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Quiz about Pwovbyo dKreyl Ayisyen  Proverbs of Haiti
Quiz about Pwovbyo dKreyl Ayisyen  Proverbs of Haiti

Pwovèb-yo d'Kreyòl Ayisyen - Proverbs of Haiti Quiz


This quiz takes a look at the proverbs of the Caribbean nation of Haïti. I'll give you the Haïtian Kreyòl & English translation. Can you tell me what it really means?

A multiple-choice quiz by zombipi. Estimated time: 6 mins.
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Author
zombipi
Time
6 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
378,361
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
8 / 10
Plays
167
-
Question 1 of 10
1. Your Haïtian friend gets a flat tire on his car. What does he mean when he says "Dèyè mòn, gen mòn." ("Behind the mountains, there are more mountains.") Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. A doctor in Haïti is performing a necessary, but risky surgical procedure. Not paying due attention, he inadvertently cuts out the patient's pancreas. He says, "No Problem", but his supervising surgeon scolds him by telling him,"Byen prè, pa lakay. ("If you miss by an inch, you miss by a mile.") Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. Two Haïtian teenagers are gossiping about how much another teen overeats. Their school teacher hears this and says, "Zafè kabrit pa zafè mouton!" ("The goat's business is not the business of the sheep!") What is the teacher trying to convey to these students? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. My friend, a banker in Port-au-Prince, received a letter from a person not known to her who claims to be a representative of the state oil company in a certain West African country. In the letter, the sender tells my friend that there is US$10,000,000 in an account that was supposed to go the the former dictator before he was deposed in a coup. Furthermore, since the money is off the books, this "oil company representative" advises that he would share this money 50/50 with her and deposit it in her bank account, if she could accommodate him in getting the money out of his country. First however, he requested that my friend send him her bank account number and details plus four signed notarized, but otherwise blank copies of her business letterhead. My friend laughed and says, "Lafimen pa janm leve san dife." ("Smoke never rises without fire.") What does she mean by that? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. A man walking out of his house in Port-au-Prince is overheard telling his wife "I don't have time for breakfast; I have too much to do at work today". His wife snaps back, "Sak vid pa kanp!" ("An empty sack can't stand up!") Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. Open his mail for the day, my friend examines his credit card bill and sees the charges that he racked up on his holiday in Miami. He sighs proclaiming, "Anprè dans tanbou lou." ("After the dance the drum is heavy.") Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. We are sitting at a café in the high rent section of Petionville, when a acquaintance of my friend stops by and proceeds to tell us his authoritative opinions about the political issues of the day, IN FRENCH. My friend retorts, "Pale fransè pa di lespri pou sa." ("Speaking French doesn't mean you're smarter.") Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. We are walking down the road in Cité Soleil, when a street thug runs by and steals my friend's bag. She yells out, "Chak kochon gen Samdi pa-l!" ("Every pig gets its Saturday!")

What was she trying to convey to the thief?
Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. At the bank, I overheard an embarrassed Haïtian young man tell the bank teller that he only had 500 Gourdes to deposit in his bank account (about US$9.00 or 6 British Pounds Sterling in 2015). The bank teller comforted by reminding him that, "Ti pil ti pil fè chaj." ("A little amount plus a little amount make a load.") Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. I see an advertisement offering a three year old India made TATA pick up truck for US$500. When I called the seller, she says that another person was looking at the truck, but whoever agrees to purchase the truck first, gets it. Just as I was about to make an offer sight unseen, my friend stopped me and said, "Yo pa achte chat nan sak." ("Don't buy a cat in a bag.") Hint



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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Your Haïtian friend gets a flat tire on his car. What does he mean when he says "Dèyè mòn, gen mòn." ("Behind the mountains, there are more mountains.")

Answer: It's one problem after the other

Haïtians have been a long suffering but resilient people. This proverb means that life is filled with obstacles and setbacks. One needs to expect setbacks and persevere.
2. A doctor in Haïti is performing a necessary, but risky surgical procedure. Not paying due attention, he inadvertently cuts out the patient's pancreas. He says, "No Problem", but his supervising surgeon scolds him by telling him,"Byen prè, pa lakay. ("If you miss by an inch, you miss by a mile.")

Answer: Close is not good enough

Equivalent to the English language saying "Close is only good enough with atom bombs and hand grenades" or "Close, but no cigar". If one does not do something exactly as one was supposed to, the effort is a complete failure, regardless how close to success one was.
3. Two Haïtian teenagers are gossiping about how much another teen overeats. Their school teacher hears this and says, "Zafè kabrit pa zafè mouton!" ("The goat's business is not the business of the sheep!") What is the teacher trying to convey to these students?

