nyɛ (Not Be)

Not to Be: Nyɛ

Level 1

Nyɛ means "am not, is not, are not": Menyɛ ɔkyerɛkyerɛfoɔ (I am not a teacher).

How It Works

Nyɛ is the negative of yɛ. It is built the regular way, with the negative nasal before the verb. The y does not change, so it is easy to spot: Menyɛ (I am not), Wonyɛ (you are not), Ɔnyɛ (he or she is not), Ɛnyɛ (it is not), Yɛnyɛ (we are not), Monyɛ (you all are not), Wɔnyɛ (they are not). With a noun as the subject: Kofi nyɛ (Kofi is not).

Not a kind of person or thing. Menyɛ ɔkyerɛkyerɛfoɔ (I am not a teacher), Kofi nyɛ me nua (Kofi is not my brother).

Not like that. Ɛnyɛ den (It is not hard), Ɛnyɛ fɛ (It is not nice). Ɛnyɛ also begins the everyday phrase Ɛnyɛ hwee (It is nothing), a common reply when someone thanks you.

Not this one. Ne has no negative of its own, so nyɛ takes its place: Eyi ne me fie (This is my house) becomes Eyi nyɛ me fie (This is not my house). Ɛnyɛ me means "It is not me". The same Ɛnyɛ starts sentences such as Ɛnyɛ Kofi na ɔbaeɛ (It was not Kofi who came); see ɛnyɛ ... na.

Keep it apart from nni. Nni is the negative of wɔ: Kofi nni fie (Kofi is not at home). Use nyɛ for what someone is, and nni for where someone is or what someone has.

Examples (6)

  1. Menyɛ ɔkyerɛkyerɛfoɔ.

    I am not a teacher.

  2. Ɛnyɛ den.

    It is not hard.

  3. Ɛnyɛ me.

    It is not me.

  4. Kofi nyɛ me nua; ɔyɛ m'adamfo.

    Kofi is not my brother; he is my friend.

  5. Eyi nyɛ me fie.

    This is not my house.

    Nyɛ is also the negative of ne (Eyi ne me fie, This is my house).

  6. Ɛnyɛ hwee.

    It is nothing.

    A common reply when someone thanks you.

Common Mistakes

  • Using nni to mean "is not".

    Menni ɔkyerɛkyerɛfoɔ.
    Menyɛ ɔkyerɛkyerɛfoɔ.

    Menni ɔkyerɛkyerɛfoɔ means "I do not have a teacher". Nni is the negative of wɔ, not of yɛ.

  • Adding daabi to a yɛ sentence.

    Meyɛ ɔkyerɛkyerɛfoɔ daabi.
    Menyɛ ɔkyerɛkyerɛfoɔ.

    Daabi answers a question with "no". Inside a sentence, the negative goes on the verb as nyɛ.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

nyɛ (Not Be)Level 1Not to Be: Nyɛ

Learn This First

Nyɛ negates yɛ with the negative nasal.

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Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

yɛne