Simple Present or Progressive?

Level 2

Plain form for habits: Mekɔ sukuu (I go to school). Re- for what is happening: Merekɔ sukuu (I am going to school).

How It Works

Twi has two everyday ways to talk about the present.

  • Plain form for habits, routines and facts: Mekɔ sukuu. (I go to school.) Ama sua Twi. (Ama studies Twi.) See simple present.
  • Re- for an action in progress: Merekɔ sukuu. (I am going to school.) Ama resua Twi. (Ama is learning Twi.) See progressive re-.

Now or these days. Re- covers more than this very minute. It also describes something going on for a while: Merekɔ Ghana, enti meresua Twi. (I am going to Ghana, so I am learning Twi.)

Helpful clues. Words like da biara (every day) go with the plain form. Seesei (now) usually goes with re-.

State verbs are different. Verbs of state, such as wɔ (be at, have), te (live), nim (know), pɛ (want) and dɔ (love), describe the present with the plain form: Menim. (I know.) Mepɛ nsuo. (I want water.) Adding re- to them usually changes the meaning. With re-, pɛ means look for: Merepɛ adwuma. (I am looking for work.) See state verbs.

In the past. Put na before either form: Na meredidi (I was eating) and Na mekɔ sukuu da biara (I used to go to school every day). See na + re- and na + simple present.

Examples (6)

  1. Mekɔ sukuu.

    I go to school.

    Word by Word: I-go school.

    The plain form describes a routine.

  2. Merekɔ sukuu.

    I am going to school.

    Word by Word: I-am-going school.

    Re- shows the trip is happening now.

  3. Ama sua Twi.

    Ama studies Twi.

    Word by Word: Ama study Twi.

  4. Ama resua Twi.

    Ama is learning Twi.

    Word by Word: Ama is-studying Twi.

    Re- also covers something going on these days, not only this minute.

  5. Anɔpa biara medware.

    I bathe every morning.

    Word by Word: Morning every I-bathe.

    Anɔpa biara (every morning) goes with the plain form.

  6. Kofi redidi seesei.

    Kofi is eating now.

    Word by Word: Kofi is-eating now.

Common Mistakes

  • Answering Worekɔ he? (Where are you going?) with the plain form.

    Mekɔ sukuu.
    Merekɔ sukuu.

    The question asks where you are going right now, so the answer needs re- as well. Mekɔ sukuu describes a habit: I go to school.

  • Adding re- to pɛ to say what you want.

    Merepɛ nsuo.
    Mepɛ nsuo.

    Pɛ is a state verb, so the plain form means I want water. With re-, pɛ means look for, so Merepɛ nsuo says I am looking for water.

How It Connects

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Simple Present or Progressive?Level 2

Learn This First

The choice compares the simple present and the progressive.

Words in This Pattern

re-