Twi Grammar List

In Twi the adjective comes after the noun it describes: abofra ketewa (a small child), nsuo nwini (cold water). A number or the article no comes after the adjective: fie kɛseɛ no (the big house).

This course teaches Asante Twi. Akuapem and Fante share its grammar but use some different words and spellings, such as Akuapem yiw and hena for Asante aane (yes) and hwan (who).

A Twi statement puts the subject first, then the verb, then the object: Ama tɔn nkosua (Ama sells eggs). Place and time words usually come after the object, and questions keep the same order.

To tell one person to do something, use the verb on its own, with no subject prefix: Kɔ! (Go!), Hwɛ! (Look!), Ma me nsuo (Give me water). The verb ba (come) has a special command form, bra.

The days are Kwasiada, Dwoada, Benada, Wukuada, Yawoada, Fiada and Memeneda. Say Mɛba Fiada for I will come on Friday, with no word for on.

M or n can be a syllable on its own, as in m-mo-fra (children) and n-ni-pa (people). It is written m before b, f, m and p, and n before other sounds.

To say my, your, his, her, our or their, put me, wo, ne, yɛn, mo or wɔn before the noun: me fie (my house), wo din (your name), wɔn papa (their father). Ne covers his, her and its.

Twi makes a verb negative with a nasal sound, n or m, just before the verb. Menkɔ means I do not go, and Mennim means I do not know.

Many Twi nouns make the plural with a nasal sound at the front. It replaces the singular a- (aboa → mmoa, animals) or is added to a noun that starts with a consonant (dua → nnua, trees).

Twi nouns have no masculine or feminine gender, and one pronoun, ɔno, means he or she. Articles, adjectives and verbs never change for gender: ɔbarima no (the man), ɔbaa no (the woman).

With a noun subject, drop the prefix: Kofi kɔ sukuu (Kofi goes to school), not Kofi ɔkɔ sukuu.

Twi counts baako, mmienu, mmiɛnsa, nnan (ɛnan), nnum (enum), nsia, nson, nwɔtwe, nkron, du (edu). A number comes after the noun, and a noun counted above one is plural: nwoma mmienu (two books).

After a verb, use me, wo, no, yɛn, mo or wɔn. Only him or her changes, from ɔno to no.

Twi shows whose something is by word order alone: the owner comes first and the thing owned follows, with no word for 's or of: Ama maame (Ama's mother), ɔhene no ahemfie (the chief's palace).

Before an object, a place or a time word, make the past by doubling the last sound: Ama tɔɔ paanoo (Ama bought bread).

When the verb ends the clause, the past takes -eɛ or -iɛ: Ɔbaeɛ (He came), Kofi didiiɛ (Kofi ate).

Subject + plain verb: Menom nsuo (I drink water). Use it for what you usually do and what is generally true.

For a state that is true now, use the plain verb: Menim (I know), Mepɛ nsuo (I want water), Mete Kumase (I live in Kumasi).

The alphabet has 22 letters: 7 vowels (a, e, ɛ, i, o, ɔ, u) and 15 consonants. C, j, q, v, x and z are left out except in names and some borrowed words.

Every syllable in Twi has a high or low pitch, and pitch can be the only difference between two words or forms. Spelling does not show it: Yɛnkɔ means Let us go with one melody and We do not go with another.

Twi writes seven vowels, a e ɛ i o ɔ u, but speech has about ten oral vowels and several nasal ones. The letters e, o and a each cover two related sounds, and nasal vowels are not marked.

Twi vowels come in two sets, tense and relaxed, and the vowels in one word tend to match. So a prefix vowel shifts with the root: ɔbaa (woman) but onipa (person), ɔkɔ (goes) but odidi (eats).

Use a- for "has done": Kofi akɔ (Kofi has gone), Maba (I have come), Wadidi (He has eaten).

Many nouns whose singular begins with ɔ- (or o-) or ɛ- (or e-) form the plural by replacing that vowel with a-: ɔdan → adan (buildings), ɔsɔfoɔ → asɔfoɔ (priests), ɛboɔ → aboɔ (stones).

Aane means yes and daabi means no in Asante Twi, often followed by a short answer that repeats the verb. Akuapem speakers say yiw for yes, and Fante speakers say nyew.

Ahe asks how much or how many and comes after the noun, where a number would go: Ɛyɛ ahe? (How much is it?), Woadi mfe ahe? (How old are you?).

Akwaaba means welcome and greets guests and anyone arriving. The fuller Yɛma wo akwaaba means "We welcome you".

A yes-no question keeps the words and order of a statement, is said with question intonation and often ends with anaa (or): Wobɛba anaa? (Will you come?), Wopɛ nsuo anaa? (Do you want water?).

Bi after a noun means a, a certain or some: abofra bi (a child, some child), nsuo bi (some water), da bi (one day, someday). On its own it means some: Ma me bi (Give me some).

Put bɛ- before the verb for what will happen: Wobɛkɔ (you will go). "I will" is mɛ-: Mɛkɔ (I will go).

Dɛn means what. Leave it where the answer would go (Wopɛ dɛn?) or put it first with na (Dɛn na woreyɛ?). Asante speakers often say ɛdeɛn.

Eyi means this one and ɛno means that one or it. They stand alone in place of a noun, as the subject or the object: Eyi ne me nua (This is my sibling), Mepɛ ɛno (I want that one).

Firi means come from. Mefiri Ghana means I am from Ghana, and Wofiri he? asks where someone is from.

Ha (here) and hɔ (there) come straight after the verb, with no word for to or at: Bra ha (Come here), Kɔ hɔ (Go there), Ɔnni ha (She is not here).

He or ɛhe asks where and sits where a place would go: Wowɔ he? (Where are you?), Worekɔ he? (Where are you going?). At the front, ɛhe is followed by na.

Hwan means who, whom and whose in Asante Twi (Akuapem hena). It can stay in place (Woyɛ hwan?) or come first with na: Hwan na ɔbaeɛ? (Who came?).

Ky is close to English ch, gy to j, and hy to sh. Each pair of letters spells one sound, so kyɛ is said as one syllable.

After kɔ (go), put the destination right after the verb: Ɔkɔ sukuu (She goes to school), Kɔ fie (Go home). To go to a person, add nkyɛn: Merekɔ Ama nkyɛn (I am going to Ama's).

