Chapter Four: Conversation in Action

So far, we have looked at the building blocks of Kreol in isolation. However, the true spirit of Kreol Morisien lies in its spoken form. Dialogue is where grammar, vocabulary, and cultural nuances truly come together.

This chapter presents a short, real-life conversation between two friends, Sophie and Arnaud. Don’t worry about understanding every single word yet; the goal is to get the general gist. We will then dissect every line, revealing all the grammar and new vocabulary.

The Dialogue

Sophie: Hi Arnaud. How’s it going?
Arnaud: Good, thanks. And you?
Sophie: Pretty good. Hey, I have a surprise for you.
Arnaud: What’s that?
Sophie: Mo pe aprann koz Kreol Morisien.
Arnaud: Enn zafer koumsa! To koz Kreol aster?
Sophie: Wi, enn tigit. Mo pe aprann depi trwa mwa.
Arnaud: Mari bon sa! Kouma to trouv li, fasil ouswa difisil?
Sophie: Toulede! Gramer-la pli fasil ki Angle, me mo gagn difikilte pou rapel tou bann mo. Sak fwa mo aprann enn nouvo mo, mo bliye enn lot.
Arnaud: Me to koz li bien!
Sophie: Pankor! Mo bizin pratike. Mo sir mo pe fer boukou fot kan mo koze!
Arnaud: Pa trakase. Bizin fer bann fot pou aprann. Avek pratike, biento to pou kapav koz kouma enn Morisien!
Sophie: Mo espere! Mo mari kontan ki mo kapav koz ar mo bann kamarad an Kreol.
Arnaud: Ki to pe fer zordi? Mo bizin al get mo nouvo moto-la. To anvi vinn trouv li ek mwa?
Sophie: Mo ti pou al kot mwa pou fer enn ti repo, me kitfwa mo kapav vinn enn kou pou get li.
Arnaud: Top. To ena to loto anplas? Ouswa to anvi mo pas pran twa?
Sophie: Non, li bon. Mo ena mo loto laba. Kot to pou zwenn li?
Arnaud: Mo pou la dan garaz anfas ar kafe-la.
Sophie: Wi, mo konn li. OK, mo pou la dan enn demi-er.
Arnaud: Great, see you there.

Dialogue Breakdown & New Vocabulary

Speaker / Creole	English Translation	Key Learning Points
Sophie: Mo pe aprann koz Kreol Morisien.	I am learning Mauritian Creole.	Uses the pe marker (Progressive Present) + aprann (to learn).
Arnaud: Enn zafer koumsa! To koz Kreol aster?	Oh, wow! You speak Creole now?	Aster is a crucial time word meaning now.
Sophie: Wi, enn tigit. Mo pe aprann depi trwa mwa.	Yes, a little bit. I have been learning for three months.	Tigit means a little bit or a small quantity. Trwa is the number three.
Arnaud: Mari bon sa! Kouma to trouv li, fasil ouswa difisil?	That’s really great! How are you finding it, easy or difficult?	Mari means very or superior and is used to emphasize a preceding word (bon). Fasil and difisil are common adjectives; ouswa means or.
Sophie: Toulede! Gramer-la pli fasil ki Angle.	Both! The grammar is more easy than English.	Toulede means both (from French tous les deux). Pli means more, and ki is used as the comparative (than).
Sophie: Mo gagn difikilte pou rapel tou bann mo. Sak fwa mo aprann enn nouvo mo, mo bliye enn lot.	I have difficulty to remember all the words. Every time I learn a new word, I forget another.	Gagn (see Block 3) is used here for ‘have difficulty.’ The word mo can mean ‘I’ or ‘word’—context is everything!
Arnaud: Me to koz li bien!	But you speak it well!	Bien means well or good, an essential everyday word.
Sophie: Pankor! Mo bizin pratike. Mo sir mo pe fer boukou fot kan mo koze!	Not yet! I need to practice. I am sure I am making lots of mistakes when I talk!	Pankor is a contraction of pa ankor (not yet). Pratike is the verb ‘to practice.’ Fot means mistake.
Arnaud: Pa trakase. Bizin fer bann fot pou aprann. Avek pratike, biento to pou kapav koz kouma enn Morisien!	Don’t worry. (You) must make mistakes to learn. With practice, soon you will be able to speak like a Mauritian!	Pa trakase (Don’t worry). Bizin (must) is used without a subject (You) because it is implied. Biento means soon.
Sophie: Mo espere! Mo mari kontan ki mo kapav koz ar mo bann kamarad an Kreol.	I hope (so)! I am really happy that I can speak with my friends in Creole.	Espere (to hope) and kontan (happy). Kamarad means friend.
Arnaud: Ki to pe fer zordi? Mo bizin al get mo nouvo moto-la. To anvi vinn trouv li ek mwa?	What are you doing today? I must go look at my new motorcycle. Do you want to come see it with me?	Moto (motorcycle) is a new noun. Uses bizin (must) and the pe marker.
Sophie: Mo ti pou al kot mwa pou fer enn ti repo, me kitfwa mo kapav vinn enn kou pou get li.	I was going to go home to take a little rest, but maybe I could come for a short while to see it.	Ti pou (Unrealized Past/Conditional). Kot mwa (my place/home). Kitfwa (maybe/perhaps). Enn kou (a short while).
Arnaud: Top. To ena to loto anplas? Ouswa to anvi mo pas pran twa?	Great. Is your car here? Or do you want me to stop by and take you?	Top (Great). Loto (car). Anplas literally means ‘in place’ but here means hereabouts/nearby.
Sophie: Non, li bon. Mo ena mo loto laba. Kot to pou zwenn li?	No, it’s OK. My car is over there. Where are you going to meet him?	Li bon (It’s good/OK). Laba (over there). Uses pou (future marker).
Arnaud: Mo pou la dan garaz anfas ar kafe-la.	I’ll be there in the garage facing the cafe.	Garaz (garage) is a new noun. Anfas ar (facing/opposite).
Sophie: Wi, mo konn li. OK, mo pou la dan enn demi-er.	Yes, I know it. OK, I’ll be there in half an hour.	Pou la (Will be there). The verb ‘to be’ is omitted.

