ankasa

Oneself, Really: Ankasa

Level 3

Ɔno ankasa means he himself. Ɛyɛ dɛ ankasa means It is really nice.

How It Works

1. That very person
Put ankasa after a pronoun or noun:

  • me ankasa (I myself), wo ankasa (you yourself), ɔno ankasa (he or she himself or herself)
  • yɛn ankasa (we ourselves), mo ankasa (you yourselves), wɔn ankasa (they themselves)
  • ɔhene no ankasa (the chief himself)

It often goes with Focus on the Subject: X na: Ɔno ankasa na ɔkaeɛ (He himself said it).

2. Not the reflexive
English himself has two jobs. When the action goes back to the doer, Twi uses the possessive + ho: Kofi dɔ ne ho (Kofi loves himself). See Myself, Yourself: possessive + ho. Ankasa only adds stress: Kofi ankasa baeɛ (Kofi himself came).

3. Really, actually
After a description, ankasa means really: Ɛyɛ dɛ ankasa (It is really nice). At the start of a sentence it means actually or honestly: Ankasa, mennim (Honestly, I do not know).

4. Neighbours

Examples (6)

  1. Ɔno ankasa na ɔkaeɛ.

    He himself said it.

    Word by Word: he self FOCUS he-said

  2. Me ankasa mɛkɔ.

    I will go myself.

    Mɛkɔ is the Asante future I will go.

  3. Ɔhene no ankasa baa ha.

    The chief himself came here.

    Word by Word: chief the self came here

  4. Wo ankasa na woyɛeɛ.

    You did it yourself.

    Word by Word: you self FOCUS you-did

  5. Ɛyɛ dɛ ankasa.

    It is really nice.

    After a description, ankasa means really.

  6. Ankasa, mennim.

    Honestly, I do not know.

    At the start of a sentence, ankasa means actually or honestly.

Common Mistakes

  • Using ankasa as a reflexive object.

    Kofi dɔ no ankasa.
    Kofi dɔ ne ho.

    The intended meaning is Kofi loves himself. Kofi dɔ no ankasa means Kofi really loves him or her, someone else. For an action done to oneself, use possessive + ho.

  • Putting ankasa before the noun it stresses.

    Ankasa ɔhene no baa ha.
    Ɔhene no ankasa baa ha.

    The intended meaning is The chief himself came here. At the start of a sentence ankasa means actually, so the incorrect sentence says Actually, the chief came here.

How It Connects

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

ankasaLevel 3Oneself, Really: Ankasa

Learn This First

Ankasa follows the word it stresses.

Words in This Pattern

ankasa