Leaving Out It

Level 2

Where English says it after a verb, Twi usually says nothing: Metɔeɛ (I bought it). For a person you must say no (him, her): Mehunuu no (I saw him).

How It Works

Things are left out. Once a thing has been mentioned, Twi does not repeat it as an object at the end of the clause: Wopɛ paanoo no anaa? Aane, mepɛ. (Do you like the bread? Yes, I like it.) The listener knows what is meant. The same goes for commands: Fa bra (Bring it).

People stay. A person is not left out. Use the object pronoun no (him, her): Mehunuu no (I saw him or her), Mefrɛɛ no (I called her). Without no, the sentence is about a thing: Mahunu means I have seen it.

The past form changes. With the object gone, nothing follows the verb, so the past takes its clause-final form: Metɔɔ paanoo (I bought bread) but Metɔeɛ (I bought it). Maame noaa adua na n'adamfo diiɛ means Maame cooked beans and her friend ate them.

When a word follows. If another word, such as a time word, comes after the verb, no can stand for a thing too: Mɛtɔ no ɔkyena (I will buy it tomorrow). At the very end of a clause, no normally means a person.

Subjects are different. A thing as a subject is not left out; it takes ɛ-: Ɛyɛ dɛ (It is nice).

Examples (6)

  1. Metɔeɛ.

    I bought it.

    The thing is understood, so it is left out, and the past ends in -eɛ.

  2. Mehunuu no.

    I saw him or her.

    A person is expressed with no.

  3. Wopɛ paanoo no anaa? Aane, mepɛ.

    Do you like the bread? Yes, I like it.

    The answer does not repeat paanoo (bread) or add a word for it.

  4. Maame noaa adua na n'adamfo diiɛ.

    Maame cooked beans and her friend ate them.

    The beans are not repeated after diiɛ (ate).

  5. Ɔde kɔeɛ.

    He took it away.

    The known thing is left out, so kɔ takes the clause-final past.

  6. Mɛtɔ no ɔkyena.

    I will buy it tomorrow.

    Before a following word such as ɔkyena, no can stand for a thing.

Common Mistakes

  • Adding no for a thing at the end of the clause.

    Metɔɔ no.
    Metɔeɛ.

    At the end of a clause no normally means a person, so Metɔɔ no sounds like I bought him or her. For a thing, leave the object out and use the clause-final past: Metɔeɛ.

  • Leaving out a person.

    Mehunuiɛ.
    Mehunuu no.

    A person must be expressed with no. Mehunuiɛ means I saw it.

How It Connects

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Leaving Out ItLevel 2

Learn This First

Leaving out it depends on object pronouns and the clause-final past.

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Patterns that build on this one.