Seychellois Creole phrasebook

Seychellois Creole (kreol or seselwa) is a language of the Seychelles.

Some phrases in this phrasebook still need to be translated. If you know anything about this language, you can help by plunging forward and translating a phrase.

Pronunciation guide

Vowels

A - a (pronounced like the a in cat) E- e (pronounced like the a in date) I - i (pronounced like the i in kit) O - o (pronounced oh) U - u (pronounced like oo in zoo)

Consonants

B = b as in bait ; D = d as in date; F = f as in fate ; G = g as in gate ; K = k as in Kate ; L = l as in late ; N = n as in nate (unless preceded by a vowel and not followed by a vowel or another n in which case sounds like French nasal n) ; M = m as in mate ; P = p as in paste ; R = r as in rate ; S = s as in sate ; T = t as in Tate ; V = v as in vacate ; W = w as in wait ; Y = y as in Yate ; Z = z as in xylophone ;

Common diphthongs

Phrase list

Some phrases in this phrasebook still need to be translated. If you know anything about this language, you can help by plunging forward and translating a phrase.

Basics

Good morning: "Bonzour"
Goodnight: "Bonnwit"
Good evening: "Bonswar"
Hello.: . "Alo"
How are you?: "Koma sava?"
Fine, thank you.: "Byen mersi, ?"
What is your name?: "Ki mannyer ou apele?"
My name is [name] .: "Mon apel [name]"
Nice to meet you. [Pleasure]: "Plezir"
Please.: "Silvouple" Silvouple is pronounced Seelvooplay
Thank you.: "Mersi"
Yes.: "Wi"
No.: "Non"
Excuse me.: "Eskiz mwan" Mwan is pronounced bluntly, similar to mwuh
I'm sorry.: "Pardon" Pardon is pronounced bluntly, not like pardonn
Goodbye: "Orevwar"
Goodbye (informal): "Bye"
I can't speak Seychellois Creole [well].: "Mon pa konn koz kreol [byen]"
Do you speak English?: "Eski ou konn koz Angle?" Angle (English) is pronounced as Anglay
Is there someone here who speaks English?: "Eski i annan en dimounn la ki konn koz Angle?"
Help!: "Ed mwan!"
Look out!: "Atansyon!"
Have a good evening.: "Pas en bon sware." Sware is pronounced swaray
I don't understand.: "Mon pa konpran"
Where is the toilet?: "Oli twalet?"
What's up?: "Ki dil?"
What are you doing?: "Ki ou pe fer?"
Okay: "O.K"
Why?: "Akoz?"
What?: "Kwa?"
Who?: "Lekel?"
Where?: "Oli/kote?"
When?: "Kan" like cuh sound in cousin, not like can.
Wait for me.: "Esper mwan"
How much is this?: "Konbyen sa?"
Hospital: "Lopital"
Hotel: "Lotel"
I'm sick: "Mon malad"
I got hurt: "Mon'n ganny blese" Blese is pronounced blaysay; Don't touch me!; "Pa tous mwan!" Tous is pronounced Toos
I'm lost.: "Mon'n perdi."
I don't want that.: "Mon pa le sa." Le like "la" in late.

Problems

Numbers

1: Enn
2: De
3: Trwa
4: Kat
5: Senk
6: Sis
7: Set
8: Wit
9: Nef
10: Dis
20: Ven
50: Senkant
100: San
200: Desan
500: Senksan

Time

Clock time

midday - midi pronounced mee jee ; one o'clock - enn-er(er pronounced like air); two o'clock - dez-er (pronounced as days air); three o'clock - trwaz-er(as in Trois heure); four o'clock - kat-er(pronounced as cat were) ; five o'clock - senk-er(pronounced as sank air); six o'clock - siz-er(pronounced as seas air); seven o'clock - set-er (pronounced sayt air); eight o'clock - wit-er ( pronounced as weet air); nine o'clock - nef-er (pronounced knave air); ten o'clock - dis-er (pronounced jeez air); eleven o'clock - onz-er(pronounced oz air); midnight - minwi (pronounced mean wee);

bomaten - morning pronounced beau-mah-ten (blunt n); apremidi - afternoon pronounced ah-pray-me-dee ; aswar - night pronounced ass-waar ; lannwit - night time pronounced la-nou-hit ; lizour - daytime pronounced lee-zoor ; gran maten - early morning pronounced gran-mah-ten(blunt n)

Duration

Days

Lendi: Monday
Mardi: Tuesday
Merkredi: Wednesday
Zedi: Thursday
Vandredi: Friday
Sanmdi: Saturday
Dimans: Sunday

Months

January - Zanvye

February - Fevriye

March - Mars

April - Avril

May - Me

June - Zen

July - Zilyet

August - Out

September - Septanm (pronounced Sayp-tum)

October - Oktob

November - Novanm (pronounced No-vum)

December- Desanm (pronounced Day-sum)

Writing time and date

Colors

rouz - red pronounced as wooze ; blan - white as in blunt, the n is silent ; ver - green pronounced as vair ; ble - blue pronounced blay ; zonn - yellow pronounced zohn ; nwanr - black pronounced nou arh ; gri - brown ; somon - pink prononced as so mon with a silent n ; oranz - orange pronounced as owanz

Transportation

Bus and train

'Where is the bus stop?' 'Oli bus stop?'

'Which bus goes to....?Ki bis ki al......?'

Directions

l'es - east ; was - west ; nor - north ; sid - south ;

Taxi

'I want to go to....Mon le al....' (pronounced mo-lay-al)

'How much is it to.....Konbyen pou al.....' (pronounced comb-ye poo al)

Lodging

Money

1 Coin- "en roupi"
5 Coin- "senk roupi"
10 Coin- "dis roupi"
25 - "vennsenk roupi"
50 - "senkant roupi"
100 - "san roupi"
500 - "senksan rpupi"

Eating

'Where is a good restaurant?Kote ki annan en bon restoran?' (pronounced cotay-ki ana eh bon restowuh)

'What restaurant would you recommend?Ki restoran ou rekonmande?' (restaurant pronounced as 'restowuh' and 'rekommuhday')

Bars

'Where is the ........ bar?' 'Oli bar ......?' (you'd insert the name of the bar)

'Is there a local bar?' 'I anan en bar lokal?' (pronounced ee-ana eh bar lokal)

'Where is it?' 'Kote i ete?' (pronounced cotay ee aytay or cotay-yaytay)

Shopping

laboutik - shop Mon pe al laboutik - I am going to the shop

In side the shop (If you want to know the price for anything just ask them) konbyen sa?- how much is this?

Dir mwan? - Tell me

Mon bezwen sa enn,de - I need this one, two.

Donn mon en kouver - Give me a cover

Mersi - Thank you..

Ou kav fer moi en bon pri? - Could you make me a good pricing offer?

Driving

Cars drive on the left side of the road. Bus seem to have the right of away most of the time. Try not to get in its way.

Authority

Learning more

{Go there - they virtually all speak English!}

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