Chapter 3: Grammar
Like any other language, Creole has a way to make negative statements. To make a statement negative, Creole employs the use of the marker pa. In the present tense, the marker is placed after the verb. However, with stative verbs pa is placed before the verb.
Mo parl pa I don’t speak
Mo wa pa I don’t see
Mo pa gin I don’t have
In the past tense, future tense, and conditional, pa is also placed behind the tense markers and in front of the verbs. The two-stem verbs retain their long form in this case. There is, however, an exception. In the case of alé, the negative marker is placed before the alé.
Mo té pa dansé I didn’t dance
Mo va pa manjé I’m not going to eat
Mo p’alé kouri I’m not going to go
The previous exception also applies to the present progressive apé/ap. Just like in the case of alé, the negative marker is placed before the marker. When the sentence is using the past progressive, the negative marker is placed behind té but in front apé/ap.
Mo p’apé di I’m not saying
Mo té p’apé di I was not saying
| Creole | English |
|---|---|
| Pa | negation marker |
| Pa pèrsonn | Nobody / no one |
| Pa ariyin | Nothing |
| Pa nil-plas | Nowhere |
| Jamé | Never / ever |
| Pi / Pu | anymore / any longer |
There are five more markers that are used to create a negative statement. Three of these markers are formed using pa. Those are pa pèrsonn, pa nil-plas, pa ariyin. These markers fellow the same rule as previously stated such as in this example.
Li té pa wa pèrsonn He didn’t see anyone
Li wa pa ariyin He doesn’t see anything
The fourth marker is jamé. This marker can be paired with pa for emphasis. It generally follows the same rules as previously mentioned, but it is placed in the position of pa. This marker can also be used as the word ‘ever.’
Mo jamé parlé I never spoke
Mo manj jamé I never eat
Eske to jamé wa li Have you ever seen him
The fifth marker is pi/pu. This marker is used in the same manner as pa, however this marker is used to express the idea of the English adverb ‘anymore or any longer.’ Such examples of this marker can be seen in the song “Marie Mouri.”
“To pa konné, na pu Marie”
“You don’t know, Marie is no longer here”