A collection of useful phrases in Twi, a variety of Akan, a member of the Kwa branch of the Niger-Congo language family spoken in Ghana.
See these phrases in any combination of two languages in the Phrase Finder. If you can provide recordings, corrections or additional translations, please contact me.
Key to abbreviations: frm = formal, inf = informal, sg = singular (said to one person), pl = plural (said to more than one person).
| Phrase | Twi |
|---|---|
| Welcome | Akwaaba Mema wo akwaaba (I welcome you) Yɛma wo akwaaba (We welcome you) Yaa agya (reply - to an elderly man) Yaa ɛna (reply - to an elderly woman) Yaa anua (reply - to a sibling age mate or colleague) |
| Hello (General greeting) | Agoo |
| Hello (on phone) | |
| How are you? | Wo ho te sεn? (frm) εte sεn? (inf) Mpɔ mu te sεn? ("How is life") |
| Reply to 'How are you?' | Me ho yε, me da ase (frm) Me ho yε ("My body is fine") Bɔkɔɔ εyε Me ho yɛ, na wo nsoɛ? |
| Long time no see | Yɛhyiaeɛ akyɛ |
| What's your name? | Yɛferɛ wo sɛn? |
| My name is ... | Yɛferɛ me ... Me din de ... |
| Where are you from? | Wo fire he? |
| I'm from ... | Me firi ... |
| Pleased to meet you | Ɛyɛ me anigyeɛ sɛ mehyiaa woɔ Ɛyɛ me anigyeɛ sɛ yɛahyia M’ani agye sɛ yɛahyia |
| Good morning (Morning greeting) |
Me ma wo akye Maakye Yaa agya (reply - to an elderly man) Yaa ɛna (reply - to an elderly woman) Yaa anua (reply - to a sibling age mate or colleague) |
| Good afternoon (Afternoon greeting) |
Me ma wo aha Maaha Yaa agya (reply - to an elderly man) Yaa ɛna (reply - to an elderly woman) Yaa anua (reply - to a sibling age mate or colleague) |
| Good evening (Evening greeting) |
Me ma wo adwo Maadwo Yaa agya (reply - to an elderly man) Yaa ɛna (reply - to an elderly woman) Yaa anua (reply - to a sibling age mate or colleague) |
| Good night | Da yie |
| Goodbye (Parting phrases) |
Nante yiye Yɛbɛhyia bio (We shall meet again) Akyire yi yɛbɛhyia (We shall meet later) |
| Good luck! | Mema wo tiri nkwa! |
| Cheers! Good Health! (Toasts used when drinking) |
|
| Have a nice day | |
| Bon appetit / Have a nice meal |
|
| Bon voyage / Have a good journey |
Ɛkwan so dwoodwoo! |
| Yes | Aane |
| No | Daabi |
| Maybe | Ebia |
| I don't know | Mennim |
| I understand | Mete aseɛ |
| I don't understand | Mente aseɛ |
| Please speak more slowly | Mepa wo kyɛw, wobɛtumi aka no brɛoo? |
| Please say that again | Mepa wo kyɛw, wobɛtumi aka no bio? |
| Please write it down | Mepa wo kyɛw, twerɛ ma me |
| Do you speak English? | Woka borɔfo kasa? Woka potɔ kasa? |
| Do you speak Twi? | |
| Yes, a little (reply to 'Do you speak ...?') |
Mete Twi Kakra |
| Speak to me in Twi | |
| How do you say ... in Twi? | Sɛn na wɔka ... wɔ Twi kasa mu? |
| Excuse me | Mepa wo kyɛ |
| How much is this? | Eyɛ sɛn? |
| Sorry | Kosɛ Kafra |
| Please | Mepa wo kyɛw Mepaa kyɛw |
| Thank you | Meda wo ase Medaase Meda wo ase pa ara Meda wo ase pii |
| Reply to thank you | |
| Where's the toilet / bathroom? | Ɛhe na agyananbea no wɔ? Agyananbea no wɔ he? |
| This gentleman will pay for everything | Aberanteɛ yi bɛtua biribiara Aberanteɛ yi bɛtua ne nyinaa |
| This lady will pay for everything | Awuraba yi bɛtua biribiara Awuraba yi bɛtua ne nyinaa |
| Would you like to dance with me? | Wobɛpɛ sɛ wo ne me bɛsa? |
| Do you come here often? | Wotaa ba ha? |
| I miss you | Mafe wo |
| I love you | Medɔ wo |
| Get well soon | |
| Go away! | |
| Leave me alone! | Gyae me! |
| Help! | Boa me! |
| Fire! | Ogya! |
| Stop! | |
| Call the police! | Frɛ polisi! |
| Christmas greetings | Afenhyia pa |
| Easter greetings | |
| Birthday greetings | Mema wo awoda pa |
| One language is never enough | |
| My hovercraft is full of eels | |
| Are you done? | Woawie? |
| I'm ill | Meyare Me ho mfa me |
| I'm hungry | Ɛkɔm de me |
| I feel sleepy | M'ani kum |
| Is everything alright? | Biribiara bɔkɔɔ deɛ? |
| Show me the way | Kyerɛ me kwan no |
| I will pay | Mɛtua |
| Turn off the light | Dum kanea no |
| Turn on the light | Sɔ kanea no |
Some phrases provided by Stephen Yaw Awiba of LearnAkan.com
If you would like to make any corrections or additions to this page, or if you can provide recordings, please contact me.
Information about Twi | Phrases | Numbers | Tower of Babel
Other collections of Twi phrases
https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Twi_phrasebook
http://jeremygoestoafrica.com/learn-twi/index.html
https://tinycards.duolingo.com/decks/a58865f3-c750-4460-bc15-6fc0d00c1b1c
https://www.livelingua.com/peace-corps/Twi/GH_Twi_Language_Lessons.pdf
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