Possession (Whose Is It?)

In Kreol, expressing possession (“my,” “your,” “his”) is straightforward. Possessive Determiners (words like ‘my’ or ‘your’) are almost identical to the Personal Pronouns you learned in Chapter One.

The Possessive Determiners

Creole Determiner	English Equivalent	Notes
Mo	My	Same as the pronoun for ‘I’.
To	Your (informal)	Same as the pronoun for ‘you’ informal.
Ou	Your (formal)	Same as the pronoun for ‘you’ formal.
So	His, Hers, Its	The one unique possessive determiner.
Nou	Our
Zot	Their, Your (plural)

Examples:

• Mo loto (My car)
• To liv (Your book)
• So fam (His/Her wife)
• Zot lakaz (Their house)

Expressing Possession by a Third Party

To express possession by a specific person (like “Sophie’s car”), Kreol uses a structure that translates literally as: [Person] [his/her] [object].

English Possession	Kreol Structure	Literal Translation
Sophie’s car	Sophie so loto	Sophie, her car
Arnaud’s friend	Arnaud so kamarad	Arnaud, his friend
The boy’s book	Garson-la so liv	The boy, his book

The Multi-Purpose Verb: GAGNE

The verb gagn (short form of gagne) is one of the most important and versatile verbs in Kreol. Its literal meaning is to gain (to obtain, win, or earn), but it also replaces the verb ‘to be’ in many common phrases.

Pronunciation Tip: The Nasal Sound in ‘Gagne’ The pronunciation of gagne is close to gang-yay. This ‘gn’ sound is a common nasal sound carried over from French words (like the ‘gn’ in lasa**gna).

1. Direct Meaning (To Obtain/Win/Earn)

Creole Sentence	Translation
Mo ti gagn Rs 500.	I earned 500 rupees.
Li espere li pou gagn.	He hopes he will win.
Mo kapav gagn enn sak?	Can I have a bag? (Literal: Can I obtain a bag?)

2. Indirect Meaning (Replacing ‘To Be’ for States/Feelings)

Instead of being a state (like hungry or hot), in Kreol, you gain or acquire that state using gagne.

English Phrase (Using To Be)	Kreol Phrase (Using To Gain)	Literal Translation
I am hungry.	Mo gagn fin.	I gain hunger.
She is thirsty.	Li gagn swaf.	She gains thirst.
Are you hot?	To gagn so?	Do you gain hot?
They were cold.	Zot ti gagn fre.	They did gain cold.

You can also use the tense markers with gagn to show a progressive change:

• Zot pe gagn so. (They are getting hot.)
• Li pou gagn fre. (It will get cold.)

Language Tip: Gagn vs. Pran

• Use Gagn when you are initiating the request to receive something (e.g., Mo kapav gagn enn kafe? – Can I have/obtain a coffee?).
• Use Pran (to take) when you are responding to an offer or ordering (e.g., Mo pran enn tas dite. – I’ll take a cup of tea).