sɛ (That)

That: Sɛ

Level 3

Verb of saying or knowing + sɛ + a full clause: Menim sɛ ɔwɔ fie (I know that she is at home).

How It Works

1. Verbs that take sɛ

  • ka sɛ (say that): Ɔkaa sɛ wabrɛ (She said that she was tired).
  • nim sɛ (know that): Menim sɛ ɔwɔ fie.
  • susu sɛ (think that): Mesusu sɛ nsuo bɛtɔ (I think it will rain).
  • te sɛ (hear that): Mete sɛ woanya adwuma (I hear that you have got a job). This te means hear. The same words te sɛ can also mean be like, as in Like, Resemble: te sɛ.

2. A full clause follows
The clause after sɛ has its own subject prefix or noun subject: sɛ ɔbɛba, sɛ nsuo bɛtɔ. Sɛ does not end with a. Adding a closing a turns the clause into a condition, which is If: sɛ ... a.

3. No tense shifting
English changes will to would after said. Twi keeps the original form: Kofi kaa sɛ ɔbɛba ɔkyena means Kofi said he would come tomorrow. If you put the past after sɛ, you report a past event: Ɔkaa sɛ ɔbaeɛ (She said that she came).

4. After se (say)
The verb se already means say, and the reported words often follow it directly: Ɔse ɔbɛba (He says he will come). Many speakers also say ɔse sɛ ɔbɛba. See Say: ka and se and Reportedly: wɔse.

5. The same sɛ elsewhere
This sɛ also appears in Want To: pɛ sɛ, Must, Should: ɛsɛ sɛ and Because: ɛfiri sɛ. For whether, see Whether: sɛ ... anaa.

Examples (6)

  1. Menim sɛ ɔwɔ fie.

    I know that she is at home.

    Word by Word: I-know that she-be.at home

  2. Ɔkaa sɛ wabrɛ.

    She said that she was tired.

    Word by Word: she-say-PAST that she-PERF-tire

    Wabrɛ is the perfect used for a present state: she is tired. Twi keeps it after sɛ.

  3. Kofi kaa sɛ ɔbɛba ɔkyena.

    Kofi said that he would come tomorrow.

    Word by Word: Kofi say-PAST that he-FUT-come tomorrow

    The future ɔbɛba stays as it is. English changes will to would.

  4. Ɔse ɔbɛba.

    He says he will come.

    Word by Word: he-say he-FUT-come

    After se, the linking sɛ is usually left out.

  5. Mesusu sɛ nsuo bɛtɔ.

    I think it will rain.

    Word by Word: I-think that water FUT-fall

    Nsuo tɔ (water falls) is how Twi says it rains.

  6. Mete sɛ woanya adwuma.

    I hear that you have got a job.

    Word by Word: I-hear that you-PERF-get work

    Te means hear here. The same words te sɛ can also mean be like, and the clause after sɛ shows which one is meant.

Common Mistakes

  • Adding a at the end of the sɛ clause.

    Menim sɛ ɔwɔ fie a.
    Menim sɛ ɔwɔ fie.

    The intended meaning is I know that she is at home. A closing a makes the clause a condition (if she is at home), so the sentence no longer says what you know.

  • Changing the tense after sɛ the way English does.

    Ɔkaa sɛ ɔbaeɛ.
    Ɔkaa sɛ ɔbɛba.

    The intended meaning is She said that she would come. Ɔkaa sɛ ɔbaeɛ is correct Twi, but it means She said that she came. Keep the future ɔbɛba after sɛ.

How It Connects

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sɛ (That)Level 3That: Sɛ

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Sɛ opens the content of saying and thinking.

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