wo
The Twi word for the subject pronoun 'you' is wo.
wo is used as a subject pronoun to refer to the person being addressed. For example, Wo yɛ is an informal way to say 'you are'.
Meaning: subject pronoun: the person being addressed (pron)
Did you know?
- When addressing an elder or a person of high status, using wo can sometimes be perceived as too blunt, leading speakers to use a more formal third-person reference to mean 'you'.
- In Twi, the pronoun wo is often omitted entirely in conversation if the context makes it clear who is being addressed. A sentence that would require 'you' in English may simply begin with the verb.
- When speaking to an elder or someone in authority, Twi speakers often avoid using the direct pronoun wo to show respect, opting instead for titles or honorifics.
Examples in context
- Ɛte sɛn?How are you?
- Wo yɛ engineerYou are an engineer
- Wo na ɛtena fie.You are the one who lives at home.
- Wo bɛba nnɛ.You will come today.
Example conversation
Kwesi and Afia are discussing who will cook dinner.
- KwesiWo bɛnoa aduane nnɛ?Will you cook the food today?
- AfiaAane, me bɛnoa.Yes, I will cook.
- KwesiMe bɛboa wo.I will help you.
- AfiaKyerɛ me kwan, Kwesi.Show me the way, Kwesi.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “you” translations and entries wo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
