firi (Come From)

Coming from: Firi

Level 1

To say where you are from, use firi (come from) with the place right after it: Mefiri Ghana (I am from Ghana).

How It Works

Firi means come from. Put the place straight after it. Twi needs no extra word for from.

  • Mefiri Ghana. (I am from Ghana.)
  • Wofiri he? (Where are you from?) See he.
  • Kofi firi Kumase. (Kofi is from Kumasi.) A name as the subject takes no prefix.

From or living there? Firi gives where you come from. For the place you live now, use te: Mefiri Kumase, nanso mete Nkran. (I am from Kumasi, but I live in Accra.) You can also name yourself by where you are from: Meyɛ Ghanani (I am a Ghanaian). See -ni and -foɔ.

The negative. The negative nasal is written m before f: Memfiri Ghana. (I am not from Ghana.) See the negative prefix.

Leaving and coming from. Firi also means leave or come away from a place. Add reba (is coming) to say you are on your way from somewhere: Mefiri sukuu reba. (I am coming from school.) In the past, firi becomes firii before the next word: Ɔfirii fie anɔpa. (She left home in the morning.)

From ... to. Firi pairs with kɔsi for a range: firi Dwoada kɔsi Fiada (from Monday to Friday).

Akuapem spelling. Akuapem Twi and many books write fi: Mefi Ghana. It is the same word. The word for because, ɛfiri sɛ, is built from it.

Examples (6)

  1. Mefiri Ghana.

    I am from Ghana.

    Word by Word: I-come.from Ghana.

    The place follows firi directly, with no word for from.

  2. Wofiri he?

    Where are you from?

    Word by Word: You-come.from where?

    He (where) takes the place of the answer, right after the verb.

  3. Mefiri Kumase, nanso mete Nkran.

    I am from Kumasi, but I live in Accra.

    Word by Word: I-come.from Kumasi, but I-live Accra.

    Firi gives where you come from, and te gives where you live now.

  4. Memfiri Ghana, mefiri Togo.

    I am not from Ghana. I am from Togo.

    Word by Word: I-not-come.from Ghana, I-come.from Togo.

    The negative nasal is written m before f.

  5. Mefiri sukuu reba.

    I am coming from school.

    Word by Word: I-come.from school is-coming.

    Firi with reba (is coming) says you are on your way from a place.

  6. Ɔfirii fie anɔpa.

    She left home in the morning.

    Word by Word: She-left home morning.

    In the past, firi becomes firii before the next word.

Common Mistakes

  • Using yɛ (be) to give your country.

    Meyɛ Ghana.
    Mefiri Ghana.

    Meyɛ Ghana says I am Ghana. Use firi for where you come from, or say Meyɛ Ghanani (I am a Ghanaian).

  • Writing n before f in the negative.

    Menfiri Ghana.
    Memfiri Ghana.

    The negative nasal is written m before b, f, m and p, so the negative of mefiri is memfiri.

How It Connects

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

firi (Come From)Level 1Coming from: Firi

Learn This First

Firi follows the same pattern as kɔ plus a place.

Words in This Pattern

firi