Redi... Set... Maach!

Yes! Maach deh ya! Ahn now da di taihn fi maach rait intu di noa bowt wi priti priti Kriol langwij. Yes, yes, yes... Ah noa seh yu ku taak Kriol gud gud-wan. Bot yu noa bowt it?... bowt Kriol grama?



Ahn pleez noa seh dat yu ku laan gud ahn prapa Inglish widowtn di stamp owt yu priti priti Kriol langwij. (Please understand that you can learn fluent English without stamping out your very pretty Kriol language)



KRIOL: Lemonal ga lat a nais nais kosta aapl.
ENGLISH: Lemonal has a lot of delicious custard apples.



Notice: With most English words, you would have to add an "s" or "es" if you say a lot of → apples/ dishes/ places/villages.



KRIOL: Di waatafaal dehn eena Bileez priti!
ENGLISH: The waterfalls in Belize are pretty.



Notice: In the Kriol, no need to add "s" to waterfall. Instead, you generally use the plural marker "dehn" after the noun to indicate the plural.



So, behind a noun, "dehn" in Kriol makes it plural, but in front of a noun, like in "Di joori di mek op dehn main," then "dehn" > their.



In English, because "waterfall" is not a collective noun like "food," you need to add "s" or"es" to make it plural/more than one. And, because waterfall ends in a consonant "l" you add only "s."






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Kriol is the language spoken by many Belizeans, especially the Creole people of Belize. Although it is often perceived as a dialect of English, it is indeed it's own language with grammar and spelling rules. The National Kriol Council of Belize was created to promote the culture and language of the Kriol people of Belize, as well as harmony among all the ethnic groups of Belize. Please visit the website of the National Kriol Council of Belize for lots of good information about the Kriol language and the Creole people.


The Kriol Council has been kind enough to send us the weekly "Weh Wi Ga Fi Seh" column that is usually published in the Reporter.


Check back weekly for new articles.