sɛ + Optative (Reported Command)

Telling Someone to Do Something

Level 4

Tell or ask + sɛ + optative: Ɔka kyerɛɛ me sɛ menkɔ (He told me to go).

How It Works

1. The frame
verb + person + sɛ + subject prefix + nasal + verb.

  • Ɔka kyerɛɛ me sɛ menkɔ. (He told me to go.)
  • Ka kyerɛ no sɛ ɔmmra. (Tell him to come.)
  • Mesrɛɛ no sɛ ɔmmoa me. (I asked him to help me.)
  • Ɔhyɛɛ yɛn sɛ yɛntena ase. (He ordered us to sit down.)

2. Whose prefix?
The prefix belongs to the person who must act: sɛ menkɔ (that I should go), sɛ ɔnkɔ (that he should go), sɛ wɔnkɔ (that they should go).

3. Sound changes
The usual rules apply: boa (help) becomes mmoa, and come uses the command form bra: ɔmmra. See Sound Changes After the Negative.

4. Every verb in a series
Each verb takes the nasal: Ka kyerɛ no sɛ ɔmfa nsuo mmra (Tell him to bring water). In the Asante Twi Bible, a mother begs Jesus sɛ ɔntu honhommɔne no mfiri ne babaa no mu (to drive the evil spirit out of her daughter, Mark 7:26).

5. Telling someone not to
A negative request adds a second nasal, as in Commands to a Group: Ɔka kyerɛɛ wɔn sɛ wɔnnka nkyerɛ obiara (He told them not to tell anyone). The Asante Bible has sɛ wɔnnka nkyerɛ obiara in Mark 7:36.

6. Command or statement?
Tone is not written, so sɛ menkɔ could also be read as that I do not go. After a verb of telling or asking, it is heard as a command. A plain verb after sɛ reports a statement instead: Ɔka kyerɛɛ me sɛ ɔbɛba (He told me that he would come). After pɛ sɛ (want), Twi uses the plain or future verb, as in Want To: pɛ sɛ.

Examples (6)

  1. Ɔka kyerɛɛ me sɛ menkɔ.

    He told me to go.

    Word by Word: he-told me that I-should-go

  2. Ka kyerɛ no sɛ ɔmmra.

    Tell him to come.

    Come uses bra in the optative: ɔmmra.

  3. Mesrɛɛ no sɛ ɔmmoa me.

    I asked him to help me.

    Boa (help) becomes mmoa after the nasal.

  4. Ɔhyɛɛ yɛn sɛ yɛntena ase.

    He ordered us to sit down.

  5. Ka kyerɛ no sɛ ɔmfa nsuo mmra.

    Tell him to bring water.

    Both verbs of fa ... bra take the nasal.

  6. Ɔka kyerɛɛ wɔn sɛ wɔnnka nkyerɛ obiara.

    He told them not to tell anyone.

    Two nasals make the request negative: wɔnnka.

Common Mistakes

  • Leaving out the optative (intended: Tell him to come).

    Ka kyerɛ no sɛ ɔba.
    Ka kyerɛ no sɛ ɔmmra.

    Ɔba states a fact: tell him that he comes. A command needs the optative, and come uses bra: ɔmmra.

  • Using the wrong person's prefix (intended: He told me to go).

    Ɔka kyerɛɛ me sɛ ɔnkɔ.
    Ɔka kyerɛɛ me sɛ menkɔ.

    The prefix names the person who must act. Ɔnkɔ means he should go; for I should go, say menkɔ.

  • Using one nasal for a negative request (intended: Tell him not to go).

    Ka kyerɛ no sɛ ɔnkɔ.
    Ka kyerɛ no sɛ ɔnnkɔ.

    With one nasal, ɔnkɔ means he should go. To say he should not go, add a second nasal: ɔnnkɔ.

How It Connects

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

sɛ + Optative (Reported Command)Level 4Telling Someone to Do Something

Learn This First

Reported commands use sɛ with the optative.

Words in This Pattern

n-ka kyerɛ