da (Never)
Never: Da
Negative verb + ... + da means never: Mennom nsa da (I never drink alcohol).
How It Works
1. The pattern
Negative verb, then the object and any other words, then da last.
- Habit: Mennom nsa da. (I never drink alcohol.)
- Up to now: Abena ntuu kwan da. (Abena has never travelled.) This uses the negative perfect.
- Future: Merenyɛ saa da. (I will never do that.) This uses re- + N-.
2. Ever in questions
In a yes-no question with a positive perfect verb, da means ever: Woakɔ Kumase da? (Have you ever been to Kumasi?) You will also hear pɛn (once, before) in these questions: Woakɔ hɔ pɛn? (Have you been there before?)
3. Da, daa and da
Do not mix up three words that look alike:
- da at the end of a negative clause: never.
- daa: always, every day. Daa mekɔ adwuma (I go to work every day).
- da as a noun means day, as in da biara (every day), and as a verb it means lie or sleep. See Lying and Standing: da, si.
4. A negative is required
Da only means never when the verb is negative. Its partners hwee and koraa work the same way.
Examples (5)
- Mennom nsa da.
I never drink alcohol.
Word by Word: I-not-drink alcohol ever
Nsa here means alcoholic drink. Mennom is the negative of nom (drink).
- Merenyɛ saa da.
I will never do that.
Word by Word: I-will-not-do so ever
- Abena ntuu kwan da.
Abena has never travelled.
Word by Word: Abena not-has-travelled road ever
Ntuu is the negative perfect of tu in tu kwan (travel).
- Onipa biara nkasaa saa da.
No one has ever spoken like this.
Word by Word: person any not-has-spoken so ever
Onipa biara (any person) with a negative verb means no one; da adds ever.
- Woakɔ Kumase da?
Have you ever been to Kumasi?
Word by Word: you-have-gone Kumasi ever
In a question with a positive perfect verb, da means ever.
Common Mistakes
Using a positive verb with da to mean never.
Menom nsa da.Mennom nsa da.Da only means never after a negative verb. Menom is positive (I drink), so change it to mennom.
Using daa (always) instead of da (never).
Mennom nsa daa.Mennom nsa da.Daa means always or every day. With a negative verb it says I do not drink every day, not I never drink.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Da as never needs a negative verb.
Related Patterns
- N- (Negative Perfect)Has Not: Negative Perfect
Never up to now uses the negative perfect with da.
Level 3 - re-N- (Negative Future)Will Not: Re- + N-
Will never uses the negative future with da.
Level 2 - koraaAt All: Koraa
Koraa also closes a negative clause, meaning at all.
Level 3 - hweeNothing, Anything: Hwee
Another word that needs a negative verb.
Level 3 - da / si (Be Located)Lying and Standing: Da, Si
The verb da means lie; keep it apart from da (never).
Level 4
Words in This Pattern
Practice da (Never) in Bubblegum
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