All languages
West Africa
Twi
Twi (Akan)A dialect cluster of Akan, the language of the Asante and Akyem states, and the source of adinkra symbolism, the day-name system and words like 'obroni'.
- Family
- Niger–Congo (Kwa)
- Script
- Latin
- Speakers
- ~20 million Akan speakers
- Spoken in
- Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire
The course
Five units, one word at a time
0/5 mastered
Unit 1
Greetings
Akwaaba — the welcome Ghana is known for.
- Akwaaba — Welcome
- Ɛte sɛn? — How are you?
- Me ho yɛ — I am fine
- Maakye — Good morning
- Medaase — Thank you
- Nante yie — Goodbye (walk well)
Unit 2
People and family
Akan kinship runs through the mother's line.
- Ɛna — Mother
- Agya — Father
- Abofra — Child
- Adamfo — Friend
- Onipa — Person
- Ɔbaa — Woman
Unit 3
Numbers one to ten
Counting in Akan.
- Baako — One
- Mmienu — Two
- Mmiɛnsa — Three
- Ɛnan — Four
- Enum — Five
- Edu — Ten
Unit 4
Food and the market
Makola market vocabulary.
- Nsuo — Water
- Aduane — Food
- Dwa — Market
- Ɛyɛ sɛn? — How much is it?
- Mepɛ — I want / I like
- Ɛyɛ den — It is expensive / hard
Unit 5
Everyday phrases
Politeness, agreement and asking the way.
- Mepa wo kyɛw — Please
- Aane — Yes
- Daabi — No
- Ɛhe? — Where?
- Mente aseɛ — I don't understand
- Kafra — Sorry
How to sound right
- Twi is tonal, and the vowels ɛ and ɔ are open sounds — ɛ as in bed, ɔ as in law.
- Every Akan child has a day-name from the day of the week they were born, such as Kwame or Akosua.
- Medaase (thank you) literally means 'I lie under you' — an old gesture of humility.
The audio button in lessons uses your device's speech engine, which rarely has a native African voice. Treat it as a rough guide and trust the written pronunciation hints and the coach instead.
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