Café & Drinks

1. Mwen ta renmen yon dlo fre

   Mwen ta ren-men yon dlo fre

   I would like some cold water

   Usage

   Order cold water at a restaurant or food stall

   Grammar Note

   "ta renmen" expresses polite desire; "ta" is a conditional/politeness marker

2. Bay mwen yon Prestige

   Bay mwen yon Pres-tige

   Give me a Prestige beer

   Usage

   Order Prestige, Haiti's flagship beer

   Grammar Note

   "bay" means "give"; "yon" is the indefinite article equivalent to English "a/one"

3. Mwen vle yon ji kann

   I want a sugarcane juice

   Usage

   Order ji kann, a popular street drink in Haiti

   Grammar Note

   "ji" from French "jus"; "kann" from French "canne" — most Haitian Creole vocabulary is French-derived

4. Èske dlo a pwòp pou bwè?

   Ès-ke dlo a pwòp pou bwè

   Is this water safe to drink?

   Usage

   Critical phrase to check water safety in Haiti

   Grammar Note

   Tap water in Haiti is often unsafe — this is an essential phrase for travelers

5. Mwen vle yon kafe nwa

   Mwen vle yon ka-fe nwa

   I want a black coffee

   Usage

   Order coffee — Haiti produces quality Caribbean coffee

   Grammar Note

   "nwa" from French "noir" (black); Haitian Creole adjectives follow the noun ("kafe nwa")

6. Èske gen wonm isit la?

   Ès-ke gen wonm i-sit la

   Is there rum here?

   Usage

   Ask for rum — Haiti produces renowned rum brands like Barbancourt

   Grammar Note

   "wonm" comes from French "rhum" (Haitian Creole spells it phonemically as wonm); Barbancourt rum from Haiti is internationally acclaimed

7. Bay mwen dlo cho ak sitwon

   Bay mwen dlo cho ak sit-won

   Give me hot water with lemon

   Usage

   Order a traditional hot lemon drink popular in Haiti

   Grammar Note

   "ak" is the preposition "with" — derived from French "avec"

8. Mwen pa bwè alkòl

   Mwen pa bwè al-kòl

   I don't drink alcohol

   Usage

   Decline alcohol politely

   Grammar Note

   Negation in Haitian Creole uses "pa" before the verb — "mwen pa bwè" = "I don't drink"

9. Èske ou gen ji wouj?

   Ès-ke ou gen ji wouj

   Do you have red juice (sorrel/hibiscus)?

   Usage

   Ask for sorrel/hibiscus juice, a popular Haitian drink

   Grammar Note

   "wouj" from French "rouge" (red); sorrel/hibiscus juice is a staple Haitian drink, especially at Christmas

10. Mèsi, se ase

    Mè-si se a-se

    Thank you, that's enough

    Usage

    Politely decline a refill or more drinks

    Grammar Note

    "se" is the emphatic copula; "ase" comes from French "assez" (enough)

11. San glas

    No ice

    Usage

    Ice is often tap water; say it when ordering a drink

12. Dlo nan boutèy

    Bottled water

    Usage

    When you want water in a sealed bottle

13. Dlo cho

    Hot water

    Usage

    For baby formula, medicine, or tea

Browse all TravelPhrases languages