Ewe phrasebook

Ewe (Èʋe or Èʋegbe) is a language spoken in parts of Ghana and Togo in the region of West Africa.

Pronunciation guide

Alphabets

;Aa /a/ ;Bb /b/ ;Dd /d/ ;Ɖɖ /ɖ/ ;Ee /e/,/ə/ ;Ɛɛ /ɛ/ ;Ff /f/ ;Ƒƒ /ɸ/ ;Gg /ɡ/ ;Ɣɣ /ɣ/ ;Hh /h/ ;Xx /x/ ;Ii /i/ ;Kk /k/ ;Ll /l/ ;Mm /m/ ;Nn /n/ ;Ŋŋ /ŋ/ ;Oo /o/ ;Ɔɔ /ɔ/ ;Pp /p/ ;Rr /r/ ;Ss /s/ ;Tt /t/ ;Uu /u/ ;Vv /v/ ;Ʋʋ /β/ ;Ww /w/ ;Yy /j/ ;Zz /z/

Vowels

; a e ɛ i o ɔ u

Consonants

Bb Dd Ɖɖ Ff Ƒƒ Gg Ɣɣ Hh Kk Ll Mm Nn Ŋŋ Pp Rr Ss Tt Vv Ʋʋ Ww Xx Yy Z z

Common diphthongs

dz, gb, kp, ny, ts,

Phrase list

Basics

; Welcome.: Woezɔ (wayzor) ; Ok (response to welcome): Yoo ; Hello.: Alekee (Alehkay?) ; Response to hello: Mile 'dzi (mileh jee) ; How are you? :Efɔa? (Ehfoa) ; Yes am fine:E mɛfɔ (ay mehfor) ; What is your name? : Ŋkɔ wo de? (n-kɔ wo-day) ; My name is ______ . : ŋkɔ nye enye/ Nye ŋkɔ enye __. ; Please. : Meɖekuku. ; Thanks. :Akpe. (Akpeh) ; You're welcome/It's a pleasure:Me sɔ akpe o : . (Meh sor akpeh o) ; Yes. : E. (ay) ; No. : Ao ; Excuse me. (getting attention) : Agoo. () ; Excuse me. (begging pardon) : . () ; I'm sorry. :Baba. ; Goodbye (I am going) :Me dzo (meh jo) ; We will meet again : Mia ga do go ; I can't speak Ewe [well]. :Nye me se 'ʋegbe o (Nyeh meh seh veh gbeh o ) ; I'm learning Ewe : Mɛ lɛ ɛʋɛgbɛ srɔm ; Do you speak English? :Ɛdo na yevugbɛa?/Ɛdoa yevugbɛa (Eh doah Yevugbeh a?) Ɛsɛ yevugbɛa? ; Does anyone here speak English? : Amɛ adɛ do na yevugbɛ le afisia? (?) ; Help me! :Xɔnam/Kpɛɖɛ nu nyɛ ! (!) ; Look out! :Kpɔ ɖá ! (!) ; Good morning. : Ŋdi. (n-dee) ; Good afternoon. : Ŋdɔ. (n-doh) ; Good evening. : Fie. (fee-ay) ; Good night (to sleep) :za nɛnyo/ dɔdɔ nɛnyo (Doh doh neh nyo) ; I am going to bed/sleep : Mɛ yina anyi mlɔfe ; I don't understand. : Nyɛ mɛ sɛ ɛgɔmɛo.: nyɛ mɛ sɛ egɔme o ; Where is the toilet? : Fika afɔdzi lɛ? (Fee-kah a-foh-le day?): fikae afɔdzi dɛƒɛ lɛ?

fikae ŋgodo xɔ lɛ? ; White person : Yevu (Yevu comes from Ayevu, meaning a cunning dog) ;Visitor : amedzroe

Problems

; I am sick : mɛdɔlɛm/mɛdzɛdɔ ; Sickness : dɔlɛlɛ ; Hurt/Injured : nuvɛviewɔm/mɛxɔabi (noo vah vee-ay wohm)

Numbers

; Zero : nadɛkɛ o ; One : dɛka,ɖɛka,Ɖɛka ; Two : eve (ev-ee) ; Three : ɛtor, ɛtɔ̃ ; Four : ene ; Five : ator, atɔ̃ ; Six : adɛ ; Seven : andrɛ, adrɛ ; Eight : enyi ; Nine : ashieke (a-shee-kee), asieke ; Ten : ewo ; Eleven : wideke, wiɖeke ; Twelve : wieve ; Thirteen : wietor, wietɔ̃ ;Twenty

blaeve ; Twenty-One : blave vor deke, Blaeve-vɔ-ɖeke ; Twenty-Two : blave vor eve,Blaeve-vɔ-eve ; ; Thirty : bla etor, Blaetɔ̃ ; Thirty-One : blator vor deka, Blaetɔ̃-vɔ-ɖeke ; ; Forty : bla ene, Blaene ; Fifty : bla ator, Blaatɔ̃ ; Sixty : bla ade, Blaade ; Seventy : bla andre, Blaadre ; Eighty : bla enyi, Blaenyi ; Ninety : bla ashieke, Blaasieke ; One Hundred : alɔfa, Alɔfã

