mesrɛ wo
I Beg You: Mesrɛ Wo
Mesrɛ wo, boa me means I beg you, help me. It is a warm, pleading please.
How It Works
1. Making a plea
Put mesrɛ wo before or after the request:
- Mesrɛ wo, boa me. (I beg you, help me.)
- Mesrɛ wo, fa kyɛ me. (Please forgive me, I beg you.)
2. One person or several
Say mesrɛ wo to one person and mesrɛ mo to several: Mesrɛ mo, montie (I beg you all, listen). For an even stronger plea, add paa: mesrɛ wo paa.
3. Mesrɛ wo or mepa wo kyɛw?
Both can mean please. Mepa wo kyɛw is the everyday polite word for requests and for excuse me. Mesrɛ wo sounds more pleading, so it suits serious favors, apologies and prayers. In the market, a buyer whose offer was turned down may say Mesrɛ wo as a last plea. Many speakers also use it as a friendly please: Mesrɛ wo, tɔ me so (Please add a little extra for me).
4. Srɛ as a verb
Srɛ works like any verb: Ɔsrɛɛ me sɛ memmoa no (She begged me to help her). The request after sɛ uses the optative. See reported requests with sɛ.
Examples (5)
- Mesrɛ wo, boa me.
I beg you, help me.
Word by Word: I-beg you, help me
- Mesrɛ wo, fa kyɛ me.
Please forgive me, I beg you.
Used for a sincere apology.
- Mesrɛ mo, montie.
I beg you all, listen.
Word by Word: I-beg you(pl), you(pl)-listen
Mo is for several people, and the command montie is plural too.
- Mesrɛ wo, tɔ me so.
Please add a little extra for me.
Word by Word: I-beg you, add me on
A market request for a small free extra.
- Ɔsrɛɛ me sɛ memmoa no.
She begged me to help her.
Word by Word: she-begged me that I-should-help her
Srɛ as an ordinary verb in the past, with the request in the optative.
Common Mistakes
Keeping wo when speaking to several people.
Anuanom, mesrɛ wo, montie.Anuanom, mesrɛ mo, montie.The last word is the person you are begging. To several people it is mo, to match the plural command montie.
Using the past form for a plea made now.
Mesrɛɛ wo, boa me. (meaning I beg you, help me)Mesrɛ wo, boa me.Srɛɛ is the past, so Mesrɛɛ wo means I begged you. A plea you make now uses the plain form srɛ.
How It Connects
Learn This First
I beg you strengthens please.
Related Patterns
- meda wo aseThank You: Meda Wo Ase
Built the same way, with the person inside the phrase: meda wo ase, meda mo ase.
Level 1 - sɛ + Optative (Reported Command)Telling Someone to Do Something
Ɔsrɛɛ me sɛ memmoa no reports a plea with sɛ and the optative.
Level 4 - mo- + N- (Group Command)Commands to a Group
After mesrɛ mo, the command is plural too: montie.
Level 2 - paaVery, Really: Paa
Mesrɛ wo paa makes the plea even stronger.
Level 2
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice mesrɛ wo in Bubblegum
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