Maakye (good morning), maaha (good afternoon) and maadwo (good evening) are the daily greetings. The reply is Yaa with a kin word, such as Yaa ɛna to an older woman.

The full pronouns are me (I), wo (you), ɔno (he, she), yɛn (we), mo (you all) and wɔn (they). Use them alone, after ne, or for emphasis.

To give a name, say whose name it is, then din de and the name: Me din de Ama (My name is Ama). Ask with Wo din de sɛn? (What is your name?).

The subject is a prefix on the verb: Mekɔ (I go), Wokɔ (you go), Wɔkɔ (they go). Keep wo- (you) and wɔ- (they) apart.

Meda wo ase (I thank you) means thank you and is often shortened to Medaase. The person being thanked sits inside da ... ase: Meda mo ase (Thank you all).

Mepa wo kyɛw means please or excuse me; to several people say Mepa mo kyɛw. It can start or end a request: Mepa wo kyɛw, ma me nsuo (Please give me water).

Ne joins two nouns or pronouns: Kofi ne Ama (Kofi and Ama), me ne wo (you and I). It never joins two clauses; for that, Twi uses na.

Ne identifies or introduces someone or something: Eyi ne me maame (This is my mother). Its negative is nyɛ.

Nni is the negative of wɔ for place: Kofi nni fie (Kofi is not at home). It is a separate word, not wɔ with a nasal added.

Nni is the negative of wɔ meaning have: Menni sika (I do not have money), Yɛnni berɛ (We do not have time).

No after a noun means the: abofra no (the child), mmofra no (the children), fie no (the house). It closes the noun phrase, after any adjective or number, and marks something the listener already knows about.

Ny is one sound, like the ny in canyon or Spanish ñ: nya (get). Nw is that sound with rounded lips: nwoma (book). Akuapem spells some of these words with nh, as in nhoma.

Nyɛ means "is not": Menyɛ ɔkyerɛkyerɛfoɔ (I am not a teacher), Ɛnyɛ den (It is not hard). It also works as the negative of ne: Ɛnyɛ ɔno (It is not him).

Put re- before the verb for an action going on now: Merekɔ (I am going), Kofi rekasa (Kofi is speaking).

Sɛn asks how or what kind, usually at the end of the question: Wo ho te sɛn? (How are you?), Ɛte sɛn? (How is it going?), Wo din de sɛn? (What is your name?).

Te means live or stay somewhere. Mete Kumase means I live in Kumasi, and Wote he? asks where someone lives.

Tw sounds like ch with rounded lips, dw like j with rounded lips, and hw like sh with rounded lips. Kw is k plus w, as in queen.

Wo ho te sɛn? asks How are you?, literally how is your body? It is answered Me ho yɛ (I am well), and changing the possessive asks about others: Mo ho te sɛn? (How are you all?).

Wɔ means "be at, be in" and says where someone or something is: Kofi wɔ fie (Kofi is at home). The place follows directly, with no word for at or in.

Wɔ also means have: Mewɔ sika (I have money), Ɔwɔ mmofra baanu (She has two children). The owner is the subject, and what is owned follows wɔ.

Another common way to give a name is Wɔfrɛ me Kofi, literally "They call me Kofi". The question is Yɛfrɛ wo sɛn? or Wɔfrɛ wo sɛn? (What is your name?).

Put yi at the end of a noun phrase to point to something near you: fie yi (this house), mmofra yi (these children). Saa before the noun with yi after it means the same: saa abofra yi (this child).

Yɛ means "be" when you say what someone or something is: Meyɛ ɔkyerɛkyerɛfoɔ (I am a teacher). It is also used for qualities, as in Ɛyɛ dɛ (It is nice).

Ɛ sounds like the e in bed, and ɔ like the aw in law. They are different letters from e and o, and swapping them can change the meaning: kɔ is go, but ko is fight.

Use ɛ- (it) on the verb when the subject is a thing or a situation: Ɛyɛ dɛ (It is nice), Ɛyɛ hyew (It is hot).

Add -foɔ to an action to name the people who do it: kyerɛkyerɛ (teach) gives ɔkyerɛkyerɛfoɔ (teacher) and akyerɛkyerɛfoɔ (teachers). The plural always ends in -foɔ; Akuapem writes -fo.

Add -ni to a place or people's name for one person and -foɔ for several: Ghanani (a Ghanaian), Ghanafoɔ (Ghanaians), Asanteni (an Asante person), Asantefoɔ (Asante people).

Texts, social media and signs often use e for ɛ and o for ɔ: Wo ho te sen? for Wo ho te sɛn? Read them by context, and keep ɛ and ɔ in your own writing.

When everyone knows which thing you mean, Twi leaves it out at the end of the sentence: Metɔeɛ (I bought it). A person is never left out: Mehunuu no (I saw him or her).

Twi shows location with a place noun after the thing: wɔ pon no so (on the table), wɔ dan no mu (in the room). These words are nouns, so they take possessives: me nkyɛn (beside me).

To tell one person not to do something, put the negative nasal before the verb: Nkɔ! (Don't go!), Nsuro! (Don't be afraid!). For ba (come), say Mma ha! (Don't come here!).

A nasal said on a high pitch before the verb makes a wish or suggestion: Yɛnkɔ (Let us go), Ɔnkɔ (Let him go, he should go), Onyame nhyira wo (May God bless you). It is spelled like the negative but sounds different.

Eleven to nineteen add a unit to du: dubaako (11), dumienu (12). Tens are aduonu (20), aduasa (30), aduanan (40). Then come ɔha (100) and apem (1,000).

A Twi noun comes first and its describing words follow in a set order: noun, adjective, number, then the article, as in nwoma foforɔ mmienu no (the two new books). A possessor and saa go before the noun.

Most ɔ- nouns take a- in the plural, but some common words for people take a nasal: onipa → nnipa (people), ɔbaa → mmaa (women), ɔbarima → mmarima (men), ɔba → mma (children). After the nasal, b turns into m.

With a plural noun, many adjectives switch to a plural form: abofra ketewa (a small child) but mmofra nketewa (small children), dua tenten (a tall tree) but nnua atenten (tall trees). Some adjectives, such as pa (good), never change.

Put the question word first and add na: Hwan na ɔbaeɛ? (Who came?), Dɛn na wopɛ? (What do you want?). It can also stay in place: Wopɛ dɛn?

