Commands

Level 1

Bare verb = command: Kɔ! (Go!), Hwɛ! (Look!), Tena ase (Sit down). Come! is Bra!

How It Works

Everyday commands

  • Kɔ! (Go!)
  • Hwɛ! (Look!)
  • Tie! (Listen!)
  • Gyae! (Stop!)
  • Twɛn me. (Wait for me.)
  • Tena ase. (Sit down.)
  • Didi. (Eat.)

Bra: come!
The verb ba (come) has its own command form: Bra! (Come!), Bra ha (Come here). The negative, Don't come!, is Mma!.

Making it polite
Add mepa wo kyɛw (please) at the start or the end: Mepa wo kyɛw, ma me nsuo (Please give me water). A final o adds warmth: Bra ntɛm o (Do come quickly). See sentence-final o.

Other kinds of commands

A common send-off is Kɔ na bra (Go and come back), wishing someone a safe return.

Examples (6)

  1. Bra ntɛm!

    Come quickly!

    Word by Word: come quickly

    Bra is the command form of ba (come).

  2. Tena ase.

    Sit down.

    Word by Word: sit under

  3. Ma me nsuo.

    Give me water.

    Word by Word: give me water

    The person comes first, then the thing, just as in a statement.

  4. Twɛn me.

    Wait for me.

    Word by Word: wait me

  5. Tie me.

    Listen to me.

    Word by Word: listen me

  6. Gyae!

    Stop!

    Word by Word: stop

Common Mistakes

  • Adding the you prefix wo- to a command.

    Wokɔ fie!
    Kɔ fie!

    The sentence is meant to be the command Go home! Wokɔ fie is a statement, you go home. A command uses the bare verb.

  • Using ba for Come!

    Ba ha!
    Bra ha!

    Ba (come) has its own command form, bra.

How It Connects

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CommandsLevel 1

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Words in This Pattern

bra