na (Object Focus)

Focus on the Object: X Na

Level 3

Nam na Ama tɔeɛ means It was meat that Ama bought. The object moves to the front, na follows it, and the verb usually ends the clause.

How It Works

1. The pattern
Compare a plain sentence with a focused one:

  • Ama tɔɔ nam. (Ama bought meat.)
  • Nam na Ama tɔeɛ. (It was meat that Ama bought.)

The object comes first, then na, then the subject and the verb. The subject keeps its normal shape: a noun subject such as Ama still has no prefix.

2. The verb often ends the clause
Because the object has moved, the verb is often the last word, so the past takes its clause-final form: tɔeɛ, not tɔɔ. See Simple Past at the End of a Clause. If another word still follows the verb, the doubled form stays: Nam na Ama tɔɔ nnɛra (It was meat that Ama bought yesterday). See Simple Past Before an Object.

3. People need a pronoun
When the focused object is a person, repeat it after the verb with an object pronoun from Object Pronouns:

  • Kofi na mehunuu no. (It was Kofi that I saw.)
  • Mmofra no na mefrɛɛ wɔn. (It was the children that I called.)

A thing usually leaves the spot empty, just as in Leaving Out It: Nsuo na mepɛ (It is water that I want).

4. Places and questions
A place after kɔ can be focused the same way: Kumase na mekɔeɛ (It was Kumasi that I went to). Object questions use this frame too: Dɛn na wopɛ? (What do you want?). See Question Words With na.

5. Subject or object?
If the focused word is the doer, see Focus on the Subject: X na. There the verb takes a prefix that points back to it.

Examples (6)

  1. Nam na Ama tɔeɛ.

    It was meat that Ama bought.

    Word by Word: meat FOCUS Ama bought

    Nam has moved to the front, so tɔeɛ ends the clause.

  2. Twi na meresua.

    It is Twi that I am learning.

    Word by Word: Twi FOCUS I-am-learning

  3. Kofi na mehunuu no.

    It was Kofi that I saw.

    Word by Word: Kofi FOCUS I-saw him

    Kofi is a person, so no (him) repeats him after the verb.

  4. Nsuo na mepɛ.

    It is water that I want.

    Word by Word: water FOCUS I-want

    Nsuo is a thing, so nothing is left after the verb.

  5. Kumase na mekɔeɛ.

    It was Kumasi that I went to.

    Word by Word: Kumasi FOCUS I-went

  6. Nam na Ama tɔɔ nnɛra.

    It was meat that Ama bought yesterday.

    Word by Word: meat FOCUS Ama bought yesterday

    Nnɛra follows the verb, so the doubled past tɔɔ is used.

Common Mistakes

  • Leaving the object in its old place as well.

    Nam na Ama tɔɔ nam.
    Nam na Ama tɔeɛ.

    Once the object moves to the front, it is not said again after the verb. The verb then ends the clause.

  • Leaving out the pronoun for a person.

    Kofi na mehunuu.
    Kofi na mehunuu no.

    A focused person must be picked up again after the verb with an object pronoun, here no (him).

How It Connects

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

na (Object Focus)Level 3Focus on the Object: X Na

Learn This First

Object focus fronts an object with na and follows the split of left-out objects.

Words in This Pattern

na