Some Haitian words aren’t what they seem. They might look and sound similar to English, but don’t be fooled! You should pay attention when encountering these types of words because they can cause a lot of confusion or embarrassment if used incorrectly. So, let’s take a look at 11 common Kreyòl false friends, so you can avoid miscommunication!
- Batman (n.)
Not to be confused with the comic book superhero, “batman (an)” is a common noun meaning “beating”, or “beat”. You’ll see it in phrases like “batman kè” (heartbeat), or “batman pou” (pulse beat).
e.g.: “Doktè a ap kontwole batman kè m”. (The doctor is checking my heartbeat.)
- Aliyen (v.t.)
Although very similar-sounding, this word isn’t in any way related to the English noun “alien”. The Creole word “aliyen” is a transitive verb. It means “to align (sth.)” or “to line (sth.) up”.
e.g.: “Mwen aliyen liv yo sou etajè a”. (I align the books on the shelf.)
- Chat (n.)
This Haitian Creole noun comes from the French “chat” and bears the same meaning. “Chat (la)” is a common noun and it means “cat”.
e.g.: “Chat pran lang li”. (The cat got his tongue.)
- Pen (n.)
This is a common word used in daily conversations. “Pen (an)” has no relation to the English word “pen”. This is another French derivative (from Fr. “pain”), and it means “bread”. It’s used to denote many local Haitian foods.
e.g.: “pen mayi” (cornbread, corncake), “pen patat” (sweet potato cake).
- Now (adv.)
This word is used as an adverb, and it means “no”. It adds emphasis in a negative sentence. See the following examples.
e.g.: “Now, m’pa kapab!” (No! I can’t.)
“Now, m’pap aksepte sa!” (No way, I won’t accept that!)
- Men (1n.; 2adv.; 3conj.)
This word looks and sounds exactly like its English counterpart but has a completely different meaning. In fact, the Haitian Creole “men” has three distinct meanings, neither of which coincide with the English one. Let’s take a look at this word’s various uses.
1As a noun, “men (an)” means “hand”. E.g.: “fèt a la men” (made by hand; handmade).
2As an adverb, it can be used emphatically to say “here is…” or “behold”. E.g.: “Men pwoblèm nan.” (Here’s the problem.)
3As a conjunction, it means “still”, “yet”, “however”, or “but”. E.g.: “Men wi! Mwen kwè ou!” (But of course! I believe you!)
- Soupe (n.)
Although this noun sounds a lot like the English “soup”, the Creole “soupe (a)” actually means “supper”.
e.g.: “Soupe pare, an’n al a tab.” (Supper’s ready, let’s sit at the table.)
- Bite (v.i.)
Both the English and Creole words are verbs. However, in Creole, “bite” is an intransitive verb, and it means “to trip”, “to stumble”, “to bump into”.
e.g.: “Mwen bite, m’manke pran yon so.” (I tripped; I almost fell.)
- Make (v.t.)
Another tricky verb that has nothing to do with the English meaning, “make” means “to notice”, “to write down”, “to mark”.
e.g.: “Mwen make plas la ak yon siy.” (I mark the spot with a sign.)
- Tan (n.)
This “tan” has nothing to do with getting sun-kissed skin. The Haitian Creole noun “tan (an)” has two different meanings depending on context. It can mean either “time”, or “weather”. Take a look at the following examples.
e.g.: “Li pa gen tan manje.” (He didn’t have time to eat.)
“Kouman tan an ye jodi a?” (How’s the weather today?)
- Bra (n.)
There’s no need to get flustered when encountering this word in Creole. The noun “bra (a)” actually means just “arm”, as in the body part. Here’s a sentence example.
e.g.: “Doktè a bandaje bra m.” (The doctor bandaged my arm.)
Conclusion
Sometimes, you can guess the meaning of a word just by how it sounds. But at other times, the similarities might just be a funny coincidence. Hopefully, this list will help you identify these common Haitian false friends in the future.