Emergency

1. Ede m, tanpri!

   E-de m, tan-pri!

   Help me! Please!

   Usage

   A cry for help in an emergency

   Grammar Note

   "ede" derives from French "aider" (to help)

2. Rele lapolis, tanpri!

   Re-le la-po-lis, tan-pri!

   Call the police, please!

   Usage

   Asking someone to call the police

   Grammar Note

   "tanpri" is the common, polite way to say "please" in Haitian Creole

3. Rele anbilans! Se yon ijans!

   Re-le an-bi-lans! Se yon i-jans!

   Call an ambulance! It is an emergency!

   Usage

   Urgently requesting an ambulance

   Grammar Note

   "ijans" derives from French "urgence" (emergency)

4. Mwen bezwen ale lopital.

   Mwen be-zwen a-le lo-pi-tal.

   I need to go to the hospital.

   Usage

   Expressing the need to go to a hospital

   Grammar Note

   "bezwen" derives from French "besoin" meaning "need"

5. Mwen pèdi. Ede m jwenn wout la.

   Mwen pè-di. E-de m jwenn wout la.

   I am lost. Help me find the way.

   Usage

   Asking for help when lost and needing directions

   Grammar Note

   "pèdi" derives from French "perdu" meaning "lost"

6. Yo vòlò mwen. Rele lapolis!

   Yo vò-lò mwen. Re-le la-po-lis!

   I was robbed. Call the police!

   Usage

   Reporting a robbery and calling for police

   Grammar Note

   "vòlò" derives from French "voler" (to steal)

7. Mwen gen yon alèji. Èske gen medikaman?

   Mwen gen yon a-lè-ji. Ès-ke gen me-di-ka-man?

   I have an allergy. Is there medicine?

   Usage

   Informing someone of an allergy and asking for medication

   Grammar Note

   "medikaman" derives from French "médicament" (medicine)

8. Rete! Kote sa a danjere.

   Re-te! Ko-te sa a dan-je-re.

   Stop! That place is dangerous.

   Usage

   Warning someone not to approach a dangerous place

   Grammar Note

   "danjere" derives from French "dangereux" meaning "dangerous"

9. Paspò mwen pèdi.

   Pas-pò mwen pè-di.

   My passport is lost.

   Usage

   Reporting a lost passport to authorities

   Grammar Note

   "paspò" comes from French "passeport" (spelled with ò in the phonemic orthography)

10. Mwen bezwen pale ak konsila a.

    Mwen be-zwen pa-le ak kon-si-la a.

    I need to speak with the consulate.

    Usage

    Expressing the need to contact your country's consulate

    Grammar Note

    "konsila" derives from French "consulat" (consulate)

11. Sispann!

    Stop it

    Usage

    For pushy touts, scams, or unwanted contact — show it as it is

12. Pa manyen m!

    Don't touch me

    Usage

    The point is that you can show it without raising your voice

13. Kite m trankil!

    Leave me alone

    Usage

    When somebody will not stop bothering you

14. Pa swiv mwen!

    Don't follow me

    Usage

    When someone is trailing you after dark

15. Dife

    Fire

    Usage

    Covers both fire itself and a blaze; Dife pran means "a fire broke out"

16. Vòlè

    Thief

    Usage

    A person who steals; the same form also serves as the verb "to steal"

17. Kidnaping

    Kidnapping

    Usage

    Carrying a person off for ransom; anlevman is the more formal written term

18. Asasina

    Murder

    Usage

    The noun for the crime of killing a person; the verb is asasinen

19. Bonm

    Bomb

    Usage

    An explosive device; the same spelling also means a deep round cooking pot

20. Dife! Kouri!

    Fire! Run!

    Usage

    Dife (fire) followed by kouri (to run, to run away)

21. Vòlè! Kenbe l!

    Thief! Catch him!

    Usage

    Vòlè (thief) with kenbe (to hold, to grasp) and the object l (him)

22. Rele kamyon ponpye a, tanpri!

    Please call a fire engine

    Usage

    The "Rele X, tanpri!" ("call X, please") frame with kamyon ponpye (fire truck)

23. Kote lapolis la ye?

    Where is the police station?

    Usage

    The "Kote X la ye?" ("where is the X?") frame with lapolis; lapolis covers both the force and the station

24. Mwen bezwen yon rapò lapolis.

    I need a police report

    Usage

    Show it after a theft to ask the police for the written report an insurer needs. The "Mwen bezwen yon X" ("I need an X") frame with "rapò lapolis" (police report). The sentence itself does not name the theft, so say or mime that part

25. Èske gen yon moun ki pale japonè?

    Is there anyone who speaks Japanese?

    Usage

    Combines "Èske gen ..." (as in "Èske gen medikaman?") with yon moun and pale

26. Moun sa a san konesans.

    This person is unconscious

    Usage

    moun (person) with Sa a (this) for "this person", predicated with san konesans (unconscious)

27. Yon moun ap neye!

    Someone is drowning

    Usage

    Yon moun with neye (to drown) in the "ap + verb" progressive

28. Yo bat mwen.

    I was beaten

    Usage

    The "Yo + verb + mwen" frame with bat (to beat); it reports the harm without identifying who did it

29. Yo ponyade mwen.

    I was stabbed

    Usage

    The frame of "Yo vòlò mwen." with ponyade (to stab)

30. Yo antre nan chanm mwen.

    My room was broken into

    Usage

    Reports that someone got into your room, without naming the culprit: "Yo + verb + place" (antre = to enter, chanm = room)

31. Se moun sa a ki koupab.

    That person is the culprit

    Usage

    The Se ("it is") with moun sa a (that person) and koupab (guilty), in the cleft construction

32. Yo twonpe m.

    I was deceived

    Usage

    Reports that you were tricked or cheated without naming the culprit: "Yo + verb + object" (twonpe = to deceive)

33. Yo vòlò pòtfèy mwen.

    My wallet was stolen

    Usage

    Yo vòlò mwen ("they robbed me") with the object pòtfèy (wallet) filled in

34. Mwen bliye l.

    I left it behind

    Usage

    The "Mwen + verb" frame with bliye (to forget) and the object l (it)

35. Yon machin frape mwen.

    I was hit by a car

    Usage

    The "Yon + noun" with machin (car), followed by frape (to hit, to strike) and mwen

36. Sòti nan sòti sekou a.

    Please escape through the emergency exit

    Usage

    The sign Sòti sekou (emergency exit) with Sòti (to go out) used as the verb

37. Prese, tanpri!

    Please hurry

    Usage

    prese (to hurry) with tanpri (please)

38. Vini kounye a menm, tanpri.

    Please come right away

    Usage

    vini (to come) with Kounye a menm (right now) and tanpri (please)

39. Mennen m lopital, tanpri.

    Please take me to a hospital

    Usage

    mennen (to lead, to take) with lopital and tanpri

40. Gen yon aksidan machin.

    There has been a traffic accident

    Usage

    The "Gen yon aksidan" of "Gen yon aksidan — rele patwouy ski a souple." followed by "machin" (car) from "Yon machin frape mwen.". "Aksidan" means "accident"; "machin" means "car; engine; machine; vehicle"

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