Twi often strings verbs together with no word for and, with or for. The verbs share one subject and one tense, and together they describe a single event: Tɔ aduane ma me (Buy food for me).

The plain verb states habits and facts: Mekɔ sukuu (I go to school). Re- describes what is going on now: Merekɔ sukuu (I am going to school).

After the negative nasal, b turns into m and d into n: ba becomes mma and dɔ becomes nnɔ. The negative of di (eat) is nni, spelled like nni (not have).

Name the weather thing and give it a verb, usually in the progressive for right now: Nsuo retɔ (It is raining), Awia rebɔ (The sun is shining). For heat, use Ɛyɛ hyew (It is hot).

Some verbs describe a change, such as get tired or ripen. Their perfect describes the state you are in now: Mabrɛ (I am tired), Mayɛ krado (I am ready), Kwadu no abere (The banana is ripe).

Time words such as ɛnnɛ (today), ɔkyena (tomorrow), nnɛra (yesterday) and seesei (now) usually go at the start or end of a sentence. They need no extra word, and the verb still carries the tense.

To say you do something for someone, add ma (give) and the person after the action: Tɔ aduane ma me (Buy food for me). In the past both verbs are past: Ɔyɛɛ adwuma no maa me.

To say did not, Twi puts a- and the negative nasal before the verb: Mankɔ (I did not go), Kofi amma (Kofi did not come). The verb never takes a past ending.

Say the time with abɔ nnɔn and a number: Abɔ nnɔn nson (It is seven o'clock). For one o'clock use the singular, abɔ dɔn baako, and ask the time with Abɔ sɛn?

Adɛn nti or adɛn asks why: Adɛn nti na woyɛɛ saa? (Why did you do that?), Adɛn nti na woresu? (Why are you crying?). Answer with ɛfiri sɛ (because).

Put akyi or anim after the noun: fie no akyi (behind the house), sukuu no anim (in front of the school). With me, wo and ne they shorten: m'akyi (behind me), w'anim (in front of you).

Anaa means or between two choices: Wopɛ tii anaa kɔfe? (Do you want tea or coffee?). It can join words, phrases or whole clauses.

Put ase after the noun: pon no ase (under the table), dua no ase (under the tree). With wɔ it says where something is: Ɔkraman no wɔ pon no ase (The dog is under the table).

People from two to nine can be counted with the baa- numbers: nnipa baanu (two people), mmofra baasa (three children), yɛn baanan (the four of us). The ordinary numbers are also used for people, and from ten up they are the only choice.

Berɛ bɛn (which time) asks when: Berɛ bɛn na wobɛba? (When will you come?). Da bɛn asks which day.

Biara follows a noun to mean every or any: da biara (every day), onipa biara (every person). The indefinite words take the same ending: obiara (everyone), biribiara (everything) and baabiara (everywhere).

Bio comes at the end of the clause: Ka bio (Say it again), Ma me bi bio (Give me some more). With a negative verb it means anymore: Mempɛ bio (I do not want it anymore).

Put bɛn after the noun to ask which: Nwoma bɛn na wopɛ? (Which book do you want?), kuro bɛn (which town). For which one with no noun, say deɛhe.

Use di mfe (eat years) in the perfect with a number: Madi mfe aduonu (I am twenty years old). Ask with Woadi mfe ahe? (How old are you?).

Say due to show sympathy when someone falls, is tired, is ill or has bad news: Due! (Sorry!), Due o (I am so sorry). For a death, say Damirifa due.

Twi says bring as take it and come, and take away as take it and go: Fa nsuo bra (Bring water), Fa nwoma no kɔ (Take the book away).

Put foforɔ after the noun: nwoma foforɔ (a new book, another book). On its own it means another one: Ma me foforɔ (Give me another one). Akuapem writes foforo.

Ka takes an object: Ka bio (Say it again), Ɔkaa nokorɛ (She told the truth), and ka sɛ reports a statement. Se passes on someone's words: Ɔse ɔbɛba (He says he will come). Keep se apart from sɛ (that).

Kɔ- and bɛ- come from kɔ (go) and ba (come) and join the front of a verb: kɔ- means going away to do something, bɛ- means coming here to do it. Kɔdidi (Go and eat), Bɛhwɛ (Come and see).

Me (my), wo (your) and ne (his, her) shorten to m', w' and n' before a noun that begins with a vowel: m'adamfo (my friend), w'ani (your eye), n'agya (his or her father).

Ma takes two objects in a fixed order, receiver first: Ma me nsuo (Give me water), Ɔmaa me sika (He gave me money). For a specific thing like the book, use de ... ma instead.

Ma (let) plus an optative verb makes a request or suggestion: Ma menkɔ (Let me go), Ma yɛnkɔ (Let us go), Ma ɔnkasa (Let him speak). The second verb keeps its own person prefix and the nasal.

To say mine, yours or someone's, put dea after the owner: me dea (mine), yɛn dea (ours), Kofi dea (Kofi's). Eyi yɛ me dea means This is mine.

To give a command to several people, add mo- and the nasal: Monkɔ! (Go!), Mommra! (Come!), Montena ase (Sit down). For don't, add a second nasal: Monnsuro! (Don't be afraid!).

Put mu after the noun: dan no mu (in the room), kuruwa no mu (in the cup). Ɔwɔ dan no mu means She is in the room. Towns and fie (home) usually need no mu.

Na joins two whole clauses: Ɔbaa fie na ɔdidiiɛ (He came home and ate), Kɔ na bra ntɛm (Go and come back quickly). It never joins two nouns; that is ne.

To say how things were, put na before a sentence that describes a state: Na mewɔ Kumase (I was in Kumasi), Na mennim (I did not know).

To say someone was in the middle of doing something, put na before a progressive clause: Na meredidi (I was eating), Na Kofi rekasa (Kofi was speaking).

Nanso joins two clauses with but and starts the second one: Mepɛ, nanso menni sika (I want it, but I have no money).

Twi has two words for and: ne between nouns and pronouns (Kofi ne Ama), na between clauses (Ɔbaa fie na ɔdidiiɛ). Never join two clauses with ne.

Nso follows what it adds: Me nso (Me too), Ɔno nso bɛba (He will come too). After a negative it means either: Me nso mempɛ (I do not want it either).

