wɔ hɔ (There Is)

There Is: Wɔ Hɔ

Level 2

Thing + wɔ hɔ = there is: Nsuo wɔ hɔ. Thing + nni hɔ = there is no: Sika nni hɔ.

How It Works

1. The pattern
Name the thing, then say it is there:

  • Nsuo wɔ hɔ. (There is water.)
  • Nwoma bi wɔ hɔ. (There is a book.)
  • Nnipa pii wɔ hɔ. (There are a lot of people.)

2. There is no
The negative of wɔ is nni, not a prefixed form of wɔ: Sika nni hɔ (There is no money), Obi nni hɔ (Nobody is there). See Nobody and Nothing With Negatives.

3. Naming the place
Hɔ literally means there (see Here and There). When you say where, the place replaces hɔ: Nsuo wɔ kuruwa no mu (There is water in the cup). See Location With Place Nouns. The context tells you whether Kofi wɔ hɔ means Kofi is there or simply Kofi is around.

4. Questions
Add anaa or use question intonation: Aduane wɔ hɔ anaa? (Is there any food?).

5. In the past
Wɔ is a state verb, so put na before the clause: Na nsuo nni hɔ (There was no water).

6. Not the same as have
With a person as the subject, wɔ means have: Mewɔ sika (I have money). See To Have: wɔ.

Examples (6)

  1. Nsuo wɔ hɔ.

    There is water.

    Word by Word: water is-at there

  2. Sika nni hɔ.

    There is no money.

    Word by Word: money not-be-at there

    Nni is the negative of wɔ.

  3. Nwoma bi wɔ hɔ.

    There is a book.

    Word by Word: book a is-at there

    Bi after the noun means a or a certain.

  4. Nnipa pii wɔ hɔ.

    There are a lot of people.

    Word by Word: people many are-at there

  5. Aduane wɔ hɔ anaa?

    Is there any food?

    Word by Word: food is-at there (question)

  6. Na nsuo nni hɔ.

    There was no water.

    Word by Word: PAST water not-be-at there

    Na before the clause places the state in the past.

Common Mistakes

  • Making wɔ negative with a nasal prefix.

    Nsuo nwɔ hɔ.
    Nsuo nni hɔ.

    Wɔ has its own negative, nni.

  • Starting with a word for there, as in English.

    Ɛwɔ hɔ nsuo.
    Nsuo wɔ hɔ.

    The thing that exists comes first, then wɔ hɔ.

How It Connects

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

wɔ hɔ (There Is)Level 2There Is: Wɔ Hɔ

Learn This First

There is uses wɔ and nni with hɔ.

Words in This Pattern

hɔnni