Today, Tomorrow and Now

Level 2

Put a time word at the start or the end of the sentence: Mɛkɔ Kumase ɔkyena (I will go to Kumasi tomorrow).

How It Works

Common time words:

  • ɛnnɛ (today)
  • ɔkyena (tomorrow)
  • nnɛra (yesterday, also written nnora)
  • seesei (now)
  • anɔpa (morning), awia (afternoon), anwummerɛ (evening), anadwo (night)

Where they go. A time word usually goes at the end of the sentence, after the object and any place: Mɛkɔ Kumase ɔkyena. (I will go to Kumasi tomorrow.) It can also open the sentence: Nnɛra mekɔɔ dwam. (Yesterday I went to the market.) It normally does not come between the verb and its object. See basic word order.

No extra word. English says in the evening or on Friday. Twi uses the time word alone: Ama bɛba anwummerɛ. (Ama will come in the evening.) Days work the same way. See days of the week.

The verb still shows the time. A time word does not replace the tense. Use bɛ- with ɔkyena and the past form with nnɛra:

  • Mɛkɔ Kumase ɔkyena. (I will go to Kumasi tomorrow.)
  • Mekɔɔ Kumase nnɛra. (I went to Kumasi yesterday.)

Right now. Add ara for exactly now: seesei ara (right now).

Examples (6)

  1. Mɛkɔ Kumase ɔkyena.

    I will go to Kumasi tomorrow.

    Word by Word: I-will-go Kumasi tomorrow.

    The time word comes last, after the place.

  2. Seesei merekɔ.

    I am going now.

    Word by Word: Now I-am-going.

    The time word can also open the sentence.

  3. Nnɛra mekɔɔ dwam.

    Yesterday I went to the market.

    Word by Word: Yesterday I-went market.

    The verb still takes its past form, kɔɔ.

  4. Ɛnnɛ menni berɛ.

    Today I do not have time.

    Word by Word: Today I-not-have time.

  5. Ama bɛba anwummerɛ.

    Ama will come in the evening.

    Word by Word: Ama will-come evening.

    No word for in is needed.

  6. Bra seesei ara!

    Come right now!

    Word by Word: Come now just!

    Ara after seesei means right now.

Common Mistakes

  • Leaving the verb in the plain form with nnɛra.

    Mekɔ Kumase nnɛra.
    Mekɔɔ Kumase nnɛra.

    Nnɛra does not make the verb past by itself. The verb must take its past form.

  • Leaving out bɛ- with ɔkyena.

    Mekɔ Kumase ɔkyena.
    Mɛkɔ Kumase ɔkyena.

    The plain form is for habits and facts, not for tomorrow. Use the future bɛ-, which becomes mɛ- with me.

How It Connects

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

Today, Tomorrow and NowLevel 2

Learn This First

Time words sit around the basic sentence and leave the tense to the verb.

Words in This Pattern

ɛnnɛɔkyenannɛraseeseinnɛkyenannoraɛnnora