All about food (Part one)

Food is one of the necessities of life, so here are some key Kwéyòl words and phrases related to food. In this lesson, you will be introduced to food related vocabulary.

Trinidadian French Creole for "food": manjé (mahn-zhay) or  laboufay (lah-boo-fay)

French for food: nourriture

Example:

I need food.

Mwen bezwen manjé.

Ki kalité manjé sa yé?
What kind of food is that? 

Ki kalité manjé ou enmen?

What kind of food do you like?

 It's important to know that Trinidadian French Creole for "to eat" is also "manjé".

Example:

Nou ké manje ansanm oswè-a.
We'll eat together tonight.

Mwen manjé manjé-a.
I eat the food.

 or

Mwen manjé laboufay-la.

 Food 

food (noun) → manjé

eat (verb) → manjé

I ate the food. → Mwen té manjé manjé-a.

The food is delicious. → Manjé-a bon/goutan.

The food smells good. → Manjé-a ka santi bon.

 

The food needs more pepper  → Manjé-a méwité plis piman.

The food is spicy (hot). → Manjé-a piké.

Have you eaten already? → Èskè'w ja manjé?

Would you like some food? → Èskè'w voudwé yon ti manjé?

No, thank you.  I've already eaten. → Non, mèsi. Mwen ja manjé.

Yes, I would like some food, thank you. → Wi, mwen sé vlé tigwenn manjé, mèsi.
  
Thank you for the food. → Mèsi pou manjé-a.

I need food to eat; I'm hungry. → Mwen bizwen manjé pou manjé; mwen fen.

* Èskè is another form of 'ès' which is used when asking questions that simply require a yes or no answer.

 

Wipa - Meals

 

Breakfast - dité (dee-tay)

Lunch - déjné (deyzh-nay)

Snack - goutni (goot-nee)

Dinner - dinen/soupé (dee-neh)/ (soo-pay)

Food related verbs

To have breakfast - pwan dité (pwahn /dee-tay)

To have lunch - déjnen (deyzh-nehn)    

To have a snack - pwan goutni (pwahn /goot-nee)

To have dinner - dinen (deen-eh)

 

Meal courses 

Appetizers - òdèv (o-dehv)

Soup - soup / lasoup (soop /lah-soop)

Main course - gwan wipa (gwahn /wee-pah)

Salad - (sah-lahd)
Dessert - dézé (day-zay)

Kitchen - tjwizin (chwee-zeen)

Dining room - Chanm-a-manjé (sham-ah-mah-zhay)

Restaurant - kay manjé / wéstowan (kai-mah-zhay)


 Here are the Kwéyòl words for some staples, seasonings, and other miscellaneous foods.  



Jam/Jelly - konfiti (kohn-fee-tee)

Croissant - kwasan (kwah-sahn)

Flour (white) - fawin-fwans (fah-ween/fwahns)
  
Olive oil - lwil dòliv  (lweel dohl-eev)

Mayonnaise - mayonnèz (ma-yohn-nehz)

Mustard - moutad (moo-tahd)

Egg(s) - zè (zeh)

Bread - pen (pehn)

Toast (bread) - pen gwilé (pehn gwee-lay)  

Pasta - pat (paht)

Pepper - piman (pee-mahn)

Rice - diwi (dee-wee)

Salt - sèl (sel)

Sugar - sik (seek)