ka kyerɛ (Tell)

Tell: Ka Kyerɛ

Level 3

Say it to someone with two verbs: ka (say) + kyerɛ (show) + the person. Ka kyerɛ no means Tell him or Tell her.

How It Works

1. The pattern
ka + kyerɛ + the person you tell.

  • Ka kyerɛ no. (Tell him. Tell her.)
  • Ka kyerɛ me. (Tell me.)
  • Ka kyerɛ Ama. (Tell Ama.)

2. What you say
A short thing that is said goes between the two verbs: Ka nokorɛ no kyerɛ me (Tell me the truth). A whole message follows the listener and starts with That: sɛ: Ɔka kyerɛɛ me sɛ ɔbɛba (She told me that she would come).

3. Tense

  • Past: the past ending goes on kyerɛ. Ka usually stays the same: ɔka kyerɛɛ me (she told me). Many speakers also say ɔkaa kyerɛɛ me, with both verbs in the past. Both are heard.
  • Perfect: both verbs take a-: Maka akyerɛ no (I have told him). See Already: dada.
  • Negative past: both verbs are negative: Wanka ankyerɛ me (He did not tell me). See Negatives in Serial Verbs.

4. Kyerɛ alone
Without ka, kyerɛ means show or teach: Kyerɛ me kwan no (Show me the way). It is ka in front that turns it into tell.

5. Telling someone to do something
When the message is an order, the verb after sɛ takes the optative: Ɔka kyerɛɛ me sɛ menkɔ (He told me to go). See Telling Someone To Do Something. Akuapem often writes the linking word as se after ka kyerɛ.

Examples (6)

  1. Ka kyerɛ no.

    Tell him. / Tell her.

    Word by Word: say show him/her

    A command: the bare verbs with the listener no after kyerɛ.

  2. Ɔka kyerɛɛ me sɛ ɔbɛba.

    She told me that she would come.

    Word by Word: she-say show-PAST me that she-FUT-come

    The past is on kyerɛɛ. The message after sɛ keeps the future ɔbɛba where English says would.

  3. Ka nokorɛ no kyerɛ me.

    Tell me the truth.

    Word by Word: say truth the show me

    The thing said, nokorɛ no, sits between ka and kyerɛ. The listener comes last.

  4. Maka akyerɛ Kofi dada.

    I have already told Kofi.

    Word by Word: I-PERF-say PERF-show Kofi already

    In the perfect both verbs carry a-.

  5. Wanka ankyerɛ me.

    He did not tell me.

    Word by Word: he-NEG.PAST-say NEG.PAST-show me

    The negative past goes on both verbs.

  6. Hwan na ɔka kyerɛɛ wo?

    Who told you?

    Word by Word: who FOCUS he/she-say show-PAST you

Common Mistakes

  • Using ka alone with the listener as its object.

    Ɔkaa me sɛ ɔbɛba.
    Ɔka kyerɛɛ me sɛ ɔbɛba.

    Ka takes the words that are said, not the person who hears them, so this does not say She told me that she would come. Put the listener after kyerɛ.

  • Putting the past on ka and leaving kyerɛ bare.

    Ɔkaa kyerɛ me sɛ ɔbɛba.
    Ɔka kyerɛɛ me sɛ ɔbɛba.

    In a past sentence the second verb, kyerɛ, must show the past: kyerɛɛ. Ka can stay plain or also take the past, but kyerɛ cannot stay plain.

How It Connects

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

ka kyerɛ (Tell)Level 3Tell: Ka Kyerɛ

Learn This First

Tell builds on ka as a two-verb series.

Words in This Pattern

ka kyerɛ