HI Mandy, I realize now that 1 carreau de terre is not 1 acre.what's the equivalency? thanks

1 kawo tè is approximately 1/3 of an acre.

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

Question: What does "lanjèz"mean and "fè zè"? Are they the same?

fèzè- people who likes to brag.
landyèz - scandalous and slanderous person

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Question: Can the Creole word "men" have another meaning aside from "hand" or "but"? Could "men" translate to a contraction? I am trying to translate this sentence: "Oke kijan ye Men"

No. it is not a contraction of any word.

people usually say Kijan ou ye menm? it's an expression which means How are you?

As for the word men, you can use it in  other expressions and terms other than 'hand' or 'but'.
For example, men can translate here in this sentence Men ni/li. → Here it is.
Another example would be Men liv mwen te prete nan men w lan. which means Here's the book I borrowed from you. The first 'men' means 'here' and the second means 'hands'.

Don't forget that as a conjunction, men can also translate however, yet, still, etc...

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Question: Map brase vodou nan bouda What does that mean?

Lol!
It basically means "I'm going to do some voodoo after you" - and this was not said in a nice way.
Thanks
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Duke HAITI LAB | MIT-Ayiti | Kreyòl Alphabet Song

Here's a summary of the Haitian Creole Alphabet project.
Should be very helpful for those of you who had some questions.
Thanks

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How do you say: “Put your hands down, please” and “wait your turn” and “don’t grab”? (the context is getting mobbed by kids trying to grab stickers or such out of your hands ;)

Awesome :)

Put your hands down, please.  
Desann men ou tanpri. (singular)
Desann men nou tanpri. (plural)

You may put your hands down.
Ou mèt desann men ou.
Nou mèt desann men nou.

Wait your turn.
Tann tou pa w.

Don't grab (them).
Pa fè va sou yo.

You can also say: Pa fè va sou mwen  which would mean don't mob / rush together towards me

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Bonswa , m gen yon kesyon , m ta renmen konnen si let H fe pati alfabe lang kreyol la , paske nan liv Iv Dejan H pa egziste paske se yon lang myet . M te byen kontan jwenn yon repons souple. Mesi

Bonswa zanmi.

Wi, lèt H a fè pati òtograf  kreyòl la wi.
Ou va jwenn lèt sa a nan mo tankou lahèn, hounfò, anhan, enhen, hinghang, hey, lahont, hougan, etc.....

Alfabè Kreyòl la genyen 32 lèt/son.
Sa yo se lèt nan alfabè kreyòl la.

a      an    b    ch      d      e      è     en    f

g       h     i     j         k     l       m    n     ng  

o     ò     on     ou    oun     p       r        s      t    

ui       v     w      y      z

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

How do I ask "Where can I get my shirt ironed?"

Ki kote mwen kapap pote chemiz mwen pou yo repase li?

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When would you use this proverb: "Chemen long pa touye moun" ? Thank you

I would use it if I wanted to encourage someone who's working on a long-term goal or a time-consuming project, to discourage them from taking shortcuts an to keep their eyes on the rewards of  perseverance.
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Why do you think about the official language being french instead of kreyol? Do you speak french or would like to learn ? Or do you feel kreyol is the pride of the haitian people?

Creole is the language that we speak from birth.
It is the language we speak at home.
It is the language we hear even when we are still in our mother's womb.
It is the language in which we say our first word.
It is the language in which we're most comfortable to curse you
It is the language in which we express our love to you
French is awesome, yes. It is part of our heritage too. The majority of Haitians start learning French once they start going to school. So we either speak or understand French. But Creole is the language that unites us as a Haitian people. Thanks
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La gè aveti pa touyé kokobé. Sal vlé di?

Sorry for the delay in answering your question.

This proverb means the same as "The early bird gets the worm'

If you require an explanation, let me know :) Thanks

Blackmasta says

I think it means If I act first, I have more chance of being successful.

mandaly says

You got it!

Literally it says: War that is predicted doesn't kill the handicap.

I'll translate it as, in a race the disadvantageous people should know to get a head start.

