Haitian Creole→English

Translate Haitian Creole to English the way locals mean it.

Haitian Creole speakers use literal-looking phrases whose real meaning often depends on whether they are greeting, reassuring, softening a request, or setting a boundary.

Going the other way? English to Haitian Creole

474 local dialects

AIRTranslate on iPhone choosing between Haitian Creole varieties

What locals actually say

Sak pase? N ap boule.

What's up? I'm doing okay.

Sak pase literally means “what happened,” but it functions as a casual greeting, while n ap boule literally means “we are burning” and conventionally means doing fine or getting by, even when one person is speaking.

Ban m yon ti moman, souple.

Give me a minute, please.

Ti literally means “little,” but yon ti moman softens the request rather than strictly measuring a short amount of time, and souple adds “please.”

Sa pa gade w.

That's none of your business.

Gade literally means “look” or “watch,” but sa pa gade w uses it idiomatically to say that something does not concern you.

M pa gen kòb sou mwen kounye a, m ap remèt ou demen.

I don't have any cash on me right now. I'll pay you back tomorrow.

Kòb is the colloquial Haitian Creole word for money or cash, while m ap remèt marks an intended future action.

Pran moto a jouk bò mache a, epi di chofè a kanpe.

Take a motorcycle taxi to the market, and tell the driver to stop.

Moto refers to Haiti's common motorcycle taxi, and bò introduces a landmark-based location such as near the market.

Pa mete piman nan pa m nan, tanpri.

Please don't put hot pepper in mine.

Pa m nan is Haitian Creole's possessive construction with a following definite marker, signaling the specific portion that belongs to the speaker.

Se matant mwen ki t ap veye timoun yo.

My aunt was looking after the children.

Se ... ki is a Haitian Creole focus construction, highlighting the aunt as the person responsible, while t ap marks an ongoing past action.

M ap fèmen boutik la, m ap rive lakay mwen ta.

I'm closing up the shop, so I'll get home late.

Lakay means home or one's household, and the repeated m ap construction links an action in progress with its expected result.

Notes like these come with every AIRTranslate translation, so you learn why locals phrase it that way as you go.

How Haitian Creole differs

Kreyòl Ayisyen (official orthography); sak pase / n ap boule conventions casually; proverbs are prized where naturally apt.

Sound like a local everywhere, not just here.

Every one of 474 dialects, with voice, camera, a keyboard for any app, and offline packs.

Choosing Spanish (Peru) from 471 local variants

Localization Notes explaining why locals say it that way