na (Subject Focus)

Focus on the Subject: X Na

Level 3

Kofi na ɔbaeɛ means It was Kofi who came. The subject goes first, na follows it, and the verb keeps its subject prefix.

How It Works

1. The pattern
Focused subject + na + the rest of the sentence. It answers the question who? or which one? and means it was X who ... or X is the one who ....

  • Kofi na ɔbaeɛ. (It was Kofi who came.)
  • Ama na ɔbɛba. (Ama is the one who will come.)

Questions use the same frame: Hwan na ɔbaeɛ? (Who came?) See Question Words With na.

2. The prefix comes back
In a plain sentence a noun subject has no prefix: Kofi baeɛ (Kofi came). See Noun Subjects Take No Prefix. After na, the verb needs a prefix again, and it matches the focused word:

  • Me na mekaeɛ (I am the one who said it)
  • Wo na wokaeɛ (you are the one who said it)
  • Ɔno na ɔkaeɛ (he or she is the one who said it)
  • Yɛn na yɛkaeɛ (we are the ones who said it)
  • Mo na mokaeɛ (you all are the ones who said it)
  • Wɔn na wɔkaeɛ (they are the ones who said it)

A pronoun is focused in its full form, as in Independent Pronouns.

3. Things take ɛ-
When the focused subject is a thing, the verb takes ɛ-: Sika na ɛhia me (It is money that I need).

4. The verb often ends the clause
When nothing follows the verb, the past uses its clause-final form: ɔbaeɛ, ɔkaeɛ. See Simple Past at the End of a Clause. When an object follows, the past is doubled as usual: Ama na ɔtɔɔ nam no (It was Ama who bought the meat).

5. Ɛyɛ in front, and the negative
You can start with ɛyɛ (it is) for extra weight: Ɛyɛ Kofi na ɔbaeɛ. To say it was not Kofi, the negative ɛnyɛ is required: Ɛnyɛ Kofi na ɔbaeɛ. See It Is Not ... Who: ɛnyɛ ... na.

6. Keep apart
This na is the focus word. It is not And Then: na or Past States With na. To set up a topic without singling it out, use As For: deɛ. The object can be focused too: see Focus on the Object: X na.

Examples (6)

  1. Kofi na ɔbaeɛ.

    It was Kofi who came.

    Word by Word: Kofi FOCUS he-came

    The prefix ɔ- comes back after na, and baeɛ is the past at the end of a clause.

  2. Me na mekaeɛ.

    I am the one who said it.

    Word by Word: I FOCUS I-said

    The full pronoun me comes first; the verb still starts with me-.

  3. Ama na ɔbɛba.

    Ama is the one who will come.

    Word by Word: Ama FOCUS she-will-come

  4. Mmofra no na wɔresu.

    It is the children who are crying.

    Word by Word: children the FOCUS they-are-crying

    Several people take wɔ-.

  5. Sika na ɛhia me.

    It is money that I need.

    Word by Word: money FOCUS it-is-needed-by me

    Sika is a thing, so the verb takes ɛ-. With a thing as its subject, hia means be needed by, so ɛhia me means I need it. Mehia sika (I need money) says the same thing the other way round.

  6. Yɛn na yɛbɛdi nkonim.

    We are the ones who will win.

    Word by Word: we FOCUS we-will-eat victory

    Di nkonim (eat victory) means win.

Common Mistakes

  • Leaving out the subject prefix after na.

    Kofi na baeɛ.
    Kofi na ɔbaeɛ.

    After na the verb needs a prefix that points back to the focused subject. A person takes ɔ-.

  • Using a prefix that does not match the focused word.

    Mmofra no na ɔresu.
    Mmofra no na wɔresu.

    Mmofra (children) is plural, so the prefix is wɔ-, not ɔ- (one person).

How It Connects

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

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

Learn This First

Subject focus uses the fronting na.

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Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

na