Ti Koze Kat. Conversation Four.
Original Source
All credit goes to Bryant C. Freeman, Ph.D. These excerpts are all taken from Ti Koze Kreyòl, A Haitian-Creole Conversation Manual. We love the content so much that we want to share it with you. For more information, please visit the official website.
Instructions
- Listen to the recording. Write down what you understood
- Listen to the recording while reading the transcript. Key terms and phrases are located at the end
- Use new vocabulary with others. Copy the sound and intonation you heard in the recording
Yon Ti Gout Kafe. A Bit Of Coffee.
Jan: Mari! Mari! Kote* ou prale?
Mari: Nan klas kreyòl; sa ou vle?*. . . E ou menm, ou pa prale nan klas kreyòl kounyeya?
Jan: Men wi! Mwen manke bliye.*
Mari: Ou manke bliye! Men ou pa serye, monchè! Ki jan ou vle aprann kreyòl si ou pa vini nan klas chak jou?
Jan: Wi, se vre. Ou gen rezon, Mari. Men, m gen yon gwo pwoblèm.
Mari: Yon gwo pwoblèm? Men ki pwoblèm ou ka genyen, monchè?
Jan: Machè, mwen gen yon kout chapo pou* yon dam, men li pa renmen m.
Mari: Yon dam ki pa renmen ou? Men ou se yon gason ki janti anpil!
Jan: Se sa m kwè! Men li menm, li pa wè sa!
Mari: Men dam sa a fou! Pou jan ou se yon bon nèg,* Jan!
Jan: Mwen toujou kite* l wè sa, men li pa okipe* m.
Mari: Men kilès dam sa a?
Jan: Men se ou menm menm, Mari!
Mari: Mwen menm? Se pa vre! Mwen kwè ou debyen anpil!
Jan: Bon! Alò, ou vle n al bwè yon ti gout kafe ansanm?
Mari: Oke! Ann ale!*
Yo antre nan yon bèl ti restoran ki rele “Kiyè Sal.”*
Jan: Ou renmen ti restoran sa a, Mari?
Mari: Men wi! Li bèl, men gen twòp moun.
Jan: Se vre! Kote gason an ye? O! men li. Gason, ou ka pote de ti tas kafe ban nou, souple?
Gason: Touswit! Nou vle krèm oubyen sik nan kafe a?
Toude: Men wi! Ou mèt mete toude.
Jan: Epi tou, pote yon pòch sigarèt pou mwen, souple.
Gason: Mwen regrèt sa, nou pa gen sigarèt menm!*
Mari: O! o! Ou fimen, Jan? Li pa bon pou ou, non!
Jan: Wi, m konnen sa. M ta renmen kite* fimen, men m gen anvi fimen tanzantan, sitou lè m eksite.
Mari: Ou eksite kounyeya? Poukisa?
Jan: Paske m avè ou.
Mari: Ou eksite paske ou avè m! Se pa serye sa, monchè!
Jan: Wi, men se premye fwa ou sòti ak mwen.
Mari: Men se premye fwa ou envite m tou, monchè.*
Nòt Yo. Notes.
Kote “Where?” here short for Ki kote?
Sa ou vle? “what do you expect?” here short for kisa ou vle? (Usually this would mean, “what do you want?”)
Mwen manke bliye literally, “I (just) missed forgetting,” i.e., “I almost forgot.”
Gen yon kout chapo pou literally, “to have a hit of the hat for,” i.e., “to have a crush on.”
Pou jan ou se yon bon nèg “(For the way) you’re such a great guy.”
Kite “to let, permit, allow”; also can mean “to leave”; and “to stop (doing something)”
Okipe “to pay attention to.”
Ann ale! “Let’s go!” an is combined with n(ou) to indicate the first-person plural imperative.
Any resemblance between this name and “Greasy Spoon” is purely intentional. Haitians often refer to this kind of
restaurant as a “restoran dezavèg” (literally, “restaurant of the blind”).
Pa . . . menm “not . . . at all.”
Kite “to stop (doing something)”
Men se premye fwa ou envite m tou, monchè. Mary’s good faith could be questioned here!
Kesyon Yo. Questions.
Chache reponn ak yon fraz konplèt. Answer using a complete sentence.
1. Ki kote Mari prale?
2. Kisa Jan manke bliye?
3. Ki konsèy Mari bay Jan?
4. Ou dakò ak sa?
5. Poukisa Jan manke bliye al lekòl?
6. Ki gwo pwoblèm Jan genyen?
7. Ki moun Jan renmen?
8. Èske ou kwè Mari renmen Jan tou?
***
9. Ki kote yo ale apre sa?
10. Ki non restoran sa a?
11. Ki bweson yo kòmande?
12. Kisa yo vle ansanm ak kafe a?
13. Èske Jan konn fimen?
14. E ou menm, èske ou konn fimen?
15. Poukisa Jan eksite kounyeya?
16. Èske se premye fwa Jan envite Mari sòti?