medaase
In Twi, medaase is the way to say thank you.
medaase is a common and versatile way to say thank you in formal situations. You can intensify this feeling by saying medaase paa, which means thank you very much, by adding paa (meaning 'very' or 'really') to the end.
Meaning: an expression of gratitude (intj)
What does it mean word for word?
The word medaase is a contraction of me da ase. Literally, it translates to 'I dwell at your base' (where 'me' means 'I', 'da' means 'stay/dwell' and 'ase' means 'bottom/base'), meaning I remain in your goodness/grace.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
meda mo ase is used when addressing an elder or a group of people to show respect.
How does it change in a sentence?
To specify whom you are thanking, you can insert a pronoun between da and ase. For example, meda wo ase means 'I thank you' (singular), while meda mo ase means 'I thank you' (plural/formal).
Did you know?
- In many Ghanaian cultures, when saying meda mo ase to an elder, the physical gesture of a slight bow or a respectful inclination of the head is often expected to accompany the words.
- Depending on the tone used, the word da inside medaase can be distinguished from other Twi words that sound identical but mean 'egg' or 'day'.
- The concept of 'ase' (bottom/base) is also used in Twi to describe the foundation of a house or a lineage, making the phrase feel very grounded and structural.
Examples in context
- Meda wo aseThank you very much.
Example conversation
Kwame gives Akua a gift.
- KwameEi, hwɛ eyi.Hey, look at this.
- AkuaMedaase, Kwame!Thank you, Kwame!
- KwameYɛn ara asa.You are welcome.
- AkuaƐyɛ fɛ paa.It is very beautiful.
