useful Words and Phrases
CREOLE - ENGLISH

Bonjou! - Good morning!
Bonswa! - Good afternoon!/Evening! (used after 11 AM)
Kouman ou rele? - What is your name?
M rele... - My name is...
Kouman ou ye? (common greeting) - How are you?
N'ap boule! (response) - Doing Good!
Wi - Yes
yo - they, them
Non - No
Mesi - Thanks
Anmwe! - Help!
Non, mesi - No, thanks
Souple - Please
Merite - You're welcome
Pa gen pwoblem - No problem
Oke - OK
Eskize mwen - Excuse me
Mwen regret sa - I'm sorry
Gen... - There is/are...
Pa genyen! - There is/are not any!
Mwen pa genyen! - I don't have any!
Sekonsa! - That's right!
Piti piti - A little bit
Anpil - A lot
Gen anpil... - There are a lot of...
Isit - Here
La - There
Tout bagay anfom? - Is everything OK?
Pa kounye-a - Not now
Toupatou - Everywhere
Anyen - Nothing
Preske - Almost
Atansyon! - Attention!/Watch out!
Prese prese! - Hurry!
Dife! - Fire!
Rete! - Stop!
Kounye-a - Now
Nou ap chache... - We are looking for...
Souple, ban mwen... - Please give me...
Separe sa ant nou - Divide this among you
Ye - Yesterday
Jodia - Today
Demen - Tomorrow
Maten an - This morning
Apremidi a - This afternoon
Aswe a - This evening
Ou byen? - You OK?
Mwen pa two byen - I'm not too well
Mwen malad - I'm sick
Te gen yon aksidan - There was an accident
Nou bezwen yon dokte/yon mis touswit - We need a doctor/a nurse right now
Kote Iopital Ia? - Where is the hospital?
Kote Ii ou fe mal? - Where does it hurt you?
Li ansent - She's pregnant
Mwen pa ka manje/domi - I cannot eat/sleep
Mwengendjare - I have diarrhea
Mwen anvi vonmi - I feel nauseated
Tout ko mwen cho - My whole body is hot
Mwen toudi - I'm dizzy
Nou bezwen pansman/koton - We need bandages/cotton
Mwen bezwen yon bagay pi blese sa a - I need something for this cut
Mwen grangou - I'm hungry
Mwen swaf anpil - I'm very thirsty
Nou ta vle manje - We would like to eat
Konben - How much?/How many?
Poukisa? - Why?
Kote? - Where?
Kisa? - What?
Kile? - When?
Ki moun? - Who?
Kijan? - How?
Kiles? - Which?
Eske gen...? - Is/Are there...?
Eske ou gen...? - Do you have...?
Eske ou ka ede nou, souple? - Can you help us please?
Kote nou ka achte...? - Where can we buy...?
Eske ou ka di mwen...? - Can you tell me...?
montre - show
ban - give
Ki moun ki Ia? - Who is there?
Kisa ou vIe? - What do you want?
Kisa ou ta vIa? - What would you like?
Kisa ou ap fe Ia? - What are you doing there?
Kisa sa a ye? - What is that?
Sa k'genyen? - What's the matter?
Kisa pi nou fe? - What must we do?
Eske ou te we...? - Have you seen...?
Eske ou pale angle/franse? - Do you speak English/French?
Ki moun isit ki pale angle? - Who speaks English here?
Ou konprann? - You understand?
Kij an yo rele sa an kreyol? - What do they call that inCreole?
Kij an yo di...an kreyol? - How do they say... in Creole?
Kisa ou bezouen? - What do you need?
Kisa ki rive ou? - What happened to you?
Ki kote li ale? - Where did he go?
Kilaj ou? - How old are you?
Kote ou rete? - Where do you live?
Eske ou gen petit? - Do you have any children?
Kote nou ye? - Where are we?
genyen - to have
chita - to sit
manje - to eat
rete - to stop
kouri - to run
kouche - to lie down
vini - to come
ale/prale - to go
ban - to give
rete trankil - to be quiet
pran - to get, receive
leve - to get up
sede - to give up
touye - to kill
frape - to hit
kache - to hide
konnen - to know
manti - to lie (manti! this can't be true)
gade - to look
koupe - to cut
kwit-manje, fe-manje - to cook
fimen - to smoke
atake - to attack
ban pemi - to authorize
kri - to shout, yell, scream
achte - to buy
fe-apel - to call, name
netwaye - to clean
femen - to close
fose - to coerce, force
fini - to finish
obeyi - to obey
fe - konfyans - to trust
console - to comfort
pati - to leave, depart
mouri - to die
fe-desen - to draw, sketch
bwe - to drink
tonbe - to drop, fall
mete abo - embark, load, board
atoure - to surround
ranfose - to enforce
ou - you, your
mwen - I, me, my, mine
nou - us, our, you (plural)
Ii - him, her, his, hers

Nouns

book-liv
pen-plim
table-tab
man-moun, nonm
woman-fanm
child-pitit
boy-gason
girl-tifi
student-elèv
car-oto, machin, vwati
language-lang
tourist-touris
city-vil
money-lajan, kòb
store-boutik
restaurant-restoran
family-fanmi
mother-manman
father-papa
sister-sè
brother-frè
water-dlo
day-jou
night-nuit
evening-swa
morning-maten
afternoon-aprèmidi
breakfast-dejne
lunch-manje midi
dinner-dine
food-manje
chair-chèz
friend-zanmi
newspaper-jounal
husband-mari
wife-madanm, fanm

Articles and Demonstratives
Definite
Singular - la, a (after vowel), an (after n), nan (after m, nn, gn, or ng)
Plural - yo
The definite article comes after the noun: moun an - the man

Indefinite
Singular-youn

Demonstratives
this - sa a
these - sa yo
that - sila a
those - sila yo
These come after the noun: vil sila a - that city

Verbs
to ask-mande
to speak-pale
to know-konnen
to see-wè
to do-fè
to make-fè, fabrike
to eat-manje
to drink-bwè
to understand-konprann
to want-vle
to study-etidye
to learn-aprann
to sit-chita
to need-bezwen
to go-ale
to live-abite (inhabit), viv (be alive)
to come-vini
to buy-achte
to sell-vann
to look for-chèche
to work-travay
to visit-visite
to smoke-fimen
to like-remnen
to love-damou
to pay-peye
to hear-tande
to think-panse

Adjectives
beautiful-bèl
pretty-bèl
nice-bon
big-gwo
large-gran
small-piti
good-bon
sick-malad
cold-frèt
hot-cho
new-nouvo
old-vye
near-toupre
far-lwen
American-ameriken
English-angle
French-franse
Spanish-panyol
Chinese-chinwa

Personal Pronouns
I-mwen (long form), m (short form)
you-ou (long), w (short)
he-li, l
she-li, l
we-nou, nou
they-yo, y

To Be
I am-mwen
you are-ou
he is-li
she is-li
we are-nou
they are-yo

PRONUNCIATION KEY


ch-sh as in ship / ch-share chache-to look for
o-claw fo-strong
e-aim ede-to aid, help
ou-you ou-you
k-k as in key kisa-what?
e-leg mesi-thank you
v-v as in vampire - vini-come
r-(not rolled) respire-to breathe
g-go gen-to have
I-see isit-here
s-s as in sip / s-(always s) prese-in a hurry
j-s as in vision / j-(avoid the d sound) jou-day
y-yes pye-foot
o-toe zo-bone