va me
The English phrase "come in" is translated into Ewe as va me.
va me is used as an invitation or a command to tell someone to enter a room or a building.
Did you know?
- The word me in this context functions as a directional marker rather than the English pronoun 'me'.
- Because Ewe is a tonal language, the very meaning of the verb va can shift entirely depending on the pitch used during the command.
- While va me is a standard command, the level of respect shown to an elder or a stranger might require adding honorific titles after the phrase to avoid sounding blunt.
Example conversation
Akosua is visiting Selorm at his house.
- SelormAkosua, va me!Akosua, come in!
- AkosuaAkpe, Selorm.Thank you, Selorm.
- SelormVa me, dzigbe kaba.Come in, please sit down.
- AkosuaẼ, mava me.Yes, I am coming in.
