sɛ ... a, anka

Unreal Conditions: Sɛ ... a, Anka

Level 4

Sɛ ... a, anka ... = if ... would: Sɛ na mewɔ sika a, anka metɔɔ kaa (If I had had money, I would have bought a car).

How It Works

1. Real or unreal?

  • Real, still possible: Sɛ mewɔ sika a, mɛtɔ kaa (If I have money, I will buy a car).
  • Unreal now: Sɛ mewɔ sika a, anka mɛtɔ kaa (If I had money, I would buy a car).
  • Unreal in the past: Sɛ na mewɔ sika a, anka metɔɔ kaa (If I had had money, I would have bought a car).

Only anka separates the first two sentences. The Asante Bible uses this plain condition: Sɛ modɔ me a, anka mo ani bɛgye (If you loved me, you would be glad, John 14:28). Many speakers also add na here.

2. The condition
A state in the past takes Past States With na: Sɛ na menim a (If I had known). An action in the past takes the past form: Sɛ wobaa nnɛra a (If you had come yesterday). The closing a is still required.

3. The result
After anka, the future means would and the past means would have. Negatives use the same times: anka mamma (I would not have come), with Did Not: a- + N-, and anka ɔrentumi nyɛ hwee (he would not be able to do anything), with re- + N-.

4. A Bible example
Sɛ wowɔ ha a, anka me nuabarima anwu (If you had been here, my brother would not have died, John 11:21). Here there is no na. Anka with the negative past says what would not have happened, so the brother really did die.

5. Result first
The result can also come first, keeping anka at its start: Anka mɛboa wo, sɛ mewɔ sika a (I would help you if I had money).

6. Related frames
For if it were not so, otherwise, see Otherwise: sɛ ɛnyɛ saa a. For should have, see Should Have: anka ɛsɛ sɛ.

Examples (5)

  1. Sɛ na mewɔ sika a, anka metɔɔ kaa.

    If I had had money, I would have bought a car.

    Word by Word: if (past) I-have money (a), would I-bought car

  2. Sɛ mewɔ sika a, anka mɛtɔ kaa.

    If I had money, I would buy a car.

    Anka makes it unreal; without anka, this is a real plan.

  3. Sɛ na menim a, anka mamma.

    If I had known, I would not have come.

    Mamma is the negative past of ba (come).

  4. Sɛ wobaa nnɛra a, anka wohunuu no.

    If you had come yesterday, you would have seen her.

  5. Sɛ wowɔ ha a, anka me nuabarima anwu.

    If you had been here, my brother would not have died.

    From John 11:21 in the Asante Twi Bible.

Common Mistakes

  • Leaving out anka (intended: If I had had money, I would have bought a car).

    Sɛ na mewɔ sika a, metɔɔ kaa.
    Sɛ na mewɔ sika a, anka metɔɔ kaa.

    Without anka, the result reads as a real event: I bought a car. Anka marks it as something that did not happen.

  • Leaving out the closing a.

    Sɛ na mewɔ sika, anka metɔɔ kaa.
    Sɛ na mewɔ sika a, anka metɔɔ kaa.

    Every sɛ-condition ends with a before the result, including unreal ones.

How It Connects

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

sɛ ... a, ankaLevel 4Unreal Conditions: Sɛ ... a, Anka

Learn This First

Unreal conditions combine if-clauses, anka and often the past-state na.

Words in This Pattern

ana