wo ho yɛ tan
The phrase "you're ugly" in Twi is wo ho yɛ tan.
This phrase is used to tell someone that they are not physically attractive.
What does it mean word for word?
The expression is built using the possessive pronoun wo (your) and the noun ho (body/skin) to describe physical appearance.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase uses the possessive pronoun 'wo' (your) and the noun 'ho' (body/skin) to describe physical appearance.
Did you know?
- In some dialects of Akan, tan is used to describe food that has gone bad or smells rotten, linking physical ugliness to the sense of smell.
- Directly commenting on a person's ho or physical body is often considered much more offensive and personal in Akan culture than in Western contexts.
- While wo ho yɛ tan describes physical appearance, the word tan can also be used to describe things that are morally foul or spiritually unclean.
Examples in context
- Wo ho yɛ tan.You are ugly.
- Mpaninfoɔ se wo ho yɛ tan.The elders say you are ugly.
Example conversation
Yaw and Ama are arguing during a fight.
- YawYaw, wo ho yɛ tan!Yaw, you're ugly!
- AmaWo na wo ho yɛ tan.You are the one who is ugly.
- YawMe nnyɛ tan koraa.I am not ugly at all.
- AmaƐno na ɛyɛ anka.That is the funniest part.
