This post covers illnesses in Haitian Creole. This is part one of two. This post covers mostly the vocabulary. Our second part will cover dialogues for when one visits a doctor’s office or a hospital. As always if you have any questions or feedback, please let me know. Also, we have a new children’s book in Haitian Creole. Please visit our Facebook page for updates. The book will be available in English and Haitian Creole.

Cold = Anrimen / Gripe

Rash = Gratèl

Nausea = Anvi vomi

Pass out = Endispoze / Dekonpoze

Cough = Tous / Touse. “Touse” for coughing. For example, I have a cough is “mwen gen yon tous”. I cough is “mwen touse”.

Wooping Cough = Koklich

Sore = Fè mal / Sansib (Sansib also means sensitive)

Sore throat = Gòj fè mal

Cut = Fann, Koupe, Blese (Blese is when you get cut and most likely blood is coming out. So if you were to say “mwen blese”, people would automatically assume there’s a cut and there’s blood.  Koupe is the act of cutting. So if you say “mwen koupe”, it means I cut. So if you were to cut your finger with a knife by accident, you could say “mwen koupe dwèt mwen”. The third one is “fann”. Fann is the actual separation of the skin. So you could hear people say “yon gwo fann” for a big cut where the separation is big and/or deep. So if you wanted to let someone know you have a cut on your finger, you could say “dwèt mwen fann”.

Sprained (ankle) = Foule

Bruise = Mak

Backache = Do fè mal

Chest pain = Lestomak fè mal

Sore chest = Lestomak tonbe / Biskèt tonbe

Cannot swallow = Pa ka vale

Cannot walk = Pa ka mache

Cannot bend (over) = Pa ka bese

Cannot eat = Pa ka manje

Itchy = Grate

Sneeze = Etènye ; Estènen

Pink eye = Mal o zye, Maloje

Pink eye = Azoumounou, je drandran (these words are usually insults, try not to use them)

Fever = Lafyèv, fyèv

Chills = Refwadisman

Bleeding = Senyen

Stomachache = Vant fè mal / Kolik

Headache = Maltèt / Tèt fè mal

Toothache = Mal dan, Malodan, Dan fè mal

Earache = Zòrèy fè mal

Hurting = Fè mal

Pain = Doulè

Cannot sleep = Pa ka dòmi

Cannot sleep = Pa gen somèy

Cannot see = Pa wè  (don’t see) / Pa ka wè

Blurry vision = Wè twoub

Video for pronunciations

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