kɔ + Place

Going Somewhere: Kɔ

Level 1

kɔ + place, with no word for to: Kɔ fie (Go home), Ɔkɔ sukuu (She goes to school).

How It Works

The pattern

  • Ɔkɔ sukuu. (She goes to school.)
  • Merekɔ Kumase. (I am going to Kumasi.)
  • Mɛkɔ Nkran ɔkyena. (I will go to Accra tomorrow.)
  • Kofi kɔɔ dwam. (Kofi went to the market.)

Kɔ also names activities: kɔ adwuma (go to work), kɔ asɔre (go to church). In everyday talk you will also hear the plain form for going right now: Mekɔ kurom (I'm going to town).

Going to a person
A person is not a place, so add nkyɛn (beside, at someone's place): Merekɔ me maame nkyɛn (I am going to my mother's).

Into or onto
To go into or onto something, add a place noun after it: Kɔ dan no mu (Go into the room). See location nouns and mu.

Where to and where from

  • Ask where to with he: Worekɔ he? (Where are you going?)
  • Coming from uses firi: Mefiri Kumase (I am from Kumasi).

Wɔ is not to
Wɔ tells you where something happens, not where someone is heading: Opoku kɔɔ sukuu wɔ Kumase means Opoku went to school in Kumasi. The school is where he went; Kumasi is where the school is.

Ba works the same way
The verb ba (come) also takes the place directly: Bra fie (Come home).

Examples (6)

  1. Merekɔ Kumase.

    I am going to Kumasi.

    Word by Word: I-am-going Kumasi

    Re- shows the going is happening now.

  2. Ɔkɔ sukuu da biara.

    She goes to school every day.

    Word by Word: she-goes school day every

  3. Kɔ fie.

    Go home.

    Word by Word: go home

  4. Mɛkɔ Nkran ɔkyena.

    I will go to Accra tomorrow.

    Word by Word: I-will-go Accra tomorrow

  5. Opoku kɔɔ sukuu wɔ Kumase.

    Opoku went to school in Kumasi.

    Word by Word: Opoku went school at Kumasi

    Sukuu is where he went. Wɔ Kumase says where the school is.

  6. Worekɔ he?

    Where are you going?

    Word by Word: you-are-going where

Common Mistakes

  • Going to a person without nkyɛn.

    Merekɔ Ama.
    Merekɔ Ama nkyɛn.

    A person is not a place. Add nkyɛn to mean to someone's side or home: Ama nkyɛn.

  • Using wɔ as the word for to.

    Merekɔ wɔ Kumase.
    Merekɔ Kumase.

    The sentence is meant to say I am going to Kumasi. Wɔ says where something happens, not where you are heading. After kɔ, the place follows directly.

How It Connects

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

kɔ + PlaceLevel 1Going Somewhere: Kɔ

Learn This First

Kɔ plus a place is an ordinary verb phrase.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

nkyɛnnkyɛnnkyɛn