rebɛ- (About To)

About to: Rebɛ-

Level 2

Put rebɛ- before a verb to say something is about to happen: Merebɛkɔ (I am about to go), Nsuo rebɛtɔ (It is about to rain).

How It Works

How it is built. Subject prefix + re- + bɛ- + verb: merebɛkɔ (I am about to go), worebɛkɔ (you are about to go), ɔrebɛkɔ (he or she is about to go), yɛrebɛkɔ (we are about to go), wɔrebɛkɔ (they are about to go). A noun subject takes no prefix: Ɔhene no rebɛkasa (The chief is about to speak). Unlike the plain future, me- does not shorten to mɛ- here.

Rebɛ- or bɛ-? The plain bɛ- future places an event at some later time: Ɔbɛba (He will come). Rebɛ- says it is already close or already moving: Ɔrebɛba (He is about to come, he is on his way). Grammars call this the immediate future.

Another reading. Bɛ- can also mean come and (see Go and, Come and: kɔ- and bɛ-), so the same spelling can mean is coming to: Ɔrebɛfa n'ade can mean he is about to take his things or he is coming to take his things. Context tells you which.

The negative. Rebɛ- has no negative of its own. Use the negative future, re- with the nasal: Merenkɔ (I am not going to go, I will not go).

Listening tip. In fast Asante speech re- often sounds like a copy of the vowel before it, so merebɛkɔ can sound like meebɛkɔ. Always write re-.

Examples (6)

  1. Merebɛkɔ.

    I am about to go.

    me- + re- + bɛ- + kɔ (go).

  2. Nsuo rebɛtɔ.

    It is about to rain.

    Word by Word: Water is about to fall.

    Rain is said as water falling; the rain is almost here.

  3. Ɔhene no rebɛkasa.

    The chief is about to speak.

    A noun subject takes no prefix.

  4. Kaa no rebɛkɔ.

    The car is about to leave.

    Things work the same way as people with rebɛ-.

  5. Wɔrebɛsiesie dan no mu.

    They are about to tidy the room.

    wɔ- (they) + re- + bɛ- + siesie (tidy).

  6. Ɔrebɛba.

    He is on his way.

    Rebɛ- with ba (come): he is about to arrive.

Common Mistakes

  • Putting bɛ- before re-.

    Mebɛrekɔ.
    Merebɛkɔ.

    The order is always re- first, then bɛ-, then the verb.

  • Keeping bɛ- in the negative.

    Merebɛnkɔ.
    Merenkɔ.

    The negative drops bɛ-. Use re- with the negative nasal: Merenkɔ means I am not going to go.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

rebɛ- (About To)Level 2About to: Rebɛ-

Learn This First

About-to combines re- and bɛ-.

Words in This Pattern

re-bɛ-