sen (Than)

Comparisons with Sen

Level 2

Kofi ware sen Kwame means Kofi is taller than Kwame, literally Kofi is tall, surpassing Kwame.

How It Works

1. The pattern
Subject + quality + sen + compared thing.

  • Kofi ware sen Kwame. (Kofi is taller than Kwame.)
  • Eyi yɛ fɛ sen ɛno. (This one is nicer than that one.)

2. Any verb can compare
The first part can be a quality verb, a yɛ + describing word phrase, or an ordinary verb: Ama nim Twi sen me (Ama knows Twi better than I do). Mepɛ tii sen kɔfe (I like tea more than coffee).

3. Kyɛn
Many speakers use kyɛn the same way: Woanyini kyɛn me (You are older than me).

4. The most
Comparing with everyone or everything gives the superlative: see The Most: sen biara.

Examples (5)

  1. Kofi ware sen Kwame.

    Kofi is taller than Kwame.

    Word by Word: Kofi is.tall surpass Kwame

  2. Eyi yɛ fɛ sen ɛno.

    This one is nicer than that one.

    Word by Word: this is nice surpass that

  3. Ama nim Twi sen me.

    Ama knows Twi better than I do.

    Word by Word: Ama knows Twi surpass me

    After sen, the pronoun takes its object form: me.

  4. Mepɛ tii sen kɔfe.

    I like tea more than coffee.

    Word by Word: I.like tea surpass coffee

  5. Woanyini kyɛn me.

    You are older than me.

    Word by Word: you.have.grown surpass me

    Kyɛn is a common alternative to sen.

Common Mistakes

  • Putting sen before the quality.

    Kofi sen ware Kwame.
    Kofi ware sen Kwame.

    State the quality first, then sen and the thing compared: ware sen Kwame.

  • Leaving out sen, as if the quality alone compared two people.

    Kofi ware Kwame.
    Kofi ware sen Kwame.

    Sen is what makes the comparison. Without it the sentence no longer compares: ware with a person after it means marry, so Kofi ware Kwame says Kofi marries Kwame.

How It Connects

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

sen (Than)Level 2Comparisons with Sen

Learn This First

Comparisons follow a quality.

Words in This Pattern

sen