Photo from J. Perry album: Kiyes ou ye?
Do you like to listen to music?
If yes, you know Haitian music is for you. The mix of Haitian, African, African rhythms and Spanish elements make Haitian music very appealing.
If no, sorry to tell you music is one of the few ways to improve your Creole, along with movies, social media, and a handful of Haitian documentaries.
We love the song Kiyès Ou Ye? by J Perry because you can learn
- how to ask questions correctly in Creole,
- how to answer those questions, and
- what makes different parts of Haiti unique and beautiful.
As you watch and listen to the song, take note of how many times you hear the word “ye”. You can also compare what you hear to the page: Kiyès Ou Ye Activities.
This brings us to the next “Se Rule”.
Se Rule #3
“Se” becomes “ye” when asking for information
Kiyès Jida ye? ✓
Who is Judas?
What is the answer?
Where is my telephone?
What time is it?
Kote moun yo ye? ✓
Where is everyone?
How is your son?
How much is this?
Who is this car for?
What’s the difference between Haitian “yes / no questions” and “information questions“? Click the appropriate link above to find the answer.
Practice
Write down 20 Haitian information questions and ask a fellow Haitian to answer them. You can also send us the questions and we will answer them.
Rule #4 will be featured next.
Improve Your Pronunciation: È
Have you been practicing the letter E? We know that even when you pronounce the verb “egzajere”, each E is being pronounced the exact same way.
Now let’s move on to the next letter: È.
- Watch the È Video to see and hear exactly how to pronounce it correctly.
- Watch the Te vs. Tè vs. Ten video to hear the difference between E and È.
Kiyès Ou Ye Activities
You have watched and listened to the Kiyès Ou Ye video. You have listened to the È video. Now:
(Advanced Learners)
- Go verse by verse and try to write out exactly what he is saying
- Once you feel comfortable with what you wrote, try to compare your transcript to the original one
- Answer the following questions:
- What is he urging Haitians to do?
- Why is he imploring them to do so?
(Beginners)
- Write down all the words that have the letter È
- Record yourself reading those words aloud
- Compare your recording to the original audio
- Repeat until your pronunciation is as close to the original as possible
- Have a native speaker give you feedback
Don’t cheat and look up the lyrics lol.
When you are finished, you can look at the lyrics here to compare your work.
Send Us Your Answers
Feel free to send us your answers to the questions.
Leaners Share Their Story: Tyler Plaxco
Tyler Plaxco went to Dominican Republic and fell in love with Haitians, the culture, and the language. Now he lives in Michigan and has no access to Haitians. How is he able to keep improving his Haitian Creole? Find out in the interview. Tyler is a volunteer helping in the Haitian Creole field. Enjoy!
Haitian Culture: In the beginning
Do you want to learn more about Haitians, Haitian food, Haitian music, and more about Haitian culture?
Our new mini series Ayiti Cheri was made for you. Enjoy Epidode 1.
