kɔm
The Twi word for hungry is kɔm.
While it is used to describe the state of being hungry, kɔm functions as a noun meaning hunger.
Meaning: affected by hunger, desirous of food (adj)
What does it mean word for word?
The word kɔm literally means hunger.
How does it change in a sentence?
To express that someone is hungry, use the noun kɔm followed by the particle de (meaning 'is/has') to form the phrase kɔm de.
Did you know?
- In many Ghanaian contexts, expressing kɔm de to an elder might be seen as a polite indirect way of requesting a meal rather than a blunt statement of discomfort.
- Because kɔm is a noun, the Twi language conceptually treats hunger as an object that a person possesses rather than a quality a person is.
- The word kɔm is used in the Twi phrase for famine, showing that the same root describes both an individual's appetite and a systemic food crisis.
Examples in context
- Kɔm de me.I am hungry.
Example conversation
Adwoa and Kofi are walking home from school.
- AdwoaKofi, wo kɔm ba?Kofi, are you hungry?
- KofiAane, kɔm ware me paa.Yes, I am very hungry.
- AdwoaYɛnkɔ aduane kɔn.Let's go eat some food.
- KofiƐyɛThat's fine.
