Language/Haitian/Grammar/Questions

Haitian Grammar - Questions

Hi Haitian learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will cover everything you need to know about asking questions in Haitian. Asking questions is a fundamental aspect of learning a language, and it's essential to master the grammar rules to form questions correctly. By the end of this lesson, you will be able to ask questions like a native Haitian speaker! Let's get started! 🚀

Basic Questions

First, let's start with the most simple and basic questions that you can use in everyday conversations. The following table shows examples of the most commonly used question words in Haitian:

Haitian	Pronunciation	English
Ki sa?	Key sah?	What?
Ki jan?	Key jahn?	How?
Ki kote?	Key ko-teh?	Where?
Ki moun?	Key moo-ohn?	Who?
Kilè?	Kee-leh?	When?

To form a basic question, you have to follow the basic structure of "verb + subject + question word." For example:

• Eske ou pale kreyol? (Do you speak Haitian Creole?)
• Kote li ye? (Where is he?)
• Kilè w ap vini? (When are you coming?)

Note that you can use the word "eske" to turn a statement into a question. You can also pose a question by simply changing your tone of voice at the end of a statement.

Example dialogue:

• Person 1: Ou pale kreyol? (You speak Haitian Creole?)
• Person 2: Wi, mwen pale kreyol. (Yes, I speak Haitian Creole.)

Yes/No Questions

Yes/No questions are the simplest form of questions in Haitian. You can form a Yes/No question by adding "eske" at the beginning of a sentence, followed by the verb and the subject. For example:

• Eske w ap manje? (Are you eating?)
• Eske li vin? (Did he come?)
• Eske nou pral al lakay ou? (Are we going to your house?)

Example dialogue:

• Person 1: Eske wap manje? (Are you eating?)
• Person 2: Wi, mwen ap manje kounya a. (Yes, I am eating now.)

Interrogative Pronouns

In addition to the basic question words, Haitian also has interrogative pronouns. Interrogative pronouns are used to ask more complex questions that require a specific answer. The following table shows examples of interrogative pronouns in Haitian:

Haitian	Pronunciation	English
Kijan?	Key-jahn?	How? (referring to manner)
Kilès?	Kee-lehs?	Who? (referring to people)
Kisa?	Key-sah?	What? (referring to things)
Kouman?	Koo-mahn?	How? (referring to state or condition)
Kote?	Ko-teh?	Where? (referring to location)
Konbyen?	Kon-byen?	How many?
Kisa nap fè?	Key-sah nap feh?	What are we going to do?

Example dialogue:

• Person 1: Kilès ki fè sa? (Who did this?)
• Person 2: Mwen pa konnen. (I don't know.)

Tag Questions

Tag questions are a quick and efficient way to confirm information or express doubt. To form a tag question in Haitian, you have to use the auxiliary verb "pa" or "dako," depending on the context of the sentence. For example:

• Mwen konnen sa, pa vre? (I know that, isn't it true?)
• Ou gen pouvwa a, dakò? (You have the power, right?)

Example dialogue:

• Person 1: Wap ale nan pòt la, dakò? (You're going to the door, right?)
• Person 2: Wi, mwen pral ale nan pòt la. (Yes, I'm going to the door.)

Indirect Questions

Indirect questions are questions that are embedded within a statement. To form an indirect question in Haitian, you have to use the word "si" or "eske" within the sentence. For example:

• Mwen vle konnen si ou renmen manje manba. (I want to know if you like to eat mangoes.)
• Eske ou mande li kilè li vin? (Did you ask him when he came?)

Example dialogue:

• Person 1: Mwen pral mande si li vle al nan klas la. (I'm going to ask if he wants to go to the class.)
• Person 2: Dakò. (Okay.)

Conclusion

Congratulations! You've finished the Haitian Grammar - Questions lesson. Now you can ask questions in Haitian like a pro! Remember to practice as much as possible and don't be afraid to make mistakes. To improve your Haitian Grammar, you can also use the Polyglot Club website. Find native speakers and ask them any questions!

---

➡ If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments section below.
➡ Feel free to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved. 😎

Sources

• Learn Haitian - Grammar and Vocabulary
• Haitian Questions

Related Lessons

• Gender
• Give your Opinion
• Future Tense
• Nouns
• Pronouns
• How to Use Have
• Conditional Mood
• Adjectives
• Negation