Nyinaa (all) closes the noun phrase: mmofra no nyinaa (all the children), yɛn nyinaa (all of us), ne nyinaa (all of it). It follows no and never comes before the noun.

Obi means someone, biribi means something and baabi means somewhere: Obi reba (Someone is coming), Mewɔ biribi ma wo (I have something for you), Merekɔ baabi (I am going somewhere).

Paa means very, really or very much. It follows the describing word or the whole verb phrase: Ɛyɛ dɛ paa (It is really nice), Medɔ wo paa (I love you very much).

Pii means many, much or a lot, and kakra means a little. Both come after the noun, or after the verb and its object: nnipa pii (many people), Mekasa Twi kakra (I speak a little Twi).

Pɛ sɛ is followed by a whole clause with its own subject: Mepɛ sɛ mekɔ fie (I want to go home), Mepɛ sɛ woba (I want you to come). To want a thing, pɛ takes it directly: Mepɛ nsuo.

To say will not, Twi uses re- and the negative nasal instead of bɛ-: Merenkɔ (I will not go), Ɔremma (He will not come).

Rebɛ- joins the progressive re- and the future bɛ- to say something is about to happen: Merebɛkɔ (I am about to go), Nsuo rebɛtɔ (It is about to rain).

Saa means so or like that and follows the verb: Ɛte saa (It is so), Yɛ no saa (Do it like that). Saa ara means just like that.

Put saa before the noun and no at the end of the noun phrase to say that: saa abofra no (that child), saa berɛ no (at that time). Saa never works without the closing no or yi.

Say the quality, then sen and what you compare with: Kofi ware sen Kwame (Kofi is taller than Kwame), Eyi yɛ fɛ sen ɛno (This one is nicer than that one). Sen already means more.

Put so after the noun: pon no so (on the table), akonnwa no so (on the chair). With wɔ it says where something is: Nwoma no wɔ pon no so (The book is on the table).

Put the action verb straight after tumi: Metumi kasa Twi kakra (I can speak a little Twi). In the negative both verbs take the nasal: Mentumi nkɔ (I cannot go).

Put wɔ before a place, after the main verb and its object, to say where something happens: Mehunuu no wɔ dwam (I saw her at the market), Ɔyɛ adwuma wɔ Nkran (She works in Accra).

Existence is expressed with wɔ hɔ (is there) and nni hɔ for none: Nsuo wɔ hɔ (There is water), Sika nni hɔ (There is no money). The thing comes first.

Yie (also written yiye) means well. It follows the verb and its object: Ɔkasa Twi yie (She speaks Twi well). It also forms everyday wishes: Da yie (Good night), Nante yie (Safe journey, goodbye).

Use yɛ before a describing word: Fie no yɛ kɛseɛ (The house is big), Ɛyɛ fɛ (It is pretty). Quality verbs stand alone: Kofi ware (Kofi is tall).

Use yɛ for what someone is or is like, ne to identify or introduce, and wɔ for where someone is or what they have. The negative of yɛ and ne is nyɛ, and the negative of wɔ is nni.

To say you are hungry or thirsty, make the feeling the subject and yourself the object: Ɛkɔm de me (I am hungry), Sukɔm de me (I am thirsty). The negative is Ɛkɔm nne me.

Ɛsɛ sɛ expresses have to, must or should: Ɛsɛ sɛ mekɔ (I have to go). Ɛnsɛ sɛ means should not: Ɛnsɛ sɛ wokɔ (You should not go). The person is the subject of the second clause.

Family and title nouns take -nom for the plural: nana → nananom (grandparents, elders), agya → agyanom (fathers). Some also change the prefix: onua → anuanom (siblings), asew → nsewnom (in-laws).

Add o at the end of a sentence to make it warmer or more insistent: Ɛyɛ dɛ o! (It is really nice!), Bra ntɛm o (Do come quickly).

Twi often says a feeling happens to a part of you: my eye has received means I am happy (M'ani agye), and with bo (chest), Me bo afu means I am angry. The body part takes the possessive, and the verb is in the perfect a- to show the present feeling.

The negative perfect is N- + verb + the past-style ending: Kofi mmaeɛ (Kofi has not come), Kofi mmaa fie (Kofi has not come home).

Use the simple past for a finished event (Kofi baa ha nnɛra, Kofi came here yesterday) and the perfect when the result is true now (Kofi aba, Kofi has come and is here).

Reflexives are a possessive plus ho (self): Ɔhwɛ ne ho (She looks at herself), Hwɛ wo ho so (Take care of yourself).

When a person is the object inside a relative clause, the pronoun stays: ɔbarima a mehunuu no no (the man whom I saw). A subject keeps its prefix, and a thing object usually leaves a gap: ntoma a wotɔeɛ no (the cloth you bought).

In the past, each verb in a series is past too: Ɔtɔɔ aduane maa me (She bought food for me), Kofi too boɔ kɔɔ dan no mu (Kofi threw a stone into the room).

English uses one verb where Twi often uses a verb and a noun, like tu kwan (travel). The verb takes the subject, tense and negative; the noun stays after it.

Put the relative clause after the noun: abofra a ɔbaeɛ no (the child who came), nwoma a metɔeɛ no (the book that I bought). The closing no is left out when the person or thing is new.

After a future or progressive verb, later verbs in the series take a-: Yɛbɛkɔ fie akɔdidi (We will go home and eat), Mɛba abɛhwɛ wo (I will come to see you).

Afei means now in the sense of next, now that this is done: Afei, yɛnkɔ (Now, let us go). In a story it means then: Ɔtɔɔ paanoo, afei ɔkɔɔ fie (She bought bread, then she went home). For the present moment itself, use seesei.

Put akyi after an event noun to say after: adidi akyi (after eating), Adwuma no akyi, yɛbɛkɔ fie (After the work, we will go home). Ɛno akyi (after that) links steps in a story.

Ampa means true or really: Ampa? (Really?), Ɛyɛ ampa (It is true), Ampa ara! (That is so true!).

Ankasa after a noun or pronoun means that very one: Ɔno ankasa na ɔkaeɛ (He himself said it). After a description, it means really: Ɛyɛ dɛ ankasa (It is really nice). It does not replace the reflexive ho.

Ansa na comes before the later event: Hohoro wo nsa ansa na woadidi (Wash your hands before you eat). The later verb usually takes a- or, after a past event, re-.

