Days of the Week

Level 1

Each Twi day name ends in -da (day). Use the day on its own, with no word for on: Mɛba Fiada (I will come on Friday).

How It Works

The days of the week, starting with Sunday:

  • Kwasiada (Sunday)
  • Dwoada (Monday)
  • Benada (Tuesday)
  • Wukuada (Wednesday)
  • Yawoada (Thursday)
  • Fiada (Friday)
  • Memeneda (Saturday)

Every name ends in -da, day. You will often see some of them written with a vowel in front, such as Ɛdwoada, Ɛbenada and Efiada. These are the same words.

No word for on. A day works like the other time words. It goes at the end or the start of the sentence, on its own: Mɛba Fiada. (I will come on Friday.) For every Friday, add biara: Fiada biara. For a range, use firi ... kɔsi: firi Dwoada kɔsi Fiada (from Monday to Friday).

Asking the day. Ɛnnɛ yɛ da bɛn? (What day is today?) Answer with Ɛnnɛ yɛ and the day: Ɛnnɛ yɛ Benada. (Today is Tuesday.) See bɛn.

Day names for people. Akan children get a name from the day they were born. Each day has a name for boys and one for girls:

  • Sunday: Kwasi (Akwasi), Akosua
  • Monday: Kwadwo, Adwoa
  • Tuesday: Kwabena, Abena
  • Wednesday: Kwaku, Akua
  • Thursday: Yaw, Yaa
  • Friday: Kofi, Afua (also Afia)
  • Saturday: Kwame, Ama

So if you meet a Yaw, he was born on a Thursday. To ask someone, say Wɔwoo wo da bɛn? (What day were you born?). See impersonal wɔ-.

Examples (6)

  1. Mɛba Fiada.

    I will come on Friday.

    Word by Word: I-will-come Friday.

    The day needs no word for on.

  2. Ɛnnɛ yɛ da bɛn?

    What day is today?

    Word by Word: Today is day which?

  3. Ɛnnɛ yɛ Benada.

    Today is Tuesday.

    Word by Word: Today is Tuesday.

  4. Yɛkɔ asɔre Kwasiada biara.

    We go to church every Sunday.

    Word by Word: We-go church Sunday every.

    Biara after the day means every.

  5. Meyɛ adwuma firi Dwoada kɔsi Fiada.

    I work from Monday to Friday.

    Word by Word: I-do work from Monday reach Friday.

  6. Wɔwoo me Memeneda, enti me din de Ama.

    I was born on a Saturday, so my name is Ama.

    Word by Word: They-bore me Saturday, so my name is Ama.

    Ama is the name for a girl born on a Saturday.

Common Mistakes

  • Translating on with so.

    Mɛba Fiada so.
    Mɛba Fiada.

    So means on top of something, like a table. A day needs no extra word.

Words in This Pattern

KwasiadaDwoadabenadaWukuadayawoadafiadamemenedadwoaddaDwowdaWukudaYawdaFidamemenada