Akan (Twi)
Introductory Lesson on Greetings in Akan Twi
Lesson: Formal Daily Twi Greetings
Culture: Greeting is an incredibly important part of Ghanaian culture. You are expected to shake hands, greet correctly for the occasion, and be especially polite when speaking to elders. When shaking hands, only use your right hand and shake hands with individuals in a group from left to right. In this short lesson, we will learn how to verbally greet different people, during different times of the day.
Vocabulary:
- – Morning: Anopa
- – Afternoon: Awia
- – Evening: Anadwo
- – Cousin/peer: Onua
- – Ma’am: Awuraa
- – Sir: Owura
- – Morning greeting: Me ma wo akye
- o Shortened greeting: Maakye
- – Afternoon greeting: Me ma wo aha
- o Shortened greeting: Maaha
- – Evening greeting: Me ma wo adwo
- o Shortened greeting: Maadwo
- – Response to old man: Yaa agya
- – Response to old woman: Yaa ena
- – Response to someone your age: Yaa nua
Listening:
Clip 4 from Peace Corps learning modules (30-2:10) x 2
Written and Oral Exercise:
- – Write and say: “Good morning ma’am”
(Awura maakye)
- – Write and say: “Good afternoon sir”
(Owura maaha)
- – Write and say: “Good evening cousin”
(Onua maadwo)
- – Write and say the greeting response to an older man:
(Yaa agya)
Oral practice:
Akua being greeted in the morning by an older woman
- Akua, maakye
- Yaa ena
Kofi being greeted by a peer in the afternoon
- Kofi, maaha
- Yaa nua
A man being greeted by an elder man in the evening
- Owura, maadwo
- Yaa agya
Matching activity:
- Write out vocabulary words in Twi, English, and with symbols on pieces of note cards. Choose the Twi vocabularly that you wish to study and EITHER the corresponding symbols or English words. Flip the selected note cards over so that the blank side faces up. Flip over two note cards at a time. Once you find a pair that matches, you can remove them from your game. Keep playing until you have matched up all of the vocabulary words.
Assessment:
Assess your learning with the drag and drop quiz below.
