Lesson 3: Where are you from? What do you do?
Dialogue 1
Lesson 03 - Dialogue 1.m4aA: Éyou to sòr?
B: Mo sòr o Shikago. É twa?
A: Mo sòr o Zopélousas.
B: Ki to fé pou louvraj?
A: Mo çé moun lwil. Mo travay dan klo lwil.
B: Mò, mo çé mèt-lékol o Nouvèl-Òrléan.
A: Where are you from?
B: I’m from Chicago. And you?
A: I’m from Opelousas.
B: What do you do for work?
A: I work in the oil industry. I work in the oilfield.
B: Me, I’m a teacher in New Orleans.
Dialogue 2
Lesson 03 - Dialogue 2.m4aC: Ki çé tô louvraj?
D: Mo pa gin djòb astœr, la.
C: T’apé sharshé pou kishòj?
D: Sûr! M’olé travayé konm labitan.
C: Çé dur, do, padna.
D: Kòfær?
C: Parske çé livær — na pli louvraj jiska printem-la.
D: Shak!
C: What’s your job?
D: I don’t have a job right now.
C: Are you looking for something?
D: Sure! I want to work as a farmer.
C: It’s hard, though, friend.
D: Why?
C: Because it’s winter — there is no more work until the spring.
D: Shucks!
Lagniappe
Take a look at the verb sòrti, sòr. Like many verbs, it has two forms: the long form (sòrti) and the short form (sòr). If you’re curious about this, take this as a chance to get to know the Grammar sketch. Look now in the section on Verbs. Don’t worry if there’s a lot of information, you’ll figure out when to use each form over the next few lessons! Also, if you look up the verb sòrti, sòr in the Glossary, you’ll see it has three meanings: ‘to be from somewhere’, ‘to go out’, and ‘to end up’. As we head on through the book, be mindful of differences in grammar and vocabulary like these and remember to check the Grammar and Glossary pages now and again.
Vocabulary
Éyou to sòr? Where are you from?
Ki péyi to sòr? What country do you come from?
Dan mô famiy yé gin… In my family they have...
Ki léta to sòr? Which state are you from?
Ki vilaj to sòr? Which town are you from?
Lavil city; New Orleans
Mo sòr… I'm from...
Éyou to rès astoer? Where do you live now?
Mo rès… I live...
résté, rès to live
sòrti, sòr to be from
dan lakamponñ in the country
dan lavil in town
a ... in ...
obòr isit around here
o vilaj in the town
endéyòr lavil outside of the city
Ça to fé pou louvraj? What do you do for work?
Ki djòb to gin/fé? What job do you have/do?
Éyou to travay? Where do you work?
Mo travay pa. I don't work.
Mo travay pli. I don't work anymore.
Mo çé étidyan. I am a student.
Mo fé rékòlt. I'm a farmer.
Mo çé moun lwil. I'm a worker in the oil industry.
Mo travay dan klo lwil. I work in the oilfield.
Mo çé péshoer. I am a fisher.
Mo pèsh dê krab, dê shevrèt, dê pwason… I fish crabs, shrimp, fish...