men ki frape nan pòt la (2 fwa)
O O Senyè
Gen yon men ki frape nan pòt la

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

Hi Mandaly, are the terms moute kabann and pran kabann interchangeable? also, what is pran sak?

moute kabann (ale kouche) - to go to bed
pran kabann - to be confined to bed because of illness, depression or some type of suffering
pran sak - to pray on sackcloth

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

Hi I learned about FE MANTI (lying) and BAY MANTI(to tell a lie), but what is NAN MANTI?

It also means to be lying, to be full of lies

To tell a lie
Fè manti
bay manti
nan manti ak
also:
benyen ak manti (use when there's an object)
sometimes:
benyen anba manti (use when there's an object)

examples
1.
He lies.
Li manti
Li nan manti
Li fè manti

2.
He lied to everyone.
Li bay tout moun manti.
Li benyen tout moun anba manti.
Li benyen tout moun ak manti.

3.
You lied to me.
Ou ban m manti.

4.
I can't lie.
M pa ka fè manti
M pa ka bay manti

5.
I cannot lie to you.
M pa ka ba w manti.

6.
So and so is lying to me.
Entèl nan manti avèk mwen.

7.
You're lying to yourself.
Ou nan manti ak tèt ou.

8.
Mwen pa fouti di m renmen w. Mwen pa ka nan manti ak tèt mwen.
I cannot say that I love you. I can't lie to myself.

9.
To lie about someone
Fè manti sou yon moun.
Bay manti sou yon moun

10.
You lied about me.
Ou te fè manti sou mwen.



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

Mandy, is there an expression in creole equivalent to "counting your chickens before they hatched"? thanks

Yes. It's Pa konte ze nan vant poul

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

Eske w konn gou bouch ou?

konnen gou bouch ou
or
konn gou bouch ou
know/taste/mouth/your
To know what's good for you
To know what's you want
To know how to choose for your own interest.

1.
Eske w konn gou bouch ou?  
Do you know what's good for you? 
Do you know what you like?
Do you know what you want?

2.
Nou konn gou bouch nou. Nou konn sa nou vle.
We know what's good for us. We know what we want.

3.
Nan zafè chwazi gason, gen anpil fanm ki pa konn gou bouch yo.
When it comes to choosing a man, many women do not know what they want.

When Joan's family met her husband for the first time. they saw that he was a simple, homely man with no future, no money, and no ambitions......
Everyone said, "Joan pa konn gou bouch li"
How would you translate the Creole sentence that everyone said?

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Mèsi anpil pou enfòmasyon ki nan blog ou a. Èske genyen diferans ant "lapriyè" ak "priyè"? Mwen kwè pa gen okenn diferans ant mo sa yo. Èske mwen korèk? M konnen vèb la se "priye". E, ki sa ou t ap di sou "lespri" ak "espri"? Èske gen diferans?

Bonswa!

Wi. Sa w di a se sa. Pa gen diferans ant mo priyè ak lapriyè ki vle di envokasyon onswa rekèt

Pa gen diferans, nonplis, ant mo espri ak lespri ki vle di konpreyansyon, entelijans, onswa zonbi. 

Men gen de sikonstans nan lang lan kote li fè plis sans pou itilize youn sèlman. Yon egzanp: Li se moun lespri (ki vle di: Li edike) Mwen pa kwè w ap jwenn moun ki va di: Li se moun espri.

Kòm ou dwe deja konnen, se atik franse a (le, la, les, l’) ki fè yon sèl avèk mo kreyòl la ki vin ba ou, kòmkwa, yon prefiks nan mo a.

Lòt egzanp konsa, se: espwa onswa lespwa; delivrans onswa ladelivrans; kranp onswa lakranp; rezon onswa larezon; etsetera…

Dakò, mèsi. W a kenbe la.

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

I'm doing some research on Haitian tea leaves. I wanted to know the uses and benefits for te may-lese and te pho-bazin (sp)?

For your research it would be beneficial to talk to a Haitian doktè fèy (medicine man). You’ll learn a lot from them.There are also two books, about leaves and herbs from Haiti, that you could check out: Plant ak Pyebwa Tè DAyiti by François Severin and Les plantes et Les Legumes D’Haiti qui Guerissent by Arsène Pierre Noël

I only know about some leaves because my mom grows some of them. She can make tea for every type of ailments you can think of. Her mother was the same too. I am always surprised that she has a stash of so many varieties of leaves at home.

My mom has used fèy melis for treating migraines, cramps, and gas. It’s also used for calming effects, nervousness, insomnia and nightmares.

She has primarily used Fonbazen for gas, stomach problems, intestinal worms, and cramps. But she says it can be used for “cleaning” the stomach and flushing the kidneys.   The boiled leaves can be uses in a compress (on the forehead or the temporal area) for treating headaches, nausea, and vertigo.

She has also boiled the leaves in a large cooking pot with water and used them for baths.

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

Kijan ou di clothesline? Where is the clothesline to dry your clothes? Do you need more clothespins?

clothesline - liy
We dry our clothes on the clothesline - Nou mete rad nou seche sou liy lan.
Where is the clothesline to dry your clothes - Kote liy pou tann rad yo ye?
Do you need more clothespins? - Eske w bezwen plis pens pou tann rad yo?

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Though the campaign was not fully funded, Etsy is still sending 160 prints to the students in Haiti. Here is the whole collection. check it out!

Way to go Etsy! Beautiful!

I love all of them :)

Haitian Creole Wall Art - One for You, One for a Student in Haiti!! 

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