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
Some phrases in this phrasebook still need to be translated. If you know anything about this language, you can help by plunging forward and translating a phrase.
Basics
- Welcome.
- Woezɔ (wayzor)
- Ok (response to welcome)
- Yoo
- Hello.
- Alekay (Alehkay?)
- Response to hello
- Miledzi (mileh ehjee)
- 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 nyɛ enyɛ/ Nyɛ ŋkɔ enyɛ ______.
- Please.
- Mɛɖɛkuku.
- Thanks.
- Akpɛ. (Akpeh)
- You're welcome/It's a pleasure
- Mɛ sɔ akpɛ 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].
- Nyɛ mɛ se ɛʋɛgbɛ o (Nyeh meh seh veh gbeh o )
- I'm learning Ɛʋɛgbɛ
- 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
- dɛkɛ
- 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
- alafa, Alafã
Time
- Today
- egba
- Tomorrow
- etso (etch-o)
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
- Eh Ga (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 (klo-klo-jee), Koklozi
- Beans
- ayi
- Stew
- tadi, Atadi
- Soup
- detsi (Day-see)
- Bread
- Akponoh (ah-(k)poh nuh)
- Onion
- Sabouleh
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