wo ho te sɛn?
How Are You? Wo Ho Te Sɛn?
Wo ho te sɛn? means How are you? The usual answer is Me ho yɛ (I am well).
How It Works
Twi asks about a person's well-being through their ho, which means body or self. Word by word, Wo ho te sɛn? is your body is how?
- wo: your. It is a possessive, written as a separate word before the noun. See possessive pronouns.
- ho: body, self.
- te: to be in a certain state.
- sɛn: how. See sɛn.
Answering. Keep the possessive and ho, and use yɛ (is good, is fine): Me ho yɛ (I am well). People often add thanks or God's grace: Me ho yɛ, medaase (I am well, thank you), Nyame adom, me ho yɛ (By God's grace, I am well). If you are not well, use the negative nyɛ: Me ho nyɛ.
Asking about other people. Only the possessive or the name in front of ho changes:
- Mo ho te sɛn? How are you all? Answer: Yɛn ho yɛ (We are well).
- Ne ho te sɛn? How is he or she? Answer: Ne ho yɛ.
- Wo maame ho te sɛn? How is your mother?
The short, casual version is Ɛte sɛn? (How is it going?), answered Ɛyɛ (It is fine). Friends also use it as a quick hello.
Greetings matter a lot in Akan culture. A time-of-day greeting such as maakye usually comes first, and Wo ho te sɛn? follows. To turn the question back, say Wo nso, wo ho te sɛn? (And you, how are you?).
The same ho appears in many other expressions, including reflexives such as Hwɛ wo ho so (Take care of yourself).
Examples (6)
- Wo ho te sɛn? — Me ho yɛ, medaase.
How are you? — I am well, thank you.
Word by Word: Your body is how? — My body is-fine, I-thank.
The answer repeats the possessive and ho, then uses yɛ (is fine).
- Ɛte sɛn? — Ɛyɛ.
How is it going? — It's fine.
Word by Word: It-is how? — It-is-fine.
The short, casual form. Ɛ- is the prefix for it.
- Mo ho te sɛn? — Yɛn ho yɛ.
How are you all? — We are well.
Word by Word: Your(pl) body is how? — Our body is-fine.
Mo (your, plural) asks a group, and yɛn (our) answers for the group.
- Wo maame ho te sɛn? — Ne ho yɛ.
How is your mother? — She is well.
Word by Word: Your mother body is how? — Her body is-fine.
To ask about someone else, put that person before ho.
- Nyame adom, me ho yɛ.
By God's grace, I am well.
Word by Word: God grace, my body is-fine.
A very common, warm way to answer.
- Me ho yɛ. Wo nso, wo ho te sɛn?
I am well. And you, how are you?
Word by Word: My body is-fine. You also, your body is how?
Wo nso (you too) turns the question back to the other person.
Common Mistakes
Leaving out ho.
Wo te sɛn?Wo ho te sɛn?The question is about your ho (body, self). Without ho, wo te reads as wote (you live), so it no longer asks how you are.
Answering with Meyɛ.
Meyɛ.Me ho yɛ.Meyɛ means I do or I am and needs something after it. The well-being belongs to your ho, so say me ho yɛ, with me (my) as a separate word.
How It Connects
Related Patterns
- sɛn (How)How: Sɛn
Sɛn is the question word inside the greeting.
Level 1 - maakye / maaha / maadwoGreetings: Maakye, Maaha, Maadwo
The time-of-day greetings that usually come before Wo ho te sɛn?
Level 1 - My, Your, His and Her
Swap me, wo, ne, yɛn, mo or wɔn to ask or answer for anyone.
Level 1 - Possessive + hoMyself, Yourself: Possessive + Ho
The same ho (body, self) forms myself, yourself and herself.
Level 3 - yɛ (Be)To Be: Yɛ
Yɛ in Me ho yɛ says what something is like.
Level 1 - meda wo aseThank You: Meda Wo Ase
Me ho yɛ, medaase adds thank you to the answer.
Level 1
Words in This Pattern
Practice wo ho te sɛn? in Bubblegum
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