Time

; Today :egba ; Tomorrow: etsɔ (etch-or)

Clock time

Game

Duration

Days

;MONDAY : DZOĐA ;TUESDAY : BLAĐA ;WEDNESDAY : KUĐA ;THURSDAY : YAWOĐA ;FRIDAY : FIĐA ;SATURDAY : MEMLIĐA ;SUNDAY : KWASIĐA

Months

;There are 13 months by Ewe peoples: ; 1- Dzove → from 1st Jannuary to 28th Jannuary. ( 28 days ) ; 2- Dzodze → from 29th January to 26th February.( 29 days ) ; 3- Tedoxe → from 27th February to 26th March. ( 28 days or 29 days if February is 29 days ) ; 4- Afɔfie → from 27th March to 23rd April.( 28 days ) ; 5- Dame → from 24th April to 21st May.( 28 days ) ; 6- Masa → from 22th May to 18th June. ( 28 days ) ; 7- Siamlɔm → from 19th June to 16th July. ( 28 days ) ; 8- Deasiamime → from 17th July to 13th Auguste.( 28 days ) ; 9- Anyonyo → from 14th Auguste to 10th September.( 28 days ) ; 10- Kele → from 11th September to 8th October.( 28 days ) ; 11- Adeamekpɔxe → from 9th October to 5th November.( 28 days ) ; 12- Dzome → from 6th November to 3rd December.( 28 days ) ; 13- Ƒoave → from 4th December to 31st December.( 28 days )

Writing time and date

Colours---Amadedewo

;red, reddish :dzĩ̍é ;green :dáma̍, gbemu Yellow or Orange → Aŋtitsiɖiɖi Black → Yibɔ White → Ɣee or Ɣie Blue → Blɔ

Transportation

Bus and train

Directions

Taxi

Lodging

Money

; Money : ɛga (Eh-Gah) ; How much? : Ho neni? (Hoh neh-nee)

Eating

; Food : nududu, Nuɖuɖu ; Cooking: nudada, Nuɖaɖa ; Breakfast : ndi nududu, ŋdi nuɖuɖu ; Lunch : ndor nududu, ŋdɔ nuɖuɖu ; Dinner : fie nududu, fiɛnyi nuɖuɖu ; Water : etsi (etch-ee), etsi ;Milk: Nyinotsi ; Tea : tí (tea) Ti ; Plantain :ablajo ;Banana :akɔdu ;Bread

abolo ; Pineapple : atortor (a-toh-toh) ; Mango : mango
; Coconut : ené ; Papaya (paw paw) : adiba ; Tomato : tomato, Timati ; Maize : ebli, Bli ; Meat: La ; Rice : morlu, Mɔlu ; Fish : ndonui, Akpa, tomela ; Chicken : kloklo, Koklo ; Egg : kloklodzi (ko-klo-zee), Koklozi ; Beans : ayi ; Stew : tadi, Atadi ; Soup : detsi (Deh-chee) ; Bread :Akponoh (ah-(k)poh nuh) ;Onion : Sabouleh(sabala)

Bars

ahadzraƒe

Shopping

; Market : asime (ah-see-may) ; I want (a) _______ : Medje ______ (meh-jee ) ; I have (a) _______ : ________ le asinye ( luh ah seen yah_) ; Sell : nudzra (noo-jra)→ Ŋudzadzra ; Buy : nupeple (noo-pay-play)→ Ŋuƒeƒle To buy → Ƒle ŋu ; To sell → Dzra ŋu ; BOOK →Agbale

Driving

; Road : eʋumɔ ; Car : eʋuvi

Authority

; Government : dzidudu (jee-doo-doo), Dziɖuɖu

Animals and Insects

; Bird : Xe (heh) ; Lizard : adoglo ; Mouse : afi ; Goat : Gbɔ
; Cow : nyi ; Cat : dadi ; Dog : avu ; Monkey : kese ; Elephant : atsiglini, Atsiglinyi ; Crocodile : alo, Lo ; Bee : anyi ; Mosquito : amu, Mu ; Housefly : tagbatsutsu (tag-bah choo choo) ; Butterfly : kpakpaluhɔe (k-pak-paw-hoo-ay) ; Tse Tse Fly : togbato ; Ant : Anyidi ;Termite: Baba ;sheep : a̍lẽ́

Learning more

mobile phone

kaƒomɔ

Phone number

kaƒo dzesi

medicine

atike

soap

dzale

Hospital

dɔyɔƒe/ kɔdzi

Rice

mɔlu

Christmas blonya

Merry Christmas to you

ƒenawo

Happy new year to you

ƒe yeye nawo