You may have heard that Haitian Creole is strongly related to French. Some would say that if you know French, learning Haitian Creole is a breeze. While it’s not that exaggerated, the two languages are indeed very similar. Haitian Creole is not broken French, though. It is a standalone language with a rich history and culture. But is Haitian Creole easier to learn than French? See below!
How Similar Are Haitian Creole and French?
Most, if not all of the Haitian Creole vocabulary came from French. You can see, then, why people think Haitian Creole is broken French. But, when you hear people speaking in French and Haitian Creole, you’ll realize the two languages are different. They aren’t the same, and while Haitian Creole may sound like broken French, it’s not.
Some of the differences between the two languages are:
- Conjugation of the verb tenses (The verb tenses are simpler in Haitian Creole)
- Sounds of words (The sounds and pronunciations are more emphatic in Haitian Creole)
- Structure of the sentences (Haitian Creole has a simpler sentence structure)
But Haitian Creole isn’t only influenced by French. Several African languages contributed to the formation of what is now known as Haitian Creole. That’s why French people would hardly understand Haitian Creole when spoken by a native. The pronunciation and the alteration of the words are quite unique, lending the language a firmer tonality.
Why Is Haitian Creole Easier Than French?
We’ve done the research and discovered that there are three main aspects where Haitian Creole is easier than French:
- Verbs – Haitian Creole has little to no verb conjugation. Many verbs retain the same form no matter the conjugation and subject pronoun. Take the verb “se” (to be), for instance. The conjugations are “Mwen se – I am” / “Ou se – You are” / “Li se – He/She is” / “Nou se – We are” / “Yo se – They are”.
- Phonetic spelling – Most words in Haitian Creole are spelled just like they’re pronounced and they sound like they’re spelled. This means Haitian Creole has a phonetic spelling that is emphatic and strong. Pronouncing a word in this language comes naturally if you know its spelling.
- No object gender – In Haitian Creole, objects have no gender. There’s no male or female object that changes the structure of the sentence. All objects are of the same gender, which is indistinct. So, the structure of the sentence never changes based on this.
Haitian Creole is much simpler and more convenient than many of the mainstream languages out there. Its grammatical rules are simplified and easier to grasp. It won’t take a couple of months to learn the grammar and syntax. Rather, one month is enough to get through the beginning levels and head toward more advanced principles.
It’s not surprising for some people to become relatively fluent in Haitian Creole after 4-5 months of learning. That’s because the most boring part of language learning is heavily simplified. Rote learning is shortened because you don’t need to memorize many things. The phonetic spelling, the lack of an object gender, and the minimal verb conjugation make Haitian Creole easier than French. Much easier.
Start Learning Haitian Creole Now
If you’d like to start learning Haitian Creole, give CreoleTutors a try! Our tutors are native Haitian Creole speakers with a lot of teaching experience. Moreover, you can take our courses from anywhere in the world because they are online. You can opt for one-on-one coaching or group coaching, whichever is more convenient for you.
We’ll get you through the beginning, advanced, and expert stages of Haitian Creole in the shortest time possible!