Twi phrasebook

Twi or Akan Kasa is a dialect of the Akan language. It is a language spoken in most regions of Ghana. Although it is not a state-sponsored language, Twi is the most widely spoken language in Ghana.

Grammatical points

Vowels

• a as "rat"
• e as "seat"
• ε as "set"
• i as "sit"
• o as "Kuala Lumpur"
• ɔ as "pot"
• u as "Kuala Lumpur"

Consonants

• b as "bats"
• d as "dog"
• f as "fog"
• g as "goat"
• h as "hire"
• k as "cat"
• l as "log"
• m as "man"
• n as "nap"
• p as "pin"
• r as "cramp"
• s as "suit"
• t as "tomb"
• w as "wood"
• y as "yemen"

Diagraphs

• dw as "j" sound inthe beginning of "dreams"
• gy as "judge"
• hw as "whew"
• hy as "shirt"
• kw as "equip"
• ky as "chap"
• nw is pronounced as "nyw" with rounded lips at the end. For example: Nwunu (to leak)
• ny as "Español"
• tw as "trip"

Common Twi phrases

How are you, Janet?/

• Wo ho te sεn, Janet? (Formal)
• εte sεn? (Informal)
• Mpɔ mu te sεn? (Optional meaning "How is life")

Fine (Informal)

• εyε
• "Bɔkɔɔ" (This is optional. Literal meaning is "soft". The "ɔ" is pronounced like "o" is rot, but the "ɔɔ" means that the sound is extended.)

I am fine (Formal)

• Me ho yε (Literal meaning is "My body is fine")

I am fine, thank you (To be more polite)

• Me ho yε, me da ase (mi-dah-si)

Greetings

Good morning

• Me ma wo akye (Mi-Maa-waa-chi)
• Maakye(Maa-chi). This is the shorter version and the most common.

Good afternoon

• Me ma wo aha (Mi-Maa-Waa-ha)
• Maaha (Maa-chi). Shorter version

Good Evening

• Me ma wo adwo (Mi-Maa-jo) The "o" in Adwo (Aa-jo)is pronounced similarly to a quick "ou" sound in "cous cous"
• Maadwo (Maa-jo). Shorter version

Note: The responses to the greetings above are said according to the age category of the person you are speaking to.

• Yaa nua (Response to a person who is of similar age to you, i.e. a friend or brother/sister)
• Yaa εna (Response to an elder female, usually one or more generations above you)
• Yaa agya (Response to an elder male, usually one or more generations above you) The first letter of agya, "a", is pronounced like the first "e" in "edge" Therefore it is pronounced as "Edga"
• Yaa asɔn (Response to a younger person or a very young person, usually one generation or more below you.)

Good Night

• Da yie (Da-yey) or (Da-yeh)

References

• A comprehensive course in twi(Asante) for the non-twi learner. By Florence Abena Dolpyne. Associate professor, Department of Linguistics, University of Ghana, Legon.