Haitian Creole (Kreyòl ayisyen) is a creole language based on the French language. It is spoken in Haiti by about 7.5 million people (as of 1998), which is nearly the whole population. Via immigration, several hundred thousand speakers live in other countries, including Canada, the United States and France, as well as many Caribbean nations.

There are linguistic influences from several West African languages, namely from Wolof, and some Gbe languages, notably Fon and Ewe/Anlo-Ewe. There are two dialects: Fablas and Plateau Haitian Creole.

Since 1961, Haitian Creole has been recognized as an official language. Its usage in literature is small but growing. Many speakers are bilingual and speak both Haitian Creole and French, but Creole has a lower social status than French in the minds of some. Many educators, writers and activists have emphasized pride and written literacy in Creole since the 1980s. There are newspapers, radio and television programs in this language.

It is not to be confused with Haitian Vodoun Culture Language.

Simple sample phrases

• Hello - Salu (Fr. salut)
• Good morning - Bonjou (Fr. bonjour)
• Good evening - Bonswa (Fr. bon soir)
• Goodbye - Na we (or Nap we)
• Please - Silvouple / Souple (Fr. s'il vous plaît)
• Thank you [very much] - Mèsi (Fr. merci) [ampil]
• How are you? - Kijan ou ye?
• What's your name? - Kijan ou rele?
• My name is... - M'rele...
• How's it going? - Sak pase?
• General response to Sak pase - Map boule! (Fr. je boule)
• Who's your daddy? - Kiyès ki Papa'w?
• I love you - M renmen w
• Give me a dollar - Ba'm youn dola

• How much/how many? - Kombyen? (Fr. combien)
• How? - Kijan? or Koman? (Fr. Comment)
• Who? - Ki moun? (Fr. qui)
• Which? - Ki lès?
• Where? - (Ki) Kote? / Ki bo?
• When? - Ki lè?
• Why? - Pouki(sa)? (Fr. pourquoi)

A sample of the vocabulary

The letters in parentheses indicate the portion of the definite article in French from which the Creole word is derived in part.

Creole - French - English

• zwazo - oiseau [(le)s oiseaux] - bird
• Ozetazini - États-Unis [aux États-Unis] - in the United States
• vwazen - voisin - neighbor
• nimewo - numéro - number
• lalin - (la) lune - moon
• dèyè - derrière - behind
• zye - oeil [(le)s yeux] - eye
• bondye - [bon] Dieu - God
• makak - singe [macaque] - monkey
• kay - maison - house
• bekann - bicyclette - bicycle
• diri - riz [du riz] - rice
• pwa - pois - bean

See also

• Romance copula (see section on Haitian copula)

External links

• Haitian Creole dictionary (http://www.kreyol.com/dictionary/)
• UN Declaration of Human Rights in Haitian Creole (http://www.unhchr.ch/udhr/lang/hat1.htm)
• RFI - Kréyòl Palé Kréyòl Konprann (radio program) (http://www.rfi.fr/fichiers/Langues/creole/rfi_creole_main.asp)
• Common Creole Words and Phrases (http://www.travelinghaiti.com/haitian_kreyol.asp)
• Haitian Creole online test (http://www.transparent.com/tlquiz/lwquiz/Haitian_Creole/tlhait.htm)