yɛ (Be)

To Be: Yɛ

Level 1

Yɛ means "am, is, are" when you say what someone is or what something is like: Meyɛ ɔkyerɛkyerɛfoɔ (I am a teacher).

How It Works

Yɛ is the everyday "be" for saying what someone or something is. It takes the usual subject prefixes: Meyɛ (I am), Woyɛ (you are), Ɔyɛ (he or she is), Ɛyɛ (it is), Yɛyɛ (we are), Moyɛ (you all are), Wɔyɛ (they are). With a name or noun as the subject, there is no prefix: Kofi yɛ (Kofi is).

What someone is. Use yɛ for jobs, relationships and groups: Meyɛ ɔkyerɛkyerɛfoɔ (I am a teacher), Kofi yɛ me nua (Kofi is my brother), Wɔyɛ Ghanafoɔ (They are Ghanaians). The question Woyɛ hwan? (Who are you?) uses it too.

What something is like. Yɛ also comes before describing words: Ɛyɛ dɛ (It is nice), Ɛyɛ den (It is hard). The ɛ- here is the "it" for things and situations; see the prefix ɛ- and describing with yɛ. On its own, yɛ can mean "be fine": Me ho yɛ (I am well) and Ɛyɛ (It is fine).

Three kinds of "be". English "be" is shared out among three Twi words. Yɛ says what something is or is like. Ne identifies or presents someone: Eyi ne me maame (This is my mother). Wɔ says where someone is: Mewɔ Kumase (I am in Kumasi). See Yɛ, Ne or Wɔ?

Other forms. The negative is nyɛ: Menyɛ ɔkyerɛkyerɛfoɔ (I am not a teacher). For a past state, put na in front: Na meyɛ ɔkyerɛkyerɛfoɔ (I was a teacher). The same verb also means "do" or "make": Woreyɛ dɛn? (What are you doing?)

Examples (6)

  1. Meyɛ ɔkyerɛkyerɛfoɔ.

    I am a teacher.

  2. Kofi yɛ me nua.

    Kofi is my brother.

    Nua means sibling; Kofi is a boy's name, so here it means brother.

  3. Wɔyɛ Ghanafoɔ.

    They are Ghanaians.

  4. Ɛyɛ dɛ.

    It is nice.

    Word by Word: It is sweet.

    Dɛ means sweet or pleasant, for food and for things you enjoy.

  5. Me papa yɛ okuafoɔ.

    My father is a farmer.

  6. Woyɛ hwan?

    Who are you?

Common Mistakes

  • Using wɔ to say what someone is.

    Mewɔ ɔkyerɛkyerɛfoɔ.
    Meyɛ ɔkyerɛkyerɛfoɔ.

    Mewɔ ɔkyerɛkyerɛfoɔ means "I have a teacher". To say what you are, use yɛ.

  • Using yɛ to say where someone is.

    Meyɛ Kumase.
    Mewɔ Kumase.

    Yɛ does not give a location. Use wɔ to say where you are.

How It Connects

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

yɛ (Be)Level 1To Be: Yɛ

Learn This First

Yɛ is an ordinary verb with subject prefixes.

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Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

yɛ