be
The English word 'time' can be expressed in Ga using be.
In Ga, be is used to denote a measurement of a quantity of time.
Meaning: measurement of a quantity of time (noun)
Did you know?
- Because be functions as the core of many temporal expressions, a speaker might use it to mean both 'to exist' and 'to be a certain amount of time'.
- A speaker might use be to describe how old someone is and the current time of day using the same linguistic structure. This requires the listener to rely heavily on surrounding context to avoid confusion.
- In many Ga contexts, expressing 'time' is less about a ticking clock and more about whether a certain state of affairs currently 'is' or 'exists'.
Examples in context
- Ewieɔ be fɛɛ be.She is talking all the time.This sentence is useful for seeing how be is used to indicate an ongoing duration.Tatoeba #13290385 by NigerianSmiths, translation #11613530 by morbrorper
Example conversation
Ramatu and Tetteh are meeting for lunch.
- RamatuTetteh, be fɛɛ be.Tetteh, it is time.
- TettehMi baa be ni miiwa.I am coming in a moment.
- RamatuBe ni miiwa be fiaa.The time is passing.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
