m' / w' / n'

Short Possessives Before Vowels

Level 2

When me, wo or ne comes before a noun starting with a vowel, its vowel drops and an apostrophe takes its place: m'adamfo (my friend), w'ani (your eye), n'agya (his or her father).

How It Works

The rule. The possessive pronouns me, wo and ne end in a vowel. When the next noun also starts with a vowel, which in practice is usually a, the possessive's vowel drops and is written as an apostrophe: me + adamfo = m'adamfo (my friend), wo + ani = w'ani (your eye), ne + agya = n'agya (his or her father).

Common words. You meet these forms all the time with family words and body parts: m'abusua (my family), n'ano (his or her mouth), and w'akyi (behind you), from akyi. Many expressions of feeling use them too: M'ani agye (I am happy), from Feelings Through the Body.

What does not shorten. The plural possessives never shorten: yɛn adamfo (our friend), mo abusua (your family), wɔn agya (their father). A name used as the owner stays whole too: Kofi agya (Kofi's father). And ne meaning and stays whole: Kofi ne Ama.

Reading tip. n' is ne (his, her, its), not the negative nasal, and w' is wo (your), never wɔn (their).

Examples (6)

Kofi yɛ m'adamfo.
Kofi is my friend.
me + adamfo (friend) = m'adamfo.
N'agya wɔ fie.
His father is at home.
ne + agya (father) = n'agya; it can also mean her father.
M'ani agye.
I am happy.
Word by Word: My eye has received.
me + ani (eye) = m'ani.
Hwɛ w'akyi!
Look behind you!
wo + akyi (back, behind) = w'akyi.
M'abusua te Kumase.
My family lives in Kumasi.
me + abusua (family) = m'abusua.
Ama ne n'adamfo aba.
Ama and her friend have come.
The first ne means and and stays whole; the second is the possessive, shortened to n'.

Common Mistakes

Shortening before a consonant.
M'fie wɔ Kumase.
Me fie wɔ Kumase.
The vowel only drops before another vowel. Fie (house) starts with f, so me stays whole.
Shortening wɔn (their).
W'adamfo aba.
Wɔn adamfo aba.
The sentence was meant to say Their friend has come. Only me, wo and ne shorten, so W'adamfo means your friend. Their friend is always wɔn adamfo.

How It Connects

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m' / w' / n'Level 2Short Possessives Before Vowels

Learn This First

The short possessives are forms of me, wo and ne.

My, Your, His and Her
The short forms are me, wo and ne before a vowel.
Level 1

Words in This Pattern

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