Feelings Through the Body

Level 3

Name whose body part, then the verb in the perfect a-: M'ani agye (I am happy), Ne bo afu (She is angry), Me werɛ aho (I am sad).

How It Works

1. The pattern
possessive + body part + perfect verb. The possessive shows who feels it: me (my), wo (your), ne (his, her), yɛn (our), mo (your, plural), wɔn (their). Before a vowel they shorten to m', w', n': m'ani, w'ani, n'ani (see Short Possessives Before Vowels).

2. Common feelings

  • M'ani agye. I am happy. (ani eye + gye receive)
  • Me bo afu. I am angry. (bo chest)
  • Me werɛ aho. I am sad. (werɛ mind; some writers spell it ahow)
  • M'ani awu. I am ashamed. (ani eye + wu die)
  • M'ani aha. I am bored.
  • Me ho adwiri me. I am astonished. (ho body, self)

3. Why the perfect?
The perfect a- describes a state that has come about and holds now, just as Mabrɛ means I am tired (see The Perfect for Present States). The plain form describes a habit: Me bo fu ntɛm (I get angry quickly).

4. Asking and saying no
Ask with the same words and a question voice: W'ani agye? (Are you happy?). The negative uses the negative perfect with its -e ending (see Has Not: Negative Perfect): M'ani nnyeeɛ (I am not happy), Me bo mfuiɛ (I am not angry), Me werɛ nhoeɛ (I am not sad).

5. Saying what caused it
Add a sɛ-clause for the reason: Yɛn ani agye sɛ woaba (We are glad that you have come). To say something makes you feel this way, use ma: Ɛma m'ani gye (It makes me happy).

6. Other ways feelings are said
Not every feeling uses a body part. Hunger and thirst hold the person (see Hunger and Thirst: ɛkɔm de me), and some feelings are plain verbs: Mesuro (I am afraid), Medɔ wo (I love you).

Examples (6)

  1. M'ani agye paa.

    I am really happy.

    Word by Word: my eye has received very

    M' is me shortened before the vowel of ani. Paa strengthens the feeling.

  2. Ne bo afu.

    She is angry.

    Ne means his or her, so the sentence can mean he or she, depending on context.

  3. Me werɛ aho.

    I am sad.

    Werɛ is the mind, the same word as in werɛ fi (forget). Some writers spell the verb form ahow.

  4. Yɛn ani agye sɛ woaba.

    We are glad that you have come.

    Word by Word: our eye has received that you have come

    Yɛn ani keeps ani singular even for a group. The sɛ-clause gives the reason.

  5. M'ani nnyeeɛ.

    I am not happy.

    The negative perfect: a nasal before the verb and the -e ending at the end of the clause.

  6. Me ho adwiri me.

    I am astonished.

    Here the body part is the subject and me is repeated as the object.

Common Mistakes

  • Putting the subject prefix on the verb instead of naming the body part.

    Mabo afu.
    Me bo afu.

    The one who feels is shown by the possessive before the body part: me bo (my chest). The verb afu has the body part as its subject, so no me- or ma- goes on it.

  • Using the plain form for a feeling you have right now.

    Seesei me bo fu.
    Seesei me bo afu.

    The plain form describes a habit, as in Me bo fu ntɛm (I get angry quickly). A present feeling uses the perfect a-.

How It Connects

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

Feelings Through the BodyLevel 3

Learn This First

Body-part feelings use the perfect for states.

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Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

anigyebo fubogye ani