We love this Haitian Creole listening practice featuring Titine by Languichatte (Haitian Creole: Titin de Langichat) because it showcases how Haitians use French for jokes and wordplay. As a result, the content includes many French expressions.
Since not all learners of Haitian Creole speak French, we’ve written out these expressions using Haitian Creole spelling. Each expression is accompanied by a footnote explaining its meaning.
Langichat is known for speaking very fast, so we recommend slowing the video down to 0.75x speed to make it easier to follow along.
Want the full transcript along with explanations of phrases, discussion questions, cultural points and grammar points?
Haitian Creole Listening Practice: Titine by Languichatte
- Listen to the recording. See how much you can understand without looking at the our transcript
- Write down as much as you can understand
- Listen to the recording while reading our transcript
- Review key terms, vocabulary, and activities
- Use new vocabulary with others. Copy the sound and intonation you hear in the recording
Transcript - Part 1
M pral rakonte nou istwa Ti Tin. Ti Tin se bon zanmi m wi. Yon darati, yon fi m te konnen, trè byen. Yon darati trè byen. Li gen bon tanperaman. Men Ti Tin gen sè li ki trè byen tou. Fò m di nou ke Ti Tin li menm sòt pase panyen pèsi. Ti Tin pa konn anyen. Wi men pa kont sè Ti Tin nan li menm a, se yon fanm enstwit, une erudite [yon ewoudit]. Fanm ki profesè de lèt. Sè Ti Tin wi.
Sè Ti Tin nan tèlman fò, ke chak dimanch maten li reyini lè dam enstwit de Pòtoprens. Yo reyini nan yon salon. Alò y ap fè kòm lè salon dè 17yèm syèk. Yo pale de literati, epi sè a menm menm reyini tout moun epi Fransè! Epi tout moun ap pale de literati. Y ap pale de Viktò Igo. Y ap pale de Lafontèn. Yo pase, yo soti nan 17yèm syèk tonbe nan 18yèm. Yo pran le womantizim de 19èm syèk y ap pale.
Vocabulary
Darati. Used to describe someone who is very old, sometimes being older than they seem
Sòt pase panyen pèsi. Literally: dumber than a torn basket. (Conveys the imagery of a brain that can’t hold much knowledge.) Equivalent to the English expression: “dumb as an ox”
Fanm enstwi(t). Educated woman
Ewoudit. Erudite, extremely intelligent and lofty
Lè dam enstwi de Pòtoprens. (French) the educated women of Port au Prince
Kòm lè salon dè 17èm syèk. (French) like the lounges of the 17th century
Viktò Igo, Lafontèn. The French writers Victor Hugo and Jean de La Fontaine
Le womantizim de 19èm syèk – (French) “romanticism of the 19th century”
Transcript - Part 2
Men Ti Tin menm li menm ap tande y ap pale de yon pakèt moun ki mouri depi lontan. Ti Tin pa di anyen. Titin pa konprann bagay sa yo li menm. Ti Tin, sa Ti Tin fè, Ti Tin ap pwofite vini sèvi moun, sèvi tout moun ki vin wè sè l la bagay sa yo. Ti Tin ret sou kote.
Men nou konnen Ayisyèn oun jan renmen takine moun. Yo konnen Ti Tin sòt wi. Ti Fransè Fransè ap dewoule oun pakèt literati bagay konsa. Epi gen youn nan medam yo ki apwoche kot Ti Tin. Li di “E twa kèl è ton otè prefere?” Ti Tin fè sa. Ti Tin gade l. Ti Tin di l “en mèt swasant.” O o! Lè l tande sa a, sè Ti Tin nan move. Oooh sè Ti Tin nan vekse pou l wè sè li, pou jan l yon moun enstwi pou yo mande sè l “kèl è ton otè prefere”. Pou sè l reponn “en mèt swasant”.
