Food & Drinks

1. Mepɛ sɛ menom nsuo

   I want to drink water

   Usage

   The basic way to say you are thirsty. Swap nsuo for another drink

   Grammar Note

   pɛ sɛ is followed by a subject plus verb; here me- precedes nom "to drink".

2. Osukɔm de me

   I am thirsty

   Usage

   Says you are thirsty. Literally "thirst grips me"

   Grammar Note

   Twi has no adjective for "thirsty"; it says "thirst seizes me".

3. Ɔkɔm de me

   I am hungry

   Usage

   Says you are hungry. Literally "hunger grips me"

   Grammar Note

   Built like Osukɔm de me: "hunger seizes me".

4. Wowɔ nsuo?

   Do you have water?

   Usage

   Ask whether a shop or eatery has drinking water. Swap nsuo for another item

   Grammar Note

   No question word is needed; intonation marks the question.

5. Ma me nsuo

   Give me water

   Usage

   Put Mepa wo kyɛw before it to be polite

   Grammar Note

   ma is "to give"; the recipient comes before the thing given.

6. Mepɛ sɛ medi fufuo ne nkwan

   I want to eat fufu and soup

   Usage

   Ghana's best-known meal: pounded fufu eaten with soup

   Grammar Note

   ne joins nouns as "and". The dish name fufuo is often written fufu on menus.

7. Mepɛ banku

   I want banku

   Usage

   A dumpling of fermented corn and cassava dough; the menu spelling is banku

   Grammar Note

   pɛ is "to want". Dish names keep their menu spelling.

8. Mepɛ ɛmo

   I want rice

   Usage

   How to ask for rice

   Grammar Note

   pɛ is "to want"; ɛmo is "rice".

9. Mepɛ nam

   I want meat

   Usage

   How to ask for meat

   Grammar Note

   nam is "meat".

10. Mepɛ akokɔ

    I want chicken

    Usage

    How to ask for a chicken dish

    Grammar Note

    akokɔ is "chicken".

11. Mepɛ tii

    I want tea

    Usage

    How to ask for tea. tii is a loan from English tea

    Grammar Note

    tii is borrowed from English.

12. Mempɛ mako

    I don't want pepper

    Usage

    Use it if you cannot take spicy food; many Ghanaian dishes are made with plenty of pepper

    Grammar Note

    mempɛ is the negative of pɛ "to want".

13. Aduane no yɛ dɛ paa

    The food is very delicious

    Usage

    A way to praise a meal

    Grammar Note

    no after a noun means "the"; paa means "very".

14. Mepɛ sɛ metua sika

    I want to pay

    Usage

    Use it to ask for the bill after a meal; amounts are often said in English

    Grammar Note

    tua is "to pay"; "pay money" is tua sika.

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