nni (Not Be At)

Not Be at: Nni

Level 1

To say someone is not somewhere, use nni instead of wɔ: Kofi nni fie (Kofi is not at home).

How It Works

Nni is the negative partner of wɔ. Instead of adding the negative nasal to wɔ, Twi uses this different word. Everything else stays the same: Kofi wɔ fie (Kofi is at home) becomes Kofi nni fie (Kofi is not at home).

All the persons. Menni (I am not at), Wonni (you are not at), Ɔnni (he or she is not at), Ɛnni (it is not at), Yɛnni (we are not at), Monni (you all are not at), Wɔnni (they are not at). With a noun: Ama nni sukuu (Ama is not at school).

Here and there. Nni is very common with ha and hɔ. On the phone, Akosua wɔ hɔ? (Is Akosua there?) is often answered Daabi, ɔnni hɔ (No, she is not there). For "on" or "in" something, use place nouns as with wɔ: Nwoma no nni pon no so (The book is not on the table).

In the past. Put na in front: Na Ama nni sukuu nnɛra (Ama was not at school yesterday).

Other uses of nni. The same word is the negative of wɔ meaning "have" (Menni sika, I do not have money) and of "there is" (Sika nni hɔ, There is no money). It is also spelled like the negative of di (eat), because d turns into n after the negative nasal; see sound changes after the negative. The words around it make the meaning clear.

Examples (6)

  1. Kofi nni fie.

    Kofi is not at home.

  2. Ɔnni ha.

    She is not here.

  3. Akosua wɔ hɔ? Daabi, ɔnni hɔ.

    Is Akosua there? No, she is not there.

    A typical exchange on the phone.

  4. Menni Kumase seesei.

    I am not in Kumasi now.

  5. Nwoma no nni pon no so.

    The book is not on the table.

  6. Na Ama nni sukuu nnɛra.

    Ama was not at school yesterday.

    Na in front puts the sentence in the past.

Common Mistakes

  • Adding the negative nasal to wɔ.

    Kofi nwɔ fie.
    Kofi nni fie.

    Wɔ has no nasal negative. Its negative is the separate word nni.

  • Using nyɛ for a location.

    Kofi nyɛ fie.
    Kofi nni fie.

    Nyɛ is the negative of yɛ and says what someone is not. For where someone is not, use nni.

How It Connects

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nni (Not Be At)Level 1Not Be at: Nni

Learn This First

Nni negates wɔ for place.

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Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

nni