ɛnam ... so

Through, Thanks to: Ɛnam ... So

Level 4

Ɛnam wo so means thanks to you or because of you. Word by word: it walks on you.

How It Works

1. The pattern
Ɛnam + cause or means + so + na + result.

  • Ɛnam wo so na yɛdii nkonim. (It is thanks to you that we won.)
  • Ɛnam ne mmoa so na mewiee sukuu. (It is thanks to her help that I finished school.)

2. Praise or blame
Ɛnam ... so only names the cause, good or bad: Ɛnam wo so na ɛsɛeɛ (It is because of you that it got spoiled).

3. Asking how
With dɛn, it asks by what means: Ɛnam dɛn so na wosuaa Twi? (How did you learn Twi?)

4. Other shapes
Instead of na, a comma can follow, often after no: Ɛnam ne mmoa so no, wobɛtumi ayɛ bebree (Through his help, you can do a lot). In church and Bible language you will often hear ɛnam Kristo so (through Christ). See church and Bible register.

5. Keep so
So belongs to the phrase: say Ɛnam wo so, not Ɛnam wo. For a plain because of, you can also put nti after a noun: wo nti (because of you). Before a whole clause, use ɛfiri sɛ.

Examples (5)

  1. Ɛnam wo so na yɛdii nkonim.

    It is thanks to you that we won.

    Word by Word: it-walks you on FOCUS we-ate victory

    Di nkonim (eat victory) means win.

  2. Ɛnam ne mmoa so na mewiee sukuu.

    It is thanks to her help that I finished school.

    Word by Word: it-walks her help on FOCUS I-finished school

  3. Ɛnam wo so na ɛsɛeɛ.

    It is because of you that it got spoiled.

    Word by Word: it-walks you on FOCUS it-spoiled

    The same phrase can blame as well as thank.

  4. Ɛnam dɛn so na wosuaa Twi?

    How did you learn Twi?

    Word by Word: it-walks what on FOCUS you-learned Twi

  5. Ɛnam ne mmoa so no, wobɛtumi ayɛ bebree.

    Through his help, you can do a lot.

    Word by Word: it-walks his help on the, you-will-be-able and-do much

Common Mistakes

  • Dropping so.

    Ɛnam wo na yɛdii nkonim.
    Ɛnam wo so na yɛdii nkonim.

    So is part of the phrase: the event walks on you. Without it, the sentence is incomplete.

How It Connects

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

ɛnam ... soLevel 4Through, Thanks to: Ɛnam ... So

Learn This First

Through and thanks to combine focus with so.