Ara follows the word it sharpens: saa ara (just like that), ɛno ara (that very one), seesei ara (right now), ɔno ara (he himself). In speech the r is often glided over: saa ara sounds like saa.

Berɛ a ... no introduces a past or known time: Berɛ a meduruu fie no, na ɔredidi (When I got home, he was eating).

Twi has no separate word for never. Make the verb negative and add da at the end of the clause: Mennom nsa da (I never drink alcohol).

Put dada at the end of the clause to say something has already happened. It usually goes with the perfect a-: Wadidi dada.

To say with or using, put de + the tool before the main verb: Ɔde sekan twaa nam no (He cut the meat with a knife), Ɔde ne nsa didi (She eats with her hand).

To give a particular thing to someone, frame it with de ... ma: Ɔde sika no maa me (He gave the money to me). In a command, use fa: Fa nwoma no ma Ama (Give the book to Ama).

Put deɛ after a word to set it up as the topic: Me deɛ, mempɛ (As for me, I do not want it), Kofi deɛ, ɔbɛba (As for Kofi, he will come). A short pause follows deɛ, and the verb keeps its subject prefix.

Put ebia before a full sentence to say maybe. Put ɛbɛyɛ sɛ before it to say it seems that or probably. The sentence after either keeps its normal form.

Enti or ɛno nti means so or therefore: Ɔyare, enti ɔmmaeɛ (She is sick, so she has not come). Nti after a noun means because of: wo nti (because of you).

Put the topic between fa and ho: Nwoma no fa Ghana abakɔsɛm ho (The book is about Ghanaian history), Ɛfa wo ho (It concerns you). After verbs like dwene (think), ho alone means about: Meredwene wo ho (I am thinking about you).

Say firi ase, then the verb for what begins. In the past both verbs take the past, and in the future the second verb takes a-: Mɛfiri ase asua Twi.

Gye ... di (believe), da ... ase (thank) and hwɛ ... so (look after) split around their object. In gye ... di both parts are verbs, so di also changes: Mennye wo nni (I do not believe you).

Put the thing you need right after hia: Mehia sika (I need money). Something ho hia means it is important: Ɛho hia (It is important).

Put hwee after a negative verb, where the object goes, to say nothing or not anything. The verb must be negative: Menni hwee, never Mewɔ hwee.

Ka kyerɛ means tell someone: Ka kyerɛ no (Tell him). What was said can follow with sɛ: Ɔka kyerɛɛ me sɛ ɔbɛba (She told me that she would come).

Put koraa at the end of a negative clause to mean at all. In a negative sentence, koraa right after a word means not even that: baako koraa (not even one).

An object can go first with na: Nam na Ama tɔeɛ (It was meat that Ama bought), Twi na meresua (It is Twi that I am learning). A thing leaves nothing behind, but a person is repeated with a pronoun: Kofi na mehunuu no (It was Kofi that I saw).

Put the subject first and add na to single it out: Kofi na ɔbaeɛ (It was Kofi who came), Me na mekaeɛ (I am the one who said it). The verb after na always keeps a subject prefix that matches the focused word: me- after me, ɔ- or wɔ- for other people, ɛ- for things.

Put na before a simple present clause to describe a past habit: Na mekɔ sukuu da biara (I used to go to school every day).

Nea, also said deɛ, starts a relative clause with no noun: Nea wopɛ no (what you want), Nea ɔbaeɛ no (the one who came). Wɔn a means those who.

Nko ara follows the word it limits: me nko ara (just me, me alone), Medɔ wo nko ara (I love only you). After a number, use pɛ: baako pɛ (only one). In speech, nko ara often sounds like nkoaa.

Put nkyɛn after a person or thing to say beside or next to it: Tena me nkyɛn (Sit beside me). After a person it also means to or at their place: Mekɔ me maame nkyɛn (I am going to my mother's).

Nnya + negative perfect means not yet: Kofi nnya mmaeɛ (Kofi has not come yet), Ɔnnya nkɔeɛ (She has not gone yet).

Use obiara (everyone) or obi (someone) with a negative verb to say nobody: Obiara mmaeɛ (Nobody has come), Obi nni hɔ (Nobody is there). After a negative verb, obiara means anyone: Manhunu obiara (I did not see anyone).

Put san before a verb to mean return or do again. San ba is come back and san kɔ is go back. Asante writing often spells it sane.

Twi has no separate word for most. Compare with everyone or everything instead: Kofi na ɔware sen obiara (Kofi is the tallest), Eyi na ɛyɛ dɛ sen biara (This one is the nicest). Use obiara for people and biara for things.

Sɛ introduces what someone says, thinks or knows: Menim sɛ ɔwɔ fie (I know that she is at home). After se (say) it is often left out: Ɔse ɔbɛba (He says he will come).

A condition starts with sɛ and ends with a: Sɛ nsuo tɔ a, yɛrenkɔ (If it rains, we will not go). The closing a is required; sɛ is sometimes left out in speech.

The same sɛ ... a means when for an event you expect: Sɛ woduru a, frɛ me (When you arrive, call me). Context decides between if and when.

Taa takes the subject prefix and comes before the main verb, like the first verb in a series. In the negative, both verbs take the nasal: Mentaa nkɔ hɔ.

Te ase is a two-part verb. Te takes the subject and tense, ase stays the same, and an object goes between them: Mente wo ase.

Te sɛ means be like: Ɔte sɛ ne maame (She is like her mother). After an action, sɛ alone means like or as: Ɔkasa sɛ Asanteni (He speaks like an Asante person). Before examples, te sɛ means such as.

Wie can take the thing you finish as its object, or come after an activity verb to mean finish doing it: Ɔdii aduane no wieeɛ (He finished eating the food).

Twi has no passive. Use wɔ- (they) for an unnamed doer: Wɔfrɛ me Ama (I am called Ama), Wɔwoo me wɔ Kumase (I was born in Kumasi). The person or thing affected stays after the verb as its object.

Repeat the plural reflexive to say each other: Wɔdɔ wɔn ho wɔn ho (They love each other), Yɛboa yɛn ho yɛn ho (We help each other). The first word matches the subject: yɛn for we, mo for you all, wɔn for they.

Ɛfiri sɛ means because and comes before the reason: Merenkɔ ɛfiri sɛ meyare (I will not go because I am sick). Ɛsiane sɛ means the same; Akuapem says efisɛ.

