ma (Give)
Give: Ma
Ma + receiver + thing: Ma me nsuo means Give me water. The receiver always comes first.
How It Works
1. The fixed order
ma + receiver + thing.
- Ma me nsuo. (Give me water.)
- Ɔmaa me sika. (He gave me money.)
- Ma me bi. (Give me some.)
2. Its forms
Ma takes the usual verb forms: past maa before an object, future bɛma (mɛma with me), perfect ama (wama, he has given), and negative mma: Wamma me hwee (He did not give me anything). See Simple Past Before an Object and Did Not: a- + N-.
3. A specific thing
When the thing given is definite, such as the book or the money, speakers take it first with de and end with ma: Ɔde nwoma no maa Ama (She gave the book to Ama). In a command, fa takes the place of de: Fa nwoma no ma Ama (Give the book to Ama). See Give To: de ... ma.
4. Other jobs of ma
After another verb, ma means for someone: Tɔ aduane ma me (Buy food for me), see Doing Something For Someone: ma. Ma also means let, as in Let Me, Let Us: ma, and make, as in Make Someone Do: ma.
Examples (5)
- Ma me nsuo.
Give me water.
Word by Word: give me water
- Ɔmaa me sika.
He gave me money.
Word by Word: he.gave me money
- Ama maa ne maame aduane.
Ama gave her mother food.
Word by Word: Ama gave her mother food
The receiver, ne maame, comes before the thing, aduane.
- Mɛma wo bi.
I will give you some.
Word by Word: I.will.give you some
- Wamma me hwee.
He did not give me anything.
Word by Word: he.did.not.give me nothing
Wamma is the negative past: ɔ + a- + the negative nasal + ma.
Common Mistakes
Putting the thing before the receiver, like English give water to me.
Ma nsuo me.Ma me nsuo.With ma the receiver always comes first and the thing second. Twi has no word like to for moving the receiver to the end.
Using plain ma with a specific thing.
Ma Ama nwoma no.Fa nwoma no ma Ama.Ma works with a general thing, such as a book or some water. For a particular thing, such as the book, use de ... ma. In a command, fa takes the place of de.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Ma puts the receiver right after the verb.
Related Patterns
- de ... maGive to: De ... Ma
De ... ma hands over a specific thing.
Level 3 - Verb + ma (For)Doing Something for Someone: Ma
After another verb, ma means for someone.
Level 2 - ma + OptativeLet Me, Let Us: Ma
Ma also means let, as in let me go.
Level 2 - ma (Make, Cause)Make Someone Do: Ma
Ma can also mean make someone do something.
Level 4 - Simple Past Before an Object
Explains the past form maa.
Level 1
Words in This Pattern
Practice ma (Give) in Bubblegum
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