Language/Ewe/Grammar/Questions

Ewe Grammar - Questions

Hi Ewe learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will delve into Ewe questions. Understanding how to form questions is an essential aspect of learning Ewe Grammar. We will explore the different types of questions and how to form them. We will also provide cultural information and interesting facts to make the lesson more engaging. By the end, you should have a good understanding of how to ask questions in Ewe.

Basic Questions

Questions that start with a verb in Ewe are similar to English questions. The word order is subject, verb, object. However, in Ewe, the questioning tone is used to indicate that the sentence is a question.

Examples

Here are some examples of basic questions in Ewe:

Ewe	Pronunciation	English
Wo la xexexe	wo la khe-khe-khe	Are you laughing?
Ame dzo tsofia?	a-me jo-so fia	Did you see Sophia?

Questions Starting with Question Words

Question words are used to form more complex and specific questions. In Ewe, they are placed at the beginning of the question.

Examples

Here are some examples of questions starting with question words.

Ewe	Pronunciation	English
Wo de woefa wolo?	wo de wo-fa wo-lo	Where are you going?
Anade dee asiakogo nye wo de?	a-na-de de-e a-sia-ko-go ny-e wo de	When are you coming back from the market?
Wo nye wo fafada nee wo de?	wo nye wo fa-fa-da nɛ wo de	Why did you leave early?

Tag Questions

Tag questions are similar to English questions that include statements with a question to confirm the statement's accuracy. In Ewe, there are different ways to form tag questions.

Examples

Here are some examples of tag questions in Ewe:

Ewe	Pronunciation	English
Wo nye xlaa ni? Kuku yenye?	wo nye kha-aa ni? ku-ku ye-nye?	You cooked yam right? Kuku ate?
Ame ne gbe ko? Mawu na wo alo o.	a-me ne gbe ko? ma-wu na wo a-lo o	You are coming, right? God be our helper.

Cultural Notes

- In Ewe culture, it is essential to ask for permission before entering someone's home. The phrase "medela" (please) is often used when asking for permission. - It is also customary to ask about someone's family before starting a conversation. For example, "woe nye ame?" (How is your family?).

Interesting Facts

- Ewe is spoken in Ghana, Togo, and Benin. It is also spoken by a small number of people in Nigeria. - Ewe is a tonal language, which means that the tone affects the meaning of a word. There are three tones in Ewe: high, mid, and low.

Dialogue

• Person 1: Wo la xexexe? (Are you laughing?)
• Person 2: Aaa, mi xexexefe ni. (Yes, I am very happy.)
• Person 1: Wo de woefa wolo? (Where are you going?)
• Person 2: Mi de Akosombo nya woe. (I am going to Akosombo.)
• Person 1: Anade dee asiakogo nye wo de? (When are you coming back from the market?)
• Person 2: Ame dee dzo lile mi. (I will come back later.)
• Person 1: Wo nye xlaa ni? Kuku yenye? (You cooked yam right? Kuku ate?)
• Person 2: Aayida, Kuku yenye. (Yes, Kuku ate.)

Sources

• Ewe Language
• Tonal Language
• Ghana

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