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koman yo pase examen pemi lisans Orlando florida

Si w ap pale egzamen pèmi pou kondui nan eta Florida la, depi ou gen liv la, se etidy pou w etidye li.
Li pa twò difisil.
Senpleman pran san w. Li enpi reli liv la pou w kapab vin familye avèk enfòmasyon yo.
Mwen ta konseye w pou pa bat pa kè paske ou kapab retni enfòmasyon an pi byen e pou pi lontan lè ou pran san w pou li enfòmasyon an. Bòn chans :)

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Happy Holidays and keep on doing the good work that you are doing.

Mèsi wi :)

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How do you ask: "How do you spell your name?" and "How is his name spelled?" and "Did I spell his name correctly?"

How do you spell your name?
Kijan/kouman yo eple non ou?
Kijan/kouman yo eple non w?

How is his name spelled?
Kijan/kouman yo eple non li?
Kijan/kouman yo eple non l?

Did I spell his name correctly?
Èske mwen byen eple non li?
Èske mwen byen eple non l?

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Moun sa son moun ki extérat or something like that? What does it mean please?

Moun estera - Moun ki renmen fè briganday, people who are disruptive and rowdy.

We also use the word estera to mean noise, disruption, racket. For example, 'Poukisa w ap fè tout estera sa yo?'
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How is the dialect in Port-Au-Prince different from the rest of the country?

It is pretty much the same. Although there are regional variations in some of the terms that are used, the Creole spoken in Port-Au-Prince is the same as anywhere in Haiti.

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Avantaj ki genyen lè òtograf timoun lekòl yo ap aprann nan baze sou lang matènèl yo

Kòm pwofesè Michel Degraff di, "Nou gaspiye richès lengwistik lè timoun lekòl Ayiti yo koumanse aprann fè lekti avèk yon òtograf ki pa baze sou lang matènèl yo".
Richès yon peyi se nan kilti li, nan kalite manje li fè, nan tradisyon mizik li, e nan lang li tou.
Ameriken yo p ap janm fè timoun kindergarten yo koumanse li nan lòt lang pase angle sèlman.
Franse yo p ap janm kite timoun klas anfanten li yo koumanse li nan okenn lòt lang pase franse sèlman.
Timoun panyòl yo toujou koumanse aprann li nan lang matènèl yo.
Aktyèlman, tout timoun tout peyi toujou koumanse aprann li nan lang ke yo konnen depi yo piti.
Nou espere timoun Ayisyen yo va suiv menm egzanp sa a.
Pou nou gen "lekòl tèt anwo, nan yon peyi tèt anwo", fòk nou eksplore richès lang kreyòl la nan aspè syantifik li. Suiv tweets @MichelDegraff yo pou nou rete konekte avèk dènye nouvèl sou avansman lang kreyòl la. Enpi gade e pataje videyo sa:

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Chef Rafi kuit yon soup joumou Ayisyen byen gou! / Chef Rafi makes a tasty Haitian squash soup!

It's been our tradition for more than 200 years now, soup joumou on January 1st, Haitian independence day. Haitians have celebrated their independence every year since 1804 by eating and sharing this tasty soup. Chef Rafi, the young chef who's brought us so many international and exotic dish is bringing us a delicious soup joumou in his usual playful cooking show on his cooking channel.
The section of young  Chef Rafi's cooking show that he dedicated to this Haitian delicacy is aired in both English and Creole, so you will even learn the name of the ingredients in Creole. Each show ends with some sayings and proverbs, and you will definitely learn some Haitian wisdom in this portion of the show. Haitian independence day without soup joumou is like celebrating Thanksgiving without the yummy turkey and stuffing. Be sure to check out Chef Rafi cooking show and make the soup with him in honor of Haitian Independence Day.

Subscribe to Chef Rafi's cooking channel

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Bonjou Mandaly! Mwen websayt ou anpil! So my question is: Many times I hear my family ask questions in creole without the "ye" Example: Kote Mandaly? Whats the difference in using ye and not using it? Also, in sayings such as "Sak ap fet la?" Sa gen la?" Whats the difference in saying it with or without the "la"? Mesi anpil!

Bonjou. Mèsi anpil.

In asking questions with the verb to be in Creole, yes, you can get away sometimes with not using 'ye' in a few instances. There's not much difference then.
Some examples other than yours are:
Kote li?
Kote li ye?
Where is he/she?