Add ɛnte saa? after a statement to ask for agreement, like English isn't it? or don't you?: Ɛyɛ dɛ, ɛnte saa? (It is nice, isn't it?). The tag never changes, and the usual reply is Aane, ɛte saa (Yes, it is so).

Add ba (child) after a noun to name its young: akokɔba (chick) from akokɔ (chicken), oguamma (lamb) from oguan (sheep), nantwi ba (calf). Its plural is mma: nkokɔmma (chicks). Aduaba (fruit) is literally the child of a tree.

For animals, -nini marks the male and -bedeɛ the female: akokɔnini (rooster), akokɔbedeɛ (hen), nantwinini (bull). For people, Twi uses -barima and -baa instead.

Twi has no polite form of you, so respect goes into the word you call someone. Kin words like Maame, Paapa and Nana work for strangers too, and titles like Owura (Mr) and Awuraa (Miss, Madam) go before a name.

Say a verb twice to show that the action happens many times, to many things or thoroughly: bu (break) becomes bubu (break into pieces). Some doubled verbs have a meaning of their own: kyerɛkyerɛ (teach), didi (eat, have a meal).

Say a manner word twice to strengthen it or to spread it out: ntɛm ntɛm (very quickly, in a hurry), brɛoo brɛoo (slowly and gently), kakra kakra (little by little). Numbers doubled mean one at a time: baako baako (one by one).

Twi has no ending like English -th. First uses di kan: da a edi kan (the first day). The others use tɔ so and an ordinary number: da a ɛtɔ so mmiɛnsa (the third day).

Hundreds are single words such as ahanu (200) and ahanum (500). Thousands and millions put the unit first, as in mpem du (10,000), and ne (and) comes only before the last part: apem ahanu ne aduonum (1,250).

Ideophones are sound pictures that make a description vivid: dinn and komm (quiet, still), pɛpɛɛpɛ (exactly, evenly). They follow the word they describe, often have long or doubled sounds, and never take tense, negative or plural prefixes.

In a negative verb series, each verb carries the negative: Mantumi ankɔ (I could not go), Merentumi nkɔ (I will not be able to go). Leaving a later verb positive is a mistake.

Ahodoɔ follows a noun to say there are different kinds of it: nnuaba ahodoɔ (different fruits), aduane ahodoɔ (all kinds of food), kasa ahodoɔ (various languages). Doubled, ahodoɔ ahodoɔ means all sorts of.

Anka marks something unreal: Anka mɛba, nanso menni berɛ (I would come, but I have no time). With the future it means would; with the past, would have.

Anyɛ yie koraa a opens a sentence with the fallback case: even if things go badly, this much will still be true. Anyɛ yie koraa a, yɛbɛnya baako means At the very least, we will get one.

Baabi a ... no means the place where or where inside a sentence: Baabi a mete no (the place where I live), Mennim baabi a ɔwɔ (I do not know where she is), Kɔ baabi a wopɛ (Go wherever you like). Baabiara a means wherever.

Put bɛyɛ before a number to say about: Nnipa bɛyɛ ɔha baeɛ (About a hundred people came), bɛyɛ dɔnhwere baako (about an hour). It never changes for tense.

Instead of the general wɔ (be at), Twi can say how a thing is placed: da for lying flat (Nwoma no da pon no so, The book is lying on the table) and si for standing upright (Kuruwa no si pon no so, The cup is standing on the table). People standing use gyina.

Put da so between the subject and the next verb to say still: Ɔda so reda (He is still sleeping), Kofi da so kɔ sukuu (Kofi still goes to school), Ɔda so wɔ ha (She is still here). Da so always needs that next verb.

To say put, take the thing with de and set it down with to: Mede sika no too hɔ (I put the money there). The tense goes on to. In commands and in the negative, fa replaces de: Fa sika no to hɔ (Put the money there).

Dodo means too or too much and comes after the quality or action it measures: Ɛyɛ den dodo (It is too hard), Wokasa dodo (You talk too much). For a plain very, use paa.

Ebi stands alone for some of something: Ebi wɔ hɔ (There is some). Ebinom means some people: Ebinom kɔeɛ (Some people went). After a verb use bi (Ma me bi, Give me some), and after a noun for people use binom (nnipa binom, some people).

Koro follows a noun to mean one or the same: abusua koro (one family), kuro koro (the same town), Yɛyɛ koro (We are one, we are united). To count one of something, use baako.

Kɔ so means continue or keep on, and the continuing action follows straight after so: Kɔ so kasa (Keep talking), Ɔkɔɔ so yɛɛ adwuma no (He went on doing the work). On its own, Kɔ so! means Go on!

Kɔsi means until or up to. Before a time or place it marks the end of a range: firi Dwoada kɔsi Fiada (from Monday to Friday). Before a clause, add sɛ: Twɛn kɔsi sɛ mɛba (Wait until I come).

Kɛkɛ means just or merely and follows what it limits: Ɔtenaa ase kɛkɛ (He just sat there), Twi kɛkɛ na ɔkasa (He speaks only Twi). Ɛnyɛ ... kɛkɛ, na mmom ... means not just ... but.

Ma also means make or cause: Ɔma me sere (He makes me laugh), Ɛma m'ani gye (It makes me happy). The person affected comes right after ma, followed by the verb.

Mesrɛ wo means I beg you. Use it for a strong or heartfelt request, an apology or a plea: Mesrɛ wo, boa me (I beg you, help me). To several people, say mesrɛ mo. For an everyday please, mepa wo kyɛw is the usual choice.

Mpo means even and usually comes right after the word it highlights: Ɔno mpo nim (Even he knows), ɛnnɛ mpo (even today). With a negative verb it means not even: Wamma me nsuo mpo (He did not even give me water).

Nsa aka (the hand has touched) means receive or get hold of. Put the receiver before nsa and the thing received after aka: Me nsa aka wo krataa (I have received your letter). Said to someone who arrives while you eat, Me nsa aka invites them to join you.

Ntam means between or among and comes after what it relates to: Kofi ne Ama ntam (between Kofi and Ama), yɛn ntam (between us, among us). Use wɔ before it for location: Ɔwɔ Kofi ne Ama ntam.

A reported command uses sɛ and the optative: Ka kyerɛ no sɛ ɔmmra (Tell him to come). The verb takes the prefix of the person who should act, plus the nasal.

