Basic Asante Twi
Akwaaba (welcome) to Elena and Grace’s Basic Asante Twi Blog. Here, we would like to share the Twi (pronounced: Chwee) research we did prior to our travels in Ghana with African American Studies 310: African Diaspora Literature, Culture and International Experience. This trip was lead by Dr. Brackett of the African American Studies Department at the University of Puget Sound. We hope you enjoy and learn a thing or too about Twi, one of the many languages spoken in Ghana.
Format of the Blog
We will have all phrases in English, accompanied by the phrase in Twi in bold, then under we will provide a phonetic phrasing to help with pronunciation.
English Phrasing: Twi Phrasing
- Phonetic phrasing
Greetings
Good Morning: Maakye
- Maa-che
Good Afternoon: Maaha
- Maa-haa
Good Evening: Maadwo
- Maa-jo
Responses
Yaa agya (when speaking to an elderly man)
- Yaa ayja
Yaa εna (elderly woman)
- Yaa aena
Yaa anua (same age, friend)
- Yaa eña
Yaa (if you aren’t sure)
Farewells
Goodbye: Me kↄ
- May kop
Later: Akyire yi
- Echree
Farewell (walk well): Nante yie
- Nantay Yee
Basics
Hello/ How are you?: εte sεn
- Eytey sayn
Response (to εte sεn): εyε
- Ayay
Please: Mepaakyεw
- Mepaa Choe
I thank you: Medaase
- Ma Da See
We thank you: Yεdaase
- Ye Da See
Sorry: Kosε/ Kafra
- Kosay/ Kafra
Yes: Aane
- Annay
No: Dabi
- Deby
My name is: Me din de
- May deen day
I’m hungry: εkↄm de me
- Ekom de may
S.O.S.
I’m not feeling well: Me ho mfa me
- May homefa may
I’m lost (geographically): Mayera
- My era
(Please) help me: (Mepaakyεw)
boa me
- (Mepaa Choe) bwa may
For the Market
How many?: Do dowo sen
- Dodowo seine
The cost?: : Ebwaw
- Ebwo
How much does it cost?: Nibowo ye sei
- Eboyee say
Expensive: Ebowo din
- Ebowdin
It’s (very) beautiful (object): Wei εyε fε (paa)
- Way effay (paa)
Ghanaian Food
Maize/Corn: Aburo
- Ah-booroo
Cassava: Bankye
- Ban-che
Yam: Bayere
- Baa-yi-reh
Plantain: Borↄdeε
- Boa-deeya
Palm wine: : Nsafufuo
- N-sa-foo foo
Your Ghanaian Name
Ghanaian names are based on your gender and the day of the week you were born. We have not encountered any naming traditions beyond the gender binary. Find the day of the week you were born here.
For women
Monday: Adjoa
Tuesday: Abena
Wednesday: Akua
Thursday: Yaa
Friday: Afua
Saturday: Ama
Sunday: Akosua
For men
Monday: Kojo
Tuesday: Kwabena
Wednesday: Kwaku
Thursday: Yaw
Friday: Kofi
Saturday: Kwame
Sunday: Kwesi