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Nad Marinad - Haitian Creole Expression Explained

A woman making a gesture indicating zero or nothing. It reflects the meaning of the Haitian Creole expression 'nad marinad'.

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Nad marinad

Haitian Creole Expressions

Meaning

The Haitian Creole expression nad marinad is a funny, informal way to say that something is zero or that there is nothing.

This expression is similar to words like zilch, zip, and nada.

Translation: Zero, Nothing, Not a single thing, Nuthin, Zilch, Nada, Zip

Example 1


Pa gen dlo, pa gen lapli, pa gen angrè. Nad marinad! Jaden m nan fini!


There's no water. There's no rain. There's no fertilizer. Not a single thing! My garden is done!


Example 2


Li te ouvri frijidè a pou l wè si l te ka jwenn manje. Nad marinad! Li pa wè anyen.


He opened the refrigerator to see if he could find food. Nada! He saw nothing.


What is a Marinad Anyway?


Marinad is a type of Haitian finger food that is very similar to fritters.

This expression has a catchy play on words. The words nad marinad do have a certain ring to them.

English has similar expressions that sound catchy to the ears but are not inherently tied to the meanings of their individual parts. English expressions such as mumbo-jumbo, nitty-gritty, and jack-squat are examples of this.

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