For a condition that is not true or did not happen, put anka before the result: Sɛ na mewɔ sika a, anka metɔɔ kaa (If I had had money, I would have bought a car). Na in the if-clause often marks a past state.

To report a yes-no question, put sɛ before it and keep anaa at the end: Bisa no sɛ ɔwɔ fie anaa (Ask him whether he is at home). Add the negative after anaa for or not.

Sɛdeɛ, written sɛnea in Akuapem and much printed Twi, means as or the way that and is followed by a clause: Yɛ no sɛdeɛ meka kyerɛɛ wo no (Do it the way I told you), Yɛ sɛdeɛ wopɛ (Do as you like). Before a plain noun, use sɛ instead.

To say something has been done, put wɔ- and the perfect a- on the verb and keep the thing affected after it: Wɔasi dan no (The house has been built), Wɔatɔn ne nyinaa (It has all been sold). Twi has no separate passive form.

Ɛnam ... so names who or what made something happen, or the means by which it happened. It usually comes first, followed by na and the result: Ɛnam wo so na yɛdii nkonim (It is thanks to you that we won). It can praise or blame.

Ɛnneɛ means then or in that case and responds to what has just been said: Wonni berɛ? Ɛnneɛ, ɔkyena (You have no time? Then tomorrow). It can also open the result after a sɛ ... a condition. For then as the next step, use afei.

Open the sentence with ɛtɔ da a to say sometimes: Ɛtɔ da a, mekɔ hɔ (Sometimes I go there). The verb after it is usually the simple present, since it describes a habit.

Add -hene to a place or group to name its ruler: Asantehene (King of Asante), Okyenhene (King of Akyem Abuakwa), ɔmanhene (paramount chief, chief of a state). The plural of ɔmanhene is amanhene.

Printed Twi often follows Akuapem, the variety of the first Twi Bible. Readers meet nhoma, kyerɛw, efisɛ, nea and bere where Asante writes nwoma, twerɛ, ɛfiri sɛ, deɛ and berɛ; the grammar is the same.

Some everyday verbs differ between the two Twi varieties: Asante hunu, firi, duru and twerɛ match Akuapem hu, fi, du and kyerɛw. The prefixes and tenses work the same way on both.

Join a describing noun and a main noun into one word, with the main noun last: ahemfie (palace), abusuafie (family house), Asanteman (the Asante nation). The second noun loses its vowel prefix, and sounds can change where the two parts meet.

City, radio and casual Twi often mixes in English words, but the sentence stays Twi: Twi word order, articles and tense prefixes carry the English words. Me boss no kaa sɛ yɛnkɔ fie (My boss said we should go home).

Focus with na can reach into a clause after sɛ. The focused phrase goes first, and its old spot keeps a pronoun for a person: Kofi na mesusu sɛ ɔbɛba (It is Kofi who I think will come).

Twi has borrowed from Portuguese since the 1400s and from English more recently. A loanword takes Twi articles, numbers and possessives, and some even take Twi plurals, like nkrataa (papers, letters).

Learn each noun with its plural, because the prefix pattern decides it: ɔ- to a-, a- or ɔ- to a nasal, or no prefix to a nasal. Mass nouns such as nsuo (water) have no plural, and verbs never copy a noun's prefix.

Flip the order and join the words: object noun first, then the verb, sometimes with a new prefix or final vowel. Add -foɔ to name the people who do it: adwumayɛfoɔ (workers).

To name an idea, Twi adds a prefix such as a- or ɔ- to a verb or a body-part expression, often with a final vowel: awareɛ (marriage) from ware, abufuo (anger) from bo fu. The body part stays first, just as in the sentence.

To say the table I put the book on or the room she lives in, Twi keeps the place noun at its usual spot inside the a ... no clause: dan a ɔte mu no (the room she lives in).

Standard spelling leaves tone out, so some grammatical forms look identical on the page. Learn them by ear and use context clues such as ma, a command or a past ending.

Put the person or thing you are talking about first, then a full sentence that points back to it with a pronoun: Kofi deɛ, mehunuu no nnɛra (As for Kofi, I saw him yesterday). A thing in object position is usually left unsaid.

Twi verb series come in two kinds. Chained series list separate steps and can be long, while integrated series fuse two verbs into one action, as in de ... ma (give to) and tɔ ... ma (buy for).

There is no separate word for whose. Start the relative clause with a, put ne (his, her) or wɔn (their) before the possessed noun, and close with no.

Put anka (would) in front of ɛsɛ sɛ (must, should) to say what should have happened but did not: Anka ɛsɛ sɛ woba (You should have come). Anka ɛnsɛ sɛ means should not have: Anka ɛnsɛ sɛ woka saa (You should not have said that).

Bio nso adds a further point, mostly in speeches, news, sermons and writing: Bio nso, ɛsɛ sɛ yɛkae yɛn nananom (Moreover, we must remember our ancestors).

Gye sɛ means unless or except that: Merenkɔ gye sɛ wobɛba (I will not go unless you come). The main clause usually says what will not happen. Before a noun, gye alone means except, as in Gye Nyame (Except God).

Mmom corrects or replaces what came before: Ɛnyɛ Kofi, na mmom Kwame (Not Kofi, but rather Kwame). After a negative command, na mmom gives the better choice: Nkasa, na mmom tie (Don't talk; rather, listen).

Nea ɛhia ne sɛ means what matters is that: Nea ɛhia ne sɛ yɛbɛboa yɛn ho yɛn ho (What matters is that we help each other). Asante speakers often say deɛ ɛhia ne sɛ, and the same frame gives nea mepɛ ne sɛ (what I want is that).

The article no can close a whole clause, not just a noun. It tells the listener you mean a person, thing or event you both know about; a clause about someone new leaves it out.

Put mpo before the final a of an if-clause to say even if: Sɛ nsuo tɔ mpo a, mɛba (Even if it rains, I will come). The condition does not stop or change the result.

Put two choices side by side, each starting with sɛ and ending with o, to say whether ... or: Sɛ ɛyɛ dɛ o, sɛ ɛnyɛ dɛ o, di (Whether it is tasty or not, eat it). A very common pair is sɛ wopɛ o, sɛ wompɛ o (whether you like it or not).

