Location With Place Nouns

Level 2

wɔ + thing + place noun: wɔ pon no so (on the table), wɔ dan no mu (in the room).

How It Works

1. The pattern
Wɔ + the reference noun + the place noun:

  • Nwoma no wɔ pon no so. (The book is on the table.)
  • Ɔwɔ dan no mu. (She is in the room.)
  • Ɔkraman no wɔ pon no ase. (The dog is under the table.)

The article no belongs to the reference noun, so it comes before the place noun: pon no so.

2. The common place nouns

3. They are nouns
Because they are nouns, they are possessed like any other noun (see Possession by Placement):

  • me nkyɛn (beside me, literally my side)
  • w’akyi (behind you, literally your back)
  • fie no akyi (behind the house)

4. With and without wɔ
Wɔ says where something is. Verbs that already describe a place or movement take the phrase directly: Tena akonnwa no so (Sit on the chair), Kɔ dan no mu (Go into the room). After another verb, wɔ can mean at or in: see At, In: wɔ.

5. No place noun needed
Town names and a few everyday places need no place noun: Mewɔ Kumase (I am in Kumasi), Kofi wɔ fie (Kofi is at home).

Examples (6)

  1. Nwoma no wɔ pon no so.

    The book is on the table.

    Word by Word: book the is-at table the top

  2. Ɔwɔ dan no mu.

    She is in the room.

    Word by Word: she-is-at room the inside

  3. Ɔkraman no wɔ pon no ase.

    The dog is under the table.

    Word by Word: dog the is-at table the underside

  4. Sukuu no wɔ asɔre no akyi.

    The school is behind the church.

    Word by Word: school the is-at church the back

  5. Tena me nkyɛn.

    Sit beside me.

    Word by Word: sit my side

    Nkyɛn is a noun, so me (my) comes before it. Tena already describes a place, so no wɔ is needed.

  6. Kɔ dan no mu.

    Go into the room.

    Word by Word: go room the inside

    A verb of movement takes the place phrase directly.

Common Mistakes

  • Putting the place word before the noun, like an English preposition.

    Nwoma no wɔ so pon no.
    Nwoma no wɔ pon no so.

    The place noun comes after the noun it relates to: pon no so, the table’s top.

  • Putting a pronoun after the place noun.

    Tena nkyɛn me.
    Tena me nkyɛn.

    Nkyɛn is a noun, so the possessive me goes before it: me nkyɛn, my side.

How It Connects

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Location With Place NounsLevel 2

Learn This First

Location phrases build on wɔ and on possession, since place nouns are possessed like other nouns.

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Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

munkyɛnnkyɛnmunkyɛn