wɔ (At, In)

At, In: Wɔ

Level 2

Ɔyɛ adwuma wɔ Nkran means She works in Accra. Wɔ + place tells you where the action happens.

How It Works

1. The pattern
Subject + verb + object + wɔ + place.

  • Mehunuu no wɔ dwam. (I saw her at the market.)
  • Ɔyɛ adwuma wɔ Nkran. (She works in Accra.)
  • Yɛhyiaa wɔ Kumase. (We met in Kumasi.)

2. In, on, under
For a more exact position, add a location noun after the place: wɔ dan no mu (in the room), wɔ pon no so (on the table), wɔ dua no ase (under the tree).

3. Not for destinations
Wɔ tells where something happens, not where someone is going. Kɔ (go) takes its destination directly: Merekɔ Kumase (I am going to Kumasi). Compare Opoku kɔɔ sukuu wɔ Kumase (Opoku went to school in Kumasi). Te (live) also takes its place directly: Mete Kumase (I live in Kumasi).

4. Wɔ stays the same
In this use, wɔ does not change for tense or negation. The main verb carries them: Menyɛ adwuma wɔ ha (I do not work here). Only the verb wɔ (be at) has the special negative nni.

5. Where is it?
To ask where something happens, use he: Woyɛ adwuma wɔ he? (Where do you work?)

Examples (6)

  1. Mehunuu no wɔ dwam.

    I saw her at the market.

    Word by Word: I-saw her at market

  2. Ɔyɛ adwuma wɔ Nkran.

    She works in Accra.

    Word by Word: she-does work at Accra

  3. Yɛhyiaa wɔ Kumase.

    We met in Kumasi.

    Word by Word: we-met at Kumasi

  4. Mmofra no di agorɔ wɔ abɔnten.

    The children play outside.

    Word by Word: children the eat game at street

    Abɔnten is the open area outside the house.

  5. Woyɛ adwuma wɔ he?

    Where do you work?

    Word by Word: you-do work at where

  6. Menyɛ adwuma wɔ ha.

    I do not work here.

    Word by Word: I-not-do work at here

    The negative is on yɛ; wɔ does not change.

Common Mistakes

  • Using wɔ for a destination, as in English go to.

    Merekɔ wɔ Kumase.
    Merekɔ Kumase.

    Kɔ takes the place straight after it. Wɔ tells where something happens, not where you are going.

  • Putting the wɔ phrase before the object.

    Mehunuu wɔ dwam no.
    Mehunuu no wɔ dwam.

    The object comes right after the verb. The place phrase follows it.

How It Connects

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

wɔ (At, In)Level 2At, In: Wɔ

Learn This First

Wɔ as at or in is a serial use of wɔ.

Words in This Pattern