dɛn
dɛn is the Twi word for the English interrogative pronoun "what".
Meaning: what? (interrogative pronoun) (pron)
How does it change in a sentence?
To ask "why?" (literally "for what reason?"), you can add the particle nti to the word to form the phrase Dɛn nti?
Did you know?
- The word dɛn is part of a larger system of tonal linguistics where a change in the height of the vowel can completely change the meaning of the word to something unrelated.
- The phrase Dɛn nti? is often used as a shorthand for 'Why?', but in certain contexts, it can sound more demanding or confrontational than the standard English 'Why?'
- In many Twi dialects, the word for 'what' can also be used as a way to ask 'which one?' when choosing between items.
Examples in context
- Dɛn na ɛreba?What is coming?
- Wopɛ dɛn?What do you want?
- Dɛn na ɛkyerɛ?What does it mean?
