Church and Bible Language

Level 6

In church you hear Awurade (Lord), Onyankopɔn asɛm (the word of God), and Bible stories that open with Na ɛbaa sɛ (And it came to pass).

How It Works

1. Church words

  • Awurade: Lord
  • Onyankopɔn: God
  • Honhom Kronkron: the Holy Spirit
  • Onyankopɔn asɛm: the word of God
  • asɔre: church, a church service
  • mpaebɔ: prayer, praying
  • nhyira: blessing

2. Bible storytelling
Bible stories often open with Na ɛbaa sɛ (And it came to pass that) and keep going with na: Na ɛbaa sɛ nsɛm yi akyi bɛyɛ nnawɔtwe no, ɔfaa Petro ne Yohane ne Yakobo, na ɔne wɔn kɔɔ bepɔ so mpaebɔ (Luke 9:28). People rarely begin everyday stories this way.

3. The language of prayer
Prayers use the optative for wishes, as the Lord's Prayer does: Yɛn Agya a wowɔ soro, wo din ho nte. W'ahennie mmra. (Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come.) Blessings work the same way: Awurade nhyira wo (May the Lord bless you).

4. Akuapem in church
The first full Twi Bible, printed in 1870 and 1871, was in Akuapem, and Akuapem has long served as the formal variety of church. Many churches still read the Akuapem Bible, so you hear forms like mfiase (beginning) where the Asante Bible writes mfitiaseɛ. Genesis 1:1 in the Akuapem Bible is Mfiase no Onyankopɔn bɔɔ ɔsoro ne asaase. The grammar is the same. See Akuapem Forms in Print.

5. Names from the Bible
Bible names are adapted to Twi sounds: Petro (Peter), Yohane (John), Yakobo (James), Yesu (Jesus).

Examples (5)

  1. Awurade ne me hwɛfoɔ, hwee renhia me.

    The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

    Word by Word: Lord is my shepherd, nothing will-not-need me

    Psalm 23:1 in the Asante Bible.

  2. Yɛn Agya a wowɔ soro, wo din ho nte.

    Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.

    Word by Word: our Father who you-are-at heaven, your name body let-be-clean

    Matthew 6:9. Nte is the optative: may it be holy.

  3. W'ahennie mmra.

    Your kingdom come.

    Word by Word: your kingdom let-come

    Matthew 6:10. Mmra is the optative of come.

  4. Na ɛbaa sɛ nsɛm yi akyi bɛyɛ nnawɔtwe no, ɔfaa Petro ne Yohane ne Yakobo, na ɔne wɔn kɔɔ bepɔ so mpaebɔ.

    About a week after these sayings, he took Peter, John and James and went up a mountain to pray.

    Luke 9:28, opening with Na ɛbaa sɛ.

  5. Mfiase no Onyankopɔn bɔɔ ɔsoro ne asaase.

    In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

    Genesis 1:1 in the Akuapem Bible; the Asante Bible begins Mfitiaseɛ no.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the plain command in a prayer wish.

    W'ahennie bra.
    W'ahennie mmra.

    Bra is a command to the person you speak to. The prayer wishes that the kingdom would come, so it needs the optative: mmra.

How It Connects

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

Church and Bible LanguageLevel 6

Learn This First

Church language builds on the names for God, printed Akuapem and the optative for wishes.

Words in This Pattern

AwuradeOnyankopɔnasɛm