wie (Finish)

Finish: Wie

Level 3

Wie means finish: Mawie (I have finished), Mawie adwuma no (I have finished the work).

How It Works

1. Finishing a thing

  • Mawie. (I have finished.) The perfect is the usual way to say you are done.
  • Mawie adwuma no. (I have finished the work.)
  • Wie wo adwuma. (Finish your work.)

2. Finishing an activity
Put the activity first and wie last, as in a series of verbs: Ɔdii aduane no wieeɛ (He finished eating the food), Wɔyɛɛ adwuma no wieeɛ (They finished the work). In the past, each verb takes the past.

3. Things that end
Wie also means end, with no object: Adwuma no bɛwie ɔkyena (The work will end tomorrow).

4. When you finish
Inside sɛ ... a, wie means when or once you finish: Sɛ wowie a, frɛ me (When you finish, call me).

5. Not finished yet
Use nnya with the negative perfect: Mennya nwieeɛ (I have not finished yet).

Examples (6)

  1. Mawie.

    I have finished.

    Word by Word: I-have-finished

    Ma- is me + a-, the perfect.

  2. Mawie adwuma no.

    I have finished the work.

    Word by Word: I-have-finished work the

  3. Wie wo adwuma.

    Finish your work.

    Word by Word: finish your work

  4. Ɔdii aduane no wieeɛ.

    He finished eating the food.

    Word by Word: he-ate food the finished

    The activity comes first; wieeɛ is the past at the end of the clause.

  5. Adwuma no bɛwie ɔkyena.

    The work will end tomorrow.

    Word by Word: work the will-finish tomorrow

  6. Sɛ wowie a, frɛ me.

    When you finish, call me.

    Word by Word: if you-finish then, call me

Common Mistakes

  • Putting wie before the activity, as English says finish eating.

    Mewiee di aduane no.
    Medii aduane no wieeɛ.

    In Twi the activity comes first and wie closes the series: eat the food, finish.

  • Using the plain present to say you are done.

    Mewie.
    Mawie.

    Mewie is the habitual present: I finish. To say I have finished, use the perfect: mawie.

How It Connects

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

wie (Finish)Level 3Finish: Wie

Learn This First

Finish is often used in the perfect.

Words in This Pattern

wie