Konben li?
Konben li ye?
How much is it?

Or
Kilè fèt la?
Kilè fèt la ye?
When is the party?

Other times you have to use it, and the question will not make any sense without it. Some examples are:
kisa li ye?
kijan ou ye?
kilè li ye?
kimoun ou ye?

So when in doubt use 'ye'.
*****************************
And, in saying 'Sa k ap fèt la?' or "Sa k genyen la?", la retains its meaning of there, over there, around here. So some people say Sa k genyen? or they say Sa k gen la? . It's really similar to the difference between What's going on? and What's going here?




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Is there any difference between saying "Reflechi sou yon bagay" or "reflechi ak yon bagay"? What about "reflechi nan yon bagay"? I wouldn't say there's a big difference, is there?

Hi. Yes, there's a difference. The correct way is reflechi sou.

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what does "jofre" mean? P.S. I believe there's an accent on the O. Mesi davans!

jòfre - sneak a peek, watch, take a look.

There's also bay jòf and pran jòf
pran jòf - to sneak a ppek, to take a glimpse
bay jòf - to let s.o take peek (at something that would otherwise remain hidden from view)

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I don’t know if I am writing it correctly but what does “maggy se karamèl” means?

Hmmm... that would depend on who or what 'maggy' is.
Looks like 'maggy' could be the name of a person.


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Is this the use of 'mete men' correct here? tout moun dwe mete men pou pwojè a kapab reyisi.

Li kòrèk wi. Ou byen ekri li.
Mete men se fè konbit, se travay ansanm pou reyisit yon objektif.

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Michel DeGraff E Inisyativ MIT-Ayiti a Pou Avansman Lang Kreyòl La

Michel DeGraff E Inisyativ MIT-Ayiti a Pou Avansman Lang Kreyòl La

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Surtab et MIT-Haiti Initiative s'unissent pour la promotion du créole

Surtab et MIT-Haiti Initiative s'unissent pour la promotion du créole

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let me write this in Creole :) question: is 'rele apre you moun' and 'rele apre ko (body) ou' menm bagay?

Rele apre yon moun vle di repwoche oubyen reprimande moun nan.
Nou p ap ka itilize men kalite vèb repwoche a pou 'kò w'.
Rele apre kò w vle di menm bagay avèk ranmase kò w. Lè ou rele apre kò w se lè ou pran swen kò w pou kapab fè tèt ou pli atiran. Se lè ou gen sousi pou aparans ou. Se lè ou pa kite kò w lage nèt.

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

Does pa chat always mean "an extramarital affair"?

No. Not always. Yon ti pa chat could also be other 'reckless exploits'.

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What flour or wheat product is used to make akwa or akra? It tastes like potato cakes. thanks

It's 'akra'.
We use the root vegetable 'malanga' or 'taro' to make akra.
To my knowledge, we do not use any type of flour.

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Jodia se jounen entenasyonal lang kreyol vre? Kiyes ki te chwazi jou sa e poukisa?

Yon gwoup lengwis te mete tèt ansnam nan mwa oktòb, ane 1983 pou rekonèt lang kreyòl ak pou fè plis rechèch pou benefis lang lan. Yo te deside chwazi jou 28 oktòb la pou selebre eritaj kreyòl la chak ane – se te premye selebrasyon jounen entènasyonal kreyòl la. Tout peyi ki pale kreyòl vin patisipe nan selebrasyon sa a. Malgre genyen ki obsève li nan yon diferan dat, yo toujou rezève mwa oktòb la pou sa.

Selebrasyon kreyòl la se pa senpleman fete lang ki ini nou kòm yon ras, ... yon pèp, se ta dwe okazyon ki nan kalandriye nou tout tan pou fè nou sonje li lè pou nou klase lang lan nan plas li, kòm lang prensipal kominikasyon nou nan tout aspè.

M ap mande tèt mwen, nan tout peyi sa yo ki ap selebre lang kreyòl la, konben nan yo ki bay lang kreyòl la premye plas nan kilti yo vrèman?

Konben nan peyi sa yo, lè tan an rive pou prezante yon bagay ofisyèl, se franse onswa yon lòt lang yo chwazi?