Sɛ ɛnyɛ saa a, literally if it is not so, means otherwise: Yɛ ntɛm, sɛ ɛnyɛ saa a yɛbɛka akyi (Hurry, otherwise we will be left behind). A common shorter form is anyɛ saa a.

Sɛnea ɛbɛyɛ a means so that: Kasa denden sɛnea ɛbɛyɛ a obiara bɛte (Speak loudly so that everyone will hear). Asante speakers often say sɛdeɛ ɛbɛyɛ a, and the purpose usually takes the future bɛ-.

When wɔ- points to no one in particular, wɔse means people say, it is said or reportedly. The reported statement follows directly and keeps its own tense.

Put ɛnyɛ in front of a focus sentence to deny the focus: Ɛnyɛ Kofi na ɔbaeɛ (It was not Kofi who came), Ɛnyɛ sika na mepɛ (It is not money that I want). The verb after na stays positive, and the right answer often follows with na mmom.

Many Adinkra symbols are named with short Twi phrases that compress a whole sentence: Gye Nyame (Except God), Sankofa (go back and take it, from san kɔ fa), Obi nka obi (Nobody should bite another). Read each name with the grammar you already know.

Chiefs, God and respected people are honoured with poetic praise names, such as Ɔdomankoma, a praise name of God as Creator, and every day name has one too: Kwame is hailed as Kwame Atoapem. Appellations fill formal speeches, drumming and songs.

Many proverbs set two clauses side by side so each half answers the other: Sɛ wo werɛ fi na wosan kɔfa a, yenkyi (If you forget and go back for it, it is not taboo). Praise poetry uses the same balanced, repeated phrasing.

Sermons, hymns and the Twi Bible use a formal style with words such as Awurade (Lord), Onyankopɔn asɛm (the word of God) and the story opener Na ɛbaa sɛ (And it came to pass). Much church language follows the Akuapem Bible, so Akuapem forms are normal there.

At ceremonies an elder pours drink and speaks in a fixed, formal style. He calls on each spirit in order and offers the drink: Onyankopɔn Kwame, gye nsa nom (God, receive this drink), Asaase Yaa, gye nsa nom (Earth, receive this drink), Nananom nsamanfoɔ, monnye nsa nom (Ancestors, receive this drink). Then he asks for life, peace and protection.

Twi has several names for God. Everyday speech uses Nyame or Onyame: Onyame nhyira wo (God bless you), Gye Nyame (Except God), Sɛ Onyame pɛ a (God willing). Onyankopɔn is the usual name in the Bible and prayer, and Ɔdomankoma praises God as the Creator.

Ntam Kɛseɛ (the Great Oath) is the most solemn oath of the Asante, sworn in the name of the Asantehene to make a legal claim binding. You swear it with ka ntam: Meka Ntam Kɛseɛ (I swear the Great Oath). Swearing it lightly is forbidden.

Proverbs keep older, compressed forms: they often drop articles and prefixes and use old words such as tikoro (one head, from eti koro), as in Tikoro nkɔ agyina (One head does not go into council). Quote each proverb exactly as it is.

Texts from before the 1978 Akan Unified Orthography follow separate Asante, Akuapem and Fante spelling traditions. They may mark vowels with dots, lines or a tilde instead of ɛ and ɔ, and English-style spellings such as Ashanti (Asante) and Kumasi (Kumase) live on in maps and names. Match the old form to the modern one, and use modern spelling yourself.

A formal speech first greets the audience in order of rank, the chief or most senior person first: Nana, mpanimfoɔ, anuanom, mema mo akye (Nana, elders, brothers and sisters, good morning). The speaker also asks leave to speak: Nana, mesrɛ wo, ma me kwan (Nana, I beg you, give me leave).

Royal titles come before the ruler's name: Otumfoɔ (the powerful one, often written Otumfuo) for the Asantehene, as in Otumfoɔ Osei Tutu II, and Nana for chiefs, queen mothers and elders. Speak to a chief as Nana.

Twi radio and TV news use formal words for public life, such as kasɛbɔ (news), aban (government), Ɔmanpanin (president) and mmarahyɛbadwa (parliament). News Twi reports fresh events with the perfect, quotes officials with sɛ (that), builds long noun phrases and borrows English terms for new ideas.

Fante, spoken along Ghana's central coast, has the same grammar as Twi with different sounds and some different words: Me dzin dze Kwesi (Twi Me din de Kwasi, My name is Kwasi), nyew (yes), hɛn (our).

Polite Twi avoids naming death and other hard things directly. For a chief, say Odupɔn atutu (A great tree has been uprooted) or Nana akɔ akuraa (Nana has gone to the village). For anyone else, say Wafiri mu (He has passed on). Say sɛbe (pardon me) before anything unpleasant.

The atumpan are a pair of talking drums, one lower and one higher, played by the ɔkyerɛma (drummer). They copy the tones and rhythm of fixed Twi phrases, a reminder that tone, though unwritten, carries meaning.

Proverbs often use the plain negative to say that something never happens: Obi nkyerɛ abofra Nyame (Nobody shows a child God). Changing it to a past or future turns the truth into a single event.

Akutia is criticism aimed at someone without naming them, often through a proverb, a song or a remark made within earshot. It is a recognized, skilful way of speaking, and listeners are expected to work out who is meant: Akutia nim ne wura (A veiled remark knows its owner).

Traditional Ananse stories close with a set formula: M'anansesɛm a metoeɛ yi, sɛ ɛyɛ dɛ o, sɛ ɛnyɛ dɛ o, ebi nkɔ na ebi mmra. It combines a relative clause with yi, sɛ ... o, sɛ ... o and the optative.

Damirifa due is the traditional condolence at a funeral and farewell to the dead, often cried out as Damirifa due o! It is said alongside due (sorry) and the wish Nante yie (Go well, travel safely) to the departed. For smaller troubles, say plain due.

An ɔkyeame (plural akyeame) is a chief's spokesperson and adviser. Visitors address the chief through him, and he repeats or restates the chief's words, often with proverbs: Nana se ɔma mo akwaaba (Nana says he welcomes you).

Proverbs (mmɛ) are central to respected Twi speech. A speaker breaks one (bu bɛ) to give advice or make a point indirectly: Ɔbanyansafoɔ yɛbu no bɛ, yɛnka no asɛm (A wise person is spoken to in proverbs, not plain words).