Ewe phrasebook



Ewe (Èʋe or Èʋegbe) is a language spoken in parts of Ghana and Togo in the region of West Africa.

Alphabets

 * Aa		/a/
 * Bb		/b/
 * Dd		/d/
 * Ɖɖ 		/ɖ/
 * Ee		/e/,/ə/
 * Ɛɛ		/ɛ/
 * Ff		/f/
 * Ƒƒ 		/ɸ/
 * Gg		/ɡ/
 * Ɣɣ		/ɣ/
 * Hh		/h/
 * Xx    /x/
 * Ii		/i/
 * Kk 		/k/
 * Ll		/l/
 * Mm		/m/
 * Nn		/n/
 * Ŋŋ 		/ŋ/
 * Oo		/o/
 * Ɔɔ		/ɔ/
 * Pp		/p/
 * Rr		/r/
 * Ss		/s/
 * Tt		/t/
 * Uu		/u/
 * Vv		/v/
 * Ʋʋ		/β/
 * Ww		/w/
 * Yy		/j/
 * Zz		/z/

Vowels

 * a e ɛ i o ɔ u

Consonants
Bb Dd Ɖɖ Ff Ƒƒ Gg Ɣɣ Hh Kk Ll Mm Nn Ŋŋ Pp Rr Ss Tt Vv Ʋʋ Ww Xx Yy Z z

Common consonantal blends
dz, gb, kp, ny, ts,

Basics

 * Welcome. : Woezɔ (wayzor)
 * Ok (response to welcome) : Yoo
 * Hello. : Alekee (Alehkay?)
 * Response to hello: Mile 'dzi (mileh jee)
 * How are you? :Efɔa? (Ehfoa)
 * Yes am fine:E mɛfɔ (ay mehfor)
 * What is your name? : Ŋkɔ wo de? (n-kɔ wo-day)
 * My name is ______ . : ŋkɔ nye enye/ Nye ŋkɔ enye ______.
 * Please. : Meɖekuku.
 * Thanks. :Akpe. (Akpeh)
 * You're welcome/It's a pleasure:Me sɔ akpe o : . (Meh sor akpeh o )
 * Yes. : E. (ay)
 * No. : Ao
 * Excuse me. (getting attention) : Agoo. ( )
 * Excuse me. (begging pardon) : . ( )
 * I'm sorry. :Baba.
 * Goodbye ( I am going) :Me dzo (meh jo)
 * We will meet again : Mia ga do go
 * I can't speak Ewe [well]. :Nye me se 'ʋegbe o (Nyeh meh seh veh gbeh o )
 * I'm learning Ewe : Mɛ lɛ ɛʋɛgbɛ srɔm
 * Do you speak English? :Ɛdo na yevugbɛa?/Ɛdoa yevugbɛa (Eh doah Yevugbeh a?) Ɛsɛ yevugbɛa?
 * Does anyone here speak English? : Amɛ adɛ do na yevugbɛ le afisia? ( ?)
 * Help me! :