Kisa ki gani tab ou? Franse onswa kreyòl?

Si yon moun k ap selebre lang kreyòl la panse kreyòl gen ti mank, pou se lòt lang l ap chwazi pou regle koze ofisyèl, moun sa a nan gwo ipokrizi.

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Podcastle - The Half Dark Promise: A little Creole in the Fiction makes it real interesting.

This week's work of fiction by Malon Edwards in the Podcastle, The Fantasy Fiction Podcast, is a thrilling story, The Half Dark Promise, narrated by yours truly :)
Be sure to check it out.
Here's the link: The Half Dark Promise

Podcastle: The Half Dark Promise

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Am I phrasing this correctly? "Jis paske mwen pa konprann tout bagay, sa pa vle di mwen pa konprann anyen." -JC

Yes. it is phrased correctly.
Kenbe la :)

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Who's maitre jean jacques? 'souer kou maitre jean jacques'?

If I understand this well, I think that mèt Jan Jak is the 'resourceful' one.
If you're going to use 'swe' in this comparison, you should say 'Bouki'.
It goes like: swe kou pitit Bouki (literally: as sweaty as Bouki's child) meaning "very sweaty".

But if you meant to say mèt Jan Jak in your comparison, we say 'degaje kou mèt Jan Jak' which means to be as resourceful as one can, to do everything in your power to take care of things.

It's two different things.

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How would your translate "it's for for your own good" in Creole==? mesi

It's for your own good. - Se pou byen w.
I'm doing all this for your own good. - M ap fè tout sa pou pwòp byen pa w. / M ap fè tout sa pou byen w.
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Bonjou! Mpral bwe yon tas kafe anme avew! Sa sa vle di?

bwè yon tas kafe anmè ak yon moun - gen yon konfrontasyon, regle yon dispit, twoke kòn nou pou rezoud yon dispit.

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Mandaly mta renmen konnen si ''joumou pa donnen kalbas'' se tarduction creole ''le fer s'aiguise par le fer''?

Hi.

Joumou pa donnen kalbas, pou mwen vle di paran ak pitit toujou gen menm karaktè, dispozisyon ak mantalite. Si paran yo se move moun, yo gen tandans panse pitit lan se yon move grenn tou.

Kisa w panse?

2 comments:

willeen Jean LouisOctober 25, 2015 at 3:30 PM

Mesii anpil. Se vre se sitou granmou mkonn tande kap di timoun sa le fe on vye bagay tankou on repwoch.

Replies

MandalyOctober 25, 2015 at 3:50 PM

Wi se sa. E, sa w panse de ekspresyon, "Pitit tig se tig"?

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Can you explain me what is "frè kot papa"? I am refering to the tropicana song.

Frè kot papa - brother on the father's side (same father, but not the same mother)



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Yet one more questions about yo. Can you have it in the following sentence Jan rayi chat yo (as in the French: Jean déteste les chats)

Grammatically your sentence is correct.
Jan rayi chat yo correctly translates the sentence Jean hates the cats.
In French, it's ok to have 'les' (art.) before 'chats'.
Just remember that it is not necessary to add 'yo' if the noun 'chat' is no specified.

Some examples.
Jan rayi chat. - Jean hates cats.
Betty pa renmen zaboka. - Betty doesn't like avocados.
Li pa renmen gason. - She detests men.
So, there's no need to add yo to know that these nouns are plural.

But you can, of course, add 'yo' if the nouns are specified.
Kilè ou pral mennen chat yo kay veterinè a? - When will you take the cats to the veterinarian?
Mèsi pou tout danre ou pote yo, men mwen pa vle zaboka yo. Ou mèt pran yo. M pa renmen zaboka.
Thanks for all the produce that you brought but I don't want the avocados. You may have them. I don't like avocados.


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One more question about yo Can you have yo with boku M achte boko liv yo Thank you

You can say, M achte bonkou nan liv yo. - I bought many of the books.
or
M achte bonkou liv. - I bought many books. or I bought a great quantity of books.

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What is the expression tanbou balan? How can i use it?

Did you mean tanbou batan which means first notice, first call
literally means ...at the first beat of the drum....
at the first call,
at first warning,

egzanp:
Nou p ap pèdi tan, n ap koumanse nan gran maten. Tanbou batan fòk tout moun gen tan la, prèt pou mete men nan travay la.

