sɛnea ɛbɛyɛ a (So That)

So That: Sɛnea Ɛbɛyɛ a

Level 5

Action + sɛnea ɛbɛyɛ a + purpose with bɛ- = so that: Kasa denden sɛnea ɛbɛyɛ a obiara bɛte.

How It Works

1. The pattern
Action + sɛnea ɛbɛyɛ a + purpose:

  • Kasa denden sɛnea ɛbɛyɛ a obiara bɛte. (Speak loudly so that everyone will hear.)
  • Maame no daa kɔm sɛdeɛ ɛbɛyɛ a akwadaa no bɛdidi. (The woman went to bed hungry so that the child would eat.)

2. Sɛnea or sɛdeɛ
Sɛnea is common in print, especially in Akuapem texts. Asante speech and the Asante Bible usually say sɛdeɛ: wɔatwerɛ sɛdeɛ ɛbɛyɛ a mobɛgye adi (it has been written so that you will believe). Both mean the same.

3. The verb after it
The purpose usually takes bɛ-: obiara bɛte, akwadaa no bɛdidi, even when the main clause is in the past. For a result you want to avoid, use a negative, such as the negative future: sɛnea ɛbɛyɛ a wo werɛ remfi (so that you won't forget).

4. So that or so?
Enti gives a result that already follows: Ɔyare, enti ɔmmaeɛ (She is sick, so she has not come). Sɛnea ɛbɛyɛ a gives an aim: what someone wants to happen.

5. Sɛnea alone
Without ɛbɛyɛ a, sɛdeɛ or sɛnea means as or the way that: Yɛ no sɛdeɛ meka kyerɛɛ wo no (Do it the way I told you). Only the full phrase means so that.

Examples (5)

  1. Kasa denden sɛnea ɛbɛyɛ a obiara bɛte.

    Speak loudly so that everyone will hear.

    Word by Word: speak loud the-way it-will-be that everyone will-hear

    The purpose, obiara bɛte, takes bɛ-.

  2. Maame no daa kɔm sɛdeɛ ɛbɛyɛ a akwadaa no bɛdidi.

    The woman went to bed hungry so that the child would eat.

    Asante sɛdeɛ. The purpose keeps bɛ- even in a past story.

  3. Meresua Twi sɛnea ɛbɛyɛ a mɛtumi akasa akyerɛ me nana.

    I am learning Twi so that I can talk to my grandparent.

    After mɛtumi, the next verbs take a- instead of repeating bɛ-.

  4. Yɛbɛkɔ ntɛm sɛdeɛ ɛbɛyɛ a yɛbɛnya baabi atena.

    We will go early so that we get a place to sit.

    Baabi atena means somewhere to sit.

  5. Twerɛ ne din sɛnea ɛbɛyɛ a wo werɛ remfi.

    Write down her name so that you won't forget it.

    A purpose to avoid uses the negative future: werɛ fi (forget) becomes werɛ remfi.

Common Mistakes

  • Leaving out the a of the fixed phrase.

    Kasa denden sɛnea ɛbɛyɛ obiara bɛte.
    Kasa denden sɛnea ɛbɛyɛ a obiara bɛte.

    The phrase is sɛnea ɛbɛyɛ a. The a closes it before the purpose begins, just as a closes a sɛ ... a clause.

How It Connects

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

sɛnea ɛbɛyɛ a (So That)Level 5So That: Sɛnea Ɛbɛyɛ a

Learn This First

So that builds on sɛnea and the future.

Words in This Pattern

ɛbɛyɛ asɛneasɛdeɛbɛ-