Language/Twi/Grammar/Give-your-Opinion

Twi Grammar - Give your Opinion

Hi Twi learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will learn how to give our opinions in Twi. Expressing your opinion is very important for communication. It allows you to share your thoughts, feelings, and ideas with others. In Twi, there are different ways to express opinions, and we will explore them in this lesson. We will also provide some cultural information and interesting facts along the way. So, let's get started!

Consider exploring these related pages after completing this lesson: Gender & Pronouns.

Vocabulary

Before we dive into expressing opinions, let's first learn some vocabulary related to this topic.

Twi	Pronunciation	English
akyiili	/a.tʃiː.li/	opinion
kasa	/ka.sa/	talk, speak
dɔfoɔ	/dɔ.foː/	wise person
kasa deɛ	/ka.sa dɛ:/	discussion, dialogue
wo nso ye brɛ	/wo n.so je brɛ/	what do you think?

Giving Your Opinion

In Twi, there are different ways to express your opinion depending on the situation and the level of formality. In general, opinions can be expressed using the following sentence structures:

• "Me {verb} no, ...": This structure is used to express a personal opinion. It is formed by starting with "Me" which means "I", followed by a verb, and then the opinion. For example:

Me pɛ sɛ...	"I think that..."
Me bɛfrɛ...	"I prefer..."
Me hyɛ...	"I believe..."

• "Ɛyɛ {noun} deɛ, ...": This structure is used to express an opinion based on personal experience or observation. It is formed by starting with "Ɛyɛ" which means "It is", followed by a noun, and then the opinion. For example:

Ɛyɛ asɔfoɔ deɛ, mepɛ sɛ...	"As a teacher, I think that..."
Ɛyɛ nna deɛ, mebɛfrɛ...	"As for me, I prefer..."
Ɛyɛ Awaregya deɛ, mehyɛ...	"As an Awaregya, I believe..."

• "Wo nso ye brɛ {noun}, ...": This structure is used to ask for someone's opinion. It is formed by starting with "Wo nso ye brɛ" which means "What do you think", followed by a noun, and then the opinion. For example:

Wo nso ye brɛ akyiili, mepɛ sɛ...

"What do you think about the opinion, I think that..."

Let's illustrate these structures with some examples:

• Mabel: Me pɛ sɛ ɔhaw biara na wopɛ sɛ yɛnka ɛfie a, yɛfrɛ ɔdɔ. (“I think that every time we come home, we should say hello.”)
• Kwaku: Mepɛ sɛ yɛde nranteɛ na yɛnnom no ho gyaa. (“I prefer that we take off our shoes and leave them outside.”)
• Akosua: Ɛyɛ Ebirahem deɛ, metumi aka sɛ ɛkɔm de yɛ wɔ asɛmpatrɛ no mu. (“As an Ebirahem, I can say that we are very good at storytelling.”)
• Nana: Wo nso ye brɛ dɛn no mu, merɛ pɛ sɛ yɛde deduampong tumi nteɛ. (“What do you think about the elections? I think that we need a strong leader.”)

Cultural Tips

In Ghana, debates and discussions are an integral part of social interaction. People often engage in lively debates on various topics, from politics to sports to entertainment. Debating is seen as a way to sharpen one's intellect and articulate one's ideas effectively. It is also a way to build consensus and work towards common goals. Therefore, it is important to be able to express your opinion clearly and confidently, while being respectful of others.

Another important aspect of Ghanaian culture is the value placed on wisdom and knowledge. Dɔfoɔ or wise persons are respected and admired in Ghanaian society. They are seen as reservoirs of knowledge, and their opinions are often sought after on various issues. Therefore, it is important to strive towards wisdom and knowledge in all aspects of life.

Practice Dialogue

To help you practice expressing your opinion in Twi, let's look at a dialogue between two friends, Amma and Kojo.

• Amma: Me pɛ sɛ yɛfrɛ wɔ ha mfa nkyɛn aseɛ. (“I think we should clean up the place first.”)
• Kojo: Mepɛ sɛ yɛwɔ sɛ bi me pɛ sɛ yɛyɛ fɔɔtɔbɔ dodow. (“I prefer that some of us play soccer first.”)
• Amma: Ei bɛn ni? Kyerɛ amanfoɔ no saa. (“What's that? Explain it to your friends.”)
• Kojo: Nkwaasɛm biara. Sɛ ɛyɛ nyansa biara, mepɛ sɛ yɛkɔ yarabrɛ aseɛ. (“Any topic. If it's anything wise, I prefer that we have a discussion.”)

Conclusion

In this lesson, we have learned how to give our opinions in Twi using different sentence structures. We have also learned some vocabulary related to this topic, explored cultural tips, and practiced a dialogue. Remember that expressing your opinion is an important part of communication, and it allows you to share your thoughts, feelings, and ideas effectively. To improve your Twi grammar, you can also use the Polyglot Club website. Find native speakers and ask them any questions! Until next time, medaase! 🙏🏾

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➡ If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments section below.
➡ Feel free to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved. 😎

With this lesson finished, you may want to explore these additional pages: Conditional Mood & Personal Pronouns.

Other Lessons

• Pronouns
• Questions
• Negation
• Conditional Mood
• How to Use Be
• Gender
• Nouns
• Plurals
• Adjectives

Sources

• Learn Akan (Twi) Grammar | The Akan Alphabet | Lesson 1 | Learn ...
• Twi - Wikipedia
• Twi Object Pronouns | All About Twi Pronouns, Video 3 | Twi Grammar