Martial Arts

1. Èske mwen ka gade antrènman an?

   Ès-ke mwen ka ga-de an-trèn-man an?

   May I watch the training?

   Usage

   Port-au-Prince and Cap-Haïtien have boxing, karate and taekwondo clubs. Facilities are simple and sessions often take place outdoors or in community halls, and onlookers are generally welcome

   Grammar Note

   The Haitian Creole definite article follows the noun and changes shape according to the preceding sound: a, an, la, lan or nan. After a nasal vowel it is "an"

2. Èske mwen ka vini yon sèl jou?

   Ès-ke mwen ka vi-ni yon sèl jou?

   Can I come for just one day?

   Usage

   Haitian clubs run membership loosely and will usually accommodate a single visit. Security conditions can make it hard for a foreigner to move around alone, so going through a local contact is safer

   Grammar Note

   "Yon" is the indefinite article and precedes the noun, in contrast with the postposed definite article — a defining feature of Haitian Creole noun phrases

3. Konbyen pou yon seyans?

   Kon-byen pou yon se-yans?

   How much for one session?

   Usage

   The currency is the gourde. A local club charges only a few hundred gourdes per session, and US dollars are widely accepted too. Cash is the norm, so carry small notes

   Grammar Note

   Most Haitian Creole vocabulary comes from French, but spelling is strictly phonemic: French "combien" is written "konbyen"

4. Mwen se yon debitan, mwen pa janm goumen anvan.

   Mwen se yon de-bi-tan, mwen pa janm gou-men an-van.

   I am a beginner, I have never fought before

   Usage

   Tell the desk or coach up front and they will begin with stance and basic movement. Haitian clubs post no skill levels and rely on you saying where you are

   Grammar Note

   Negation places "pa" before the verb, and "pa janm" gives "never". Verbs never inflect; tense is carried by preverbal markers such as "te" (past), "ap" (progressive) and "pral" (future)

5. Èske nou gen gan pou lwe?

   Ès-ke nou gen gan pou lwe?

   Do you have gloves to rent?

   Usage

   Haitian clubs are often short of equipment and several people share the same gloves. If you can bring your own, it will be very much appreciated

   Grammar Note

   "Nou" means both we and you (plural), disambiguated by context. Nouns do not inflect for number; plurality is marked by a following "yo" (gan yo, the gloves)

6. Souple, ale dousman avè m.

   Sou-ple, a-le dous-man a-vè m.

   Please go easy on me

   Usage

   Say this before sparring. "Dousman" means slowly or gently and is very common in everyday speech. To ask for the opposite, say "pi fò" (harder)

   Grammar Note

   "Mwen" (I, me) contracts to "m" in speech and attaches to the preceding word. "Avèk" likewise shortens to "avè" in speech (avè m, avè ou)

7. Jenou m ap fè m mal, mwen pa ka voye pye.

   Je-nou m ap fè m mal, mwen pa ka vo-ye pye.

   My knee is hurting, I cannot kick

   Usage

   Always declare this before training. Swap "jenou" (knee) for "zepòl" (shoulder), "do" (back) or "chevi" (ankle). Access to medical care is limited in Haiti, so do not push through pain

   Grammar Note

   Possession is shown simply by placing a pronoun after the noun (jenou m, my knee). "Ap" is the preverbal progressive marker, derived from French "après"

8. Kilè kou a kòmanse?

   Ki-lè kou a kò-man-se?

   What time does the class start?

   Usage

   Haitian clubs train early in the morning and in the late afternoon. Power cuts are frequent and lighting after dark is unreliable, so sessions are planned to finish before sunset. Times shift, so confirm on the day

   Grammar Note

   "Kilè" compounds "ki" (which) with "lè" (time). The element "ki" is the core of many question words: kisa (what), kote (where), kijan (how)

9. Kote mwen ka wè tire baton?

   Ko-te mwen ka wè tire baton?

   Where can I see tire baton?

   Usage

   Tire baton is Haitian stick fighting, understood to connect with the martial culture of the independence era. It appears at rural festivals, carnival and rara processions rather than in permanent schools, passed down from village elders to the young

   Grammar Note

   "Tire" comes from French "tirer" but in Haitian Creole also carries the sense of wielding or handling, so "tire baton" means to work the stick

10. Ki moun ki ka montre m tire baton?

    Ki moun ki ka mon-tre m tire baton?

    Who could show me tire baton?

    Usage

    Tire baton has no formal enrolment or schools, so you find a practitioner through introduction. It rests on community trust, so always ask via a local contact, and do not push for photographs or video

    Grammar Note

    The second "ki" is a relativiser, giving the structure "who is the person that ...". This repetition is obligatory when the question targets the subject

11. Montre m jès sa a yon lòt fwa, souple.

    Mon-tre m jès sa a yon lòt fwa, sou-ple.

    Show me that movement one more time, please

    Usage

    The standard request while learning a technique. Haitian clubs have a family feel and you can ask as often as you need. If you do not know the name of the move, gesturing works fine

    Grammar Note

    The demonstrative "sa a" follows the noun, with the second "a" being the definite article. The order noun plus "sa" plus article is the basic demonstrative pattern in Haitian Creole

12. Èske gen yon douch isit la?

    Ès-ke gen yon douch i-sit la?

    Is there a shower here?

    Usage

    Showers are rare at Haitian clubs and the water supply is unreliable. Washing from a bucket is the norm, so bring your own towel, change of clothes and drinking water

    Grammar Note

    "Gen" covers both possession and existence. With no subject at all, "gen ..." on its own means "there is"

13. Leve men w, gade nan je advèsè a!

    Le-ve men w, ga-de nan je ad-vè-sè a!

    Get your hands up, look into your opponent's eyes!

    Usage

    Said by the coach, one of the most frequent cues during pad work and sparring. It comes as a curt imperative with no rudeness intended

    Grammar Note

    Imperatives use the bare verb with no subject. The pronoun "ou" (you) contracts to "w" when marking possession and attaches to the preceding word

14. Frape ak tout fòs ou, pa kenbe anyen!

    Fra-pe ak tout fòs ou, pa ken-be a-nyen!

    Hit with all your strength, do not hold anything back!

    Usage

    Said by the coach during pad work. In actual sparring you would be told "dousman" (gently) instead, so treat this as aimed at pads and bags

    Grammar Note

    A negative command simply puts "pa" before the verb. "Pa ... anyen" gives "do not ... anything", with none of the double negation French requires

15. Repoze senk minit, bwè dlo.

    Re-po-ze senk mi-nit, bwè dlo.

    Rest five minutes, drink water

    Usage

    Said by the coach. Haiti is hot and humid and outdoor sessions drain you fast. Do not drink tap water — buy sachets or bottled water

    Grammar Note

    "Dlo" comes from French "de l'eau" absorbed as a single unit — a loanword that carried its article with it, a pattern common in Haitian Creole

16. Se sa pou jodi a. Ou travay byen!

    Se sa pou jo-di a. Ou tra-vay byen!

    That is it for today. You worked well!

    Usage

    The coach's closing line. Sessions usually end with handshakes or fist bumps all round. Reply with "mèsi anpil" (thank you very much)

    Grammar Note

    "Se" is the copula linking nouns or demonstratives. It is not used with adjectival predicates, which stand without a copula, as in "li bon" (it is good)

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