Let’s talk about what, exactly.
So kreyòl has a whole interesting way to form words of interrogation/asking in ways that remind me of Esperanto.
The key to the base of question-words is “ki” (pronounced “kee” but with a short vowel sound that’s hard to show in English—think of it in the way you’d say in Spanish “aqui”).
So “ki” by itself is kinda just “what” or which
ki tòti == which turtles?
ki + moun == what people == who
kilès is also “who” [I think the “lès” is an agglomerative noun of some kind, like “people,” but I make it a rule that I don’t try to go further than where I am so that I get the meaning intuitively]
ki moun ki vle manje == who wants to eat?
kilès ki vle manje == who wants to eat?
ki sa == what-that, used as in “ki sa ou manje?” to mean “what is that you eat?”
ki jan == how
kouman == how
kòman == how
ki jan ou ye?
kòman ou ye?
kouman ou ye?
— these are all the same meaning: “how are you?”
(You can respond “mwen byen, e ou menm?” to mean “I’m good, and you?” or “nou pa pi mal” which is “we’re not too bad” or even “m ap boule” which is “I’m fine/good” from “I’m burning.”)
so then…
Kote == where, so ki kote ou ye? == where are you? (Kote can also be used as “place” or “area” Yon kote mwen renmen—the place / area that I like)
Konben == how much, how many. Not strictly a “ki”-based word, but I’m studying still. I think it might come from the French “combien” or other forms. (I don’t speak French so I speculate.)
Poukisa == why [pou, for; ki, what; sa, that == for what-that]
Tricky, but interesting is “when,” which is “what time”:
Ki lè ou manje? (When do you eat? == What time do you eat?)
with this variant
A ki lè ou fè manje = At what time do you make food?
The second “ki” in some forms is still a bit mysterious.
Ki moun ki vle manje == “who-people who-want manje” is how I see it, but I’m not sure if that’s right. (Kilès ki vle manje is the equivalent.)
Konben timoun ki vle manje? == How many kids want to eat (How many kids [are there] what/who want to eat?)