Answer: Keep to your own affairs; concern yourself about your actions

In Jamaica, there is a proverb that goes like this, "Before you point your finger, make sure YOUR hands are clean."

Nearly every culture and religion has a proverb or saying that corresponds to this one. "People who live in glass houses, shouldn't throw stones" is just one that comes to mind.
4. My friend, a banker in Port-au-Prince, received a letter from a person not known to her who claims to be a representative of the state oil company in a certain West African country. In the letter, the sender tells my friend that there is US$10,000,000 in an account that was supposed to go the the former dictator before he was deposed in a coup. Furthermore, since the money is off the books, this "oil company representative" advises that he would share this money 50/50 with her and deposit it in her bank account, if she could accommodate him in getting the money out of his country. First however, he requested that my friend send him her bank account number and details plus four signed notarized, but otherwise blank copies of her business letterhead. My friend laughed and says, "Lafimen pa janm leve san dife." ("Smoke never rises without fire.") What does she mean by that?

Answer: If something does not look right, it probably is not right

A more familiar English language saying would be, "Where there's smoke, there's fire" or "if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is not true" or "when you here hoof steps, you don't think of zebras". Basically, if you think something is not right, there is a good reason for it; there is something wrong.
5. A man walking out of his house in Port-au-Prince is overheard telling his wife "I don't have time for breakfast; I have too much to do at work today". His wife snaps back, "Sak vid pa kanp!" ("An empty sack can't stand up!")

Answer: If you don't eat, you can't any work done

This not only sound literal advise, but a good metaphor that tells us that you have put an investment or effort into something in order to get a good return. More directly, don't starve yourself in order to save money, because you and your profits will suffer.
6. Open his mail for the day, my friend examines his credit card bill and sees the charges that he racked up on his holiday in Miami. He sighs proclaiming, "Anprè dans tanbou lou." ("After the dance the drum is heavy.")

Answer: Beware of buyer's remorse

This can be seen as a warning about the pitfalls of easy credit, especially for those who spend irresponsibly. It takes much longer to pay the borrowed amount back, than it does to squander it.
7. We are sitting at a café in the high rent section of Petionville, when a acquaintance of my friend stops by and proceeds to tell us his authoritative opinions about the political issues of the day, IN FRENCH. My friend retorts, "Pale fransè pa di lespri pou sa." ("Speaking French doesn't mean you're smarter.")

Answer: Using fancy words or language doesn't mean that you know what you are talking about

Even in the English speaking world, we have certain people who will try to use long, complicated, or archaic words to impress the listener.

French is only spoken by 5-10% of the Haïtian population, and is generally only spoken as the primary language at home by members of Haïti's wealthy elite. To most Kreyòl speaking Haïtians, French is a foreign language and many resent it when people who speak Kreyòl insist on speaking French to put on airs.
8. We are walking down the road in Cité Soleil, when a street thug runs by and steals my friend's bag. She yells out, "Chak kochon gen Samdi pa-l!" ("Every pig gets its Saturday!") What was she trying to convey to the thief?

Answer: You'll get what's coming to you!

It would seem that every culture has proverbs relating to karma or ethical outcomes as well. To understand the correct answer a bit better; animals are generally slaughtered for meat on Saturdays. I have heard that this may have something to with the well known figure in Haïtian voudou, Bawon Samdi (Baron Saturday), who is the gatekeeper of cemeteries and the personification of death.

The New Testament of the Bible tells us, "GOD is not mocked. For what a man sows, he will also reap" Galatians 6:7-9

Jamaicans sometimes use a similarly defined proverb, "You will get paid according to the work you do". "
9. At the bank, I overheard an embarrassed Haïtian young man tell the bank teller that he only had 500 Gourdes to deposit in his bank account (about US$9.00 or 6 British Pounds Sterling in 2015). The bank teller comforted by reminding him that, "Ti pil ti pil fè chaj." ("A little amount plus a little amount make a load.")

Answer: Consistant small deposits will add up to a large sum in the future

This phrase can also take a negative tone, similar to the English language phrase "the straw that broke the camel's back".
10. I see an advertisement offering a three year old India made TATA pick up truck for US$500. When I called the seller, she says that another person was looking at the truck, but whoever agrees to purchase the truck first, gets it. Just as I was about to make an offer sight unseen, my friend stopped me and said, "Yo pa achte chat nan sak." ("Don't buy a cat in a bag.")

Answer: "Caveat emptor" or "Buyer beware"

The meaning of this proverb is simple; you need to know exactly what you are buying before you agree to the purchase. The seller might not be honest or know that there are hidden problems with the merchandise.
Source: Author zombipi

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor stedman before going online.
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