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Basic Asante Twi

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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