di mfe (Age)

Talking About Age: Di Mfe

Level 2

Madi mfe aduonu means I am twenty years old. Literally, I have eaten twenty years.

How It Works

1. The pattern
Perfect of di + mfe + number. Mfe is the plural of afe (year). See N- plural prefix.

  • Madi mfe aduonu. (I am twenty.)
  • Woadi mfe aduasa. (You are thirty.)
  • Wadi mfe du. (He or she is ten.)
  • Me maame adi mfe aduonum. (My mother is fifty.)

Notice the perfect forms: me + a- becomes ma-, wo + a- is woa-, and ɔ + a- becomes wa-. With a name or noun, the verb is just adi. See perfect for states.

2. Asking
Use ahe in the number slot: Woadi mfe ahe? (How old are you?), Wadi mfe ahe? (How old is he or she?). You will also hear Woadi mfe sɛn?

3. Bigger numbers
Ages above ten use numbers from eleven: Madi mfe aduonu nnum (I am twenty-five).

4. Spelling
You will see both mfe and mfeɛ. They are the same word.

Examples (5)

  1. Madi mfe aduonu.

    I am twenty years old.

    Word by Word: I-have-eaten years twenty

  2. Woadi mfe ahe?

    How old are you?

    Word by Word: you-have-eaten years how-many

  3. Wadi mfe ahe?

    How old is she?

    Word by Word: she-has-eaten years how-many

  4. Me maame adi mfe aduonum.

    My mother is fifty years old.

    Word by Word: my mother has-eaten years fifty

  5. Kofi adi mfe dunsia.

    Kofi is sixteen years old.

    Word by Word: Kofi has-eaten years sixteen

Common Mistakes

  • Using yɛ (be), as in English I am twenty.

    Meyɛ mfe aduonu.
    Madi mfe aduonu.

    Age is not said with be. You have eaten your years, so use di in the perfect.

  • Using the plain present instead of the perfect.

    Medi mfe aduonu.
    Madi mfe aduonu.

    The plain form describes an action you do. Age is a result that is true now, so it takes the perfect a-.

How It Connects

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

di mfe (Age)Level 2Talking About Age: Di Mfe

Learn This First

Age uses the perfect with a number.

Words in This Pattern

diafeahe