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Translation for "shortcut" in different contexts in creole? For example, "We took a shortcut home"

chemen dekoupe, wout altène, altènatif, chemen kout

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What are words for "networking" and "to network"? For example, "To get a job in today's economy, it is important to have a strong network." and "Many people find it worthwhile to network for jobs and information."

In Haiti we call this moun pa, piston, datou, gen koneksyon :)

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What are words for "mindful" and "mindless" in creole?

Hi, I appreciate the examples that you gave with this question - I would rather have your own original sentences with your examples, otherwise we would have to cite and give references. Thanks.

According to the example that you gave you may translate mindful as sansib, konsyan, gen konsyans, gen respè or respekte. Depending on the context of the sentence you might have to use different Creole terms for the word mindful.
As far as the word mindless is concerned, a generic term is neglijan or manfouben.

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Sorry, this is not a language question exactly-- just could not find any information on the topic elsewhere! Is there a specific reason that women who practice vodou wear certain types of headscarves? If they give up their head wrap, what is the significance?

I am not well versed in voodoo terminology or practice.
According to Saint-Lot (2003), The garments that the vodou worshipers wear, "hats, tailcoats, kerchiefs, capes, make-up, knapsacks, canes, jewelry and machetes , among other items" contribute to the elegance of the ceremony.
Clothes color, changing costumes, or lack of clothing, all have meanings - depending on the loa that is represented and depending on the rank of the worshiper.

Check out this book that I'm referencing: Saint-Lot (2003). Vodou a sacred theatre: The African heritage in Haiti. Coconut Creek, FL: Educavision.

ISBN: 1-58432-177-6

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My question concerns the use of yo as a plural. If you say: I saw three boys .....

“My question concerns the use of yo as a

plural.

If you say:

I saw three boys in the courtyard yesterday. Two boys

were arguing and the third was trying to stop them.

How woud you translate

the part: Two boys were arguing there ?

'De timoun yo' te dispite or simply

without the yo

De timoun te dispite.

Thank you very much.”

mandaly says:

Hi,

Yes, using “yo” sometimes is complicated for foreigners because we use it as 1) definite plural article (the), 2) personal pronouns (they, them), and 3) possessives (their). If you have all these elements in one sentence, that can get tricky. I think it might be helpful to not translate word for word then. If you do translate word for word, try to rephrase the sentence after translation.

“I saw three boys in the courtyard yesterday. Two boys

were arguing and the third was trying to stop them.”

Translation:

Mwen te wè twa (3) ti gason nan lakou an yè. De (2) ladan yo t ap diskite, e twazyèm nan t ap eseye mete lòd.

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What does “ Samedi jou baissé levé” means? There is also a song of shleu-shleu with that name.

In Haitian Creole we write  bese leve. In that context, it means housework, house chores, work or labor that requires physical efforts,  domestic work like cleaning, laundry (lesiv washing clothes by hand), etc.....

When I was growing up in Akayè our Saturdays was very busy with house chores, shopping at the market, cooking preparation (you know.... netwaye vyann pou semenn nan), cleaning, mopping and getting ready for Sundays. We also washed our hair on Saturdays.  We took our weekly medicine which was a laxative made of castor bean oil and some blended leaves....good stuff :)

Yes, jou bese leve se jou travay nan kay enpi, se jou tou,  pou fè lesiv ak ale nan mache.

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

Hi! Do you know or can you tell me where to find out how many words there are in Haitian Creole? Mesi,

Oh man! This is officially the most interesting question I have ever had on this blog :)
Although Haitian Creole is a full-fledged language, it is impossible to count how many words there are in this language. Here are the reasons why:

1. The Haitian Creole language has not had a comprehensive word-word definition dictionary yet. There are many Haitian Creole dictionaries including language translation dictionaries, but none that are complete.

2. For a Haitian Creole word-definition dictionary to be comprehensive, it would have to also include regional word variations, and no one has tapped into that branch yet. What is the Haitian northerner's way of saying "manmit" for example? How many different ways can you say the word "ede" for example?

