Friday, 6 April 2012

Conditional sentences (continued)



Today, we will continue our study of "If clauses" remember these clauses are used to declare a condition or possibly that is dependant on another condition being met. If.. then clauses are also known as conditionals.


Example :

Si yo wè mwen, zòt ké wi. - If they see me, they will laugh.



The first conditional that we will look at today is formed from the present tense in the si clause, and one of three verb forms; present, future or imperative in the result clause.



Present + Present
This construction is used for things that happen regularly


Example :

Si mononk ou la, nou ka sòti an kay-la.

If your uncle is there, we are going leave the house.


Si mwen pa vlé étidyé, mwen ka gadé télévisyon-an

If I don't want to study, I watch the television.


Si lapli tonbé, nou pa ka jwé déwò-a.

If rain falls, we don't play outside.
----------------------------------------------------

Present + Future

The present + future construction is used for events that are likely to occur. The present tense follows si; it is the situation that is required before the other action will take place.


Example :

Si mwen tiwé boul-la, i ké mò.

If I remove the bullet, he will die.



Si'w fè yon zéfò, mwen ké édé'w.

If you make an effort, I will help you.


Si li lavé sé vasèl-la, ou ké lavé sé wido-a?

If she washes the dishes, will you wash the curtains?


Note : w is a contraction of the pronoun ou which means you.

-------------------------------------------------------------


Present + Imperative

This construction is used to give an order, assuming that the condition is met. The present tense follows si; it is the situation that is required before the other action becomes a command.


Example :

Si Janette tini tan, di li vini wè mwen.

If Janette has time, tell her come and see me.



Si'w tini lajan-an, péyé nòt-la.

If you have the money, pay the bill.




Si'w jwenn André, bay li koul ban mwen!

If you find André, beat him up for me!

Tuesday, 3 April 2012

Great Kwéyòl dictionary

For those of you who are looking for a dictionary that will help you learn the vocabulary of the language, I would like to suggest the St Lucian dictionary. St Lucian French Creole is very similar to Trinidadian French Creole. This dictionary contains a pronunciation guide, parts of the human body and a list of numbers from 1-100 listed in the appendix section.

Friday, 30 March 2012

Saturday, 24 March 2012

Lesson 33 - Using "IF...". Sentences with IF clauses



In today's lesson we will learn about IF clauses  If-then clauses, also known as conditionals, or conditional sentences,* are sentences with one clause stating a condition or possibility, and a second clause naming a result which is dependent upon that condition.


The English conjunction IF is expressed in Kwéyòl by the word Si pronounced (SEE)


SI -----> IF



There are different types of si clauses, but they all have two things in common:


1) The English result clause might be preceded by "then," but there is no equivalent word preceding the Creole result clause.


Example :


1) Si ou tjwit sa, mwen ké vann-li.
    If you cook that, (then) I will sell it.


2) Si nou té la, nou té ké wè yo.
    If we were there, (then) we would have seen them.


3) Si ou pa alé jòdi-a, ou pa sa alé démen.
    If you don't go today, (then) you can't go tomorrow.


4) Si mwen ka kwè an Jézi, mwen ké wè fidji Bondyé-a.
   If I believe in Jesus, (then) I will see the face of God.


-------------------------------------------------------------


2) The clauses can be in either order, si clause followed by result clause, or result clause followed by si clause, as long as the verb is used correctly and (si) is placed BEFORE the condition.


Example :


5) Mwen ké alé si ou vlé.
    I will go if you want me to.


6) Li pé palé Alman si sé sa yo pito.
    He can speak German, if that is what they prefer.


7) Ès zanmi ou ké péyé si James ka kondwi motoka-a?
    Will you friend pay if James drives the car?


8) Li ké pwotojé tifi'y si ou soté anlè'y.
    He will protect his daughter if you attack her.


-------------------------------------------------------


Even If - Menm Si


1) Menm si ou pati, mwen enmen'w.
    Even if you leave, I love you.


2) Menm si nou di'w sa, ou pa ké kwè nou.
   Even if we tell you that, you won't believe us.


3) Menm si ou tonbé, fò ou lévé.
    Even if you fall, you must get up.


-------------------------------------------


As if, as though - Konmsi

1) Poutji ou ka fè konmsi ou pa konnèt nou?
   Why are you acting as if you don't know us?

2) Nonm-lan fè konmsi y pòv, mé y ni lajan.
   The man acted as if he's poor but he has money.

3) Mé, li ka palé konmsi y té la.
    But, he is speaking as though he was there.

Saturday, 17 March 2012

Bonjou! Kouman ou di "stand out" i.e. "born to stand out" an Kwéyòl? Mèsi é tjenn leve twavay-la bon.

Stand out in the sense of distinction is usually translated used the verb "kléwé" which means "to shine", but it can also be translated in other ways depending on the context.

I was born to shine/ stand out. - Mwen té fèt pou kléwé.

I was born to excel / stand out. - Mwen té fèt pou chapé.

I was born to dominate / stand out. Mwen té fèt pou donminé.

You can also use the verb distengwé which means "to distinguish".

WHAT IS THE WORD VIE

The word vyé means old.

Example :

Sla-mwen vyé, mé sla-ou nèf. = Mine is old, but yours is new.

The night is cool lanwit la

The night is cool. = Lanwit-la fwé

Ask me anything