3. Do we count "gerizon" and "lagerizon" as two words? How about other words in that category: "delivrans" and "ladelivrans", "lwa" and "lalwa", or "kilbit" and "lakilbit"?

4. Language used voodoo worship may be widely unknown except for a small group of people. For example, is it "andjenikon" or "andyenikon" or "oundjenikon"?  How many variations are there? Do they all count as one word? How about katabou (conga rhythm), it might be known under a different name in other regions in Haiti. We need to know the many variations of terms that are used in this category.

5. We do not yet have standards for many medical terms in Creole yet.

6. Also based on our fast changing world, there are many new terms that become part of the Haitian Creole language every year or so, some are derived from other languages and other are conceived and named after the event that they represent.

There are many more reasons. I think when we have our first comprehensive word-word definition dictionary, we'll have an idea :)

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ou kap itilize mo brave danje?

Brave danje? nan sans deskripsyon?
Ki kote ou te tande mo sa a? e kijan yo te itilize l?

ex: Mesye sa a se yon brave danje li ye.
Yon moun ki gen gason sou li, ki brav ki pa pè anyen.

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Elèv nan lekòl Ayiti yo ap chante alfabè kreyòl la.

N ap di yon gran mèsi a tout lekòl ann Ayiti, a direktè ak direktris lekòl ki te onswa chante oubyen pral chante alfabè kreyòl la. Ti moun Ayisyen alèkile pral grandi ak konesans alfabè lang matènèl yo.

Si ou se yon direktè lekòl ann Ayiti ki po ko patisipe nan promosyon lang kreyòl la nan lekòl ann Ayiti, n ap mande w ki lè ou va deside mete men nan pat la?
Plizyè lekòl ann Ayiti, sitou nan klas fondamantal yo, te deside anseye elèv yo alfabè kreyòl la avèk DVD ki genyen 2 ti chante alfabè kreyòl la ke pwofesè DeGraff avè Louis-Charles te pwodui nan yon videyo.

Anplis de sa, n ap ankouraje tout lekòl yo pou yo chache aprann konnen ki sa Inisyativ MIT-Ayiti a ye. Genyen anpil resous sou pwogrè ki ap fèt avèk lang kreyòl la pa rapò ak ledikasyon ann Ayiti. Ou kapab koumanse enfòme w nan sit sa a: http://resourcecenters2015.videohall.com/posters/519

Tout pwofesè lekòl ann Ayiti ta dwe pran yon pozisyon aktif pou pwogram Inisyativ la ka disponib nan tout lekòl yo ....pi bonè se gran maten.  Plis nou aji pi bonè, se mwens tan ti moun yo pase ap aprann ak pwogram demode. Sèvèl ti moun yo pare pou aprann, an nou djigèt li ak bon jan teknoloji pou Ayiti ka koumanse pwodui plis syantis, chimis, matematisyen ak enjenyè ki gen konpetans global.

Jwenn plis enfòmasyon toujou. tcheke lyen sa yo: 

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10160904120868872&type=3&mibextid=ncKXMA 

http://MIT-Ayiti.NET

https://mit-ayiti.net/resous/an-n-konprann-chante-alfabe-kreyol-la/

Institution Mixte Gethsemane ap fè gwo pa annavan - yo pral chante alfabè kreyòl la.

Ti katkat na lekòl Kindergarten ak Collège Said Nan Fontamara 43 ak direktè Marcelin Henson pral chante alfabè kreyòl la.

Institut Mixte Emmanuel de Leogane pral chante alfabè kreyòl la. Gwo kout chapo pou direktè Jules Jean Ladie ki ap fè yon gwo travay nan zòn nan.

Gwo bravo pou elèv collège Leonard Milord nan Leogane, rue St. Laurent avec Direktè Paul Fritz ki pral chante alfabè kreyòl la. Kontinye bon travay la.

Lekòl Kindergarten Joli Minou nan Timo Leogan avèk directrice Mitha Louis Meriser pral chante alfabè kreyòl la.

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

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.

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

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

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

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 ....

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

"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

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

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

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

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.

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

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?

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

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?


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

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

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

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.

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

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."

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

Creole Classes in Queens, NY Library.

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

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

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."

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

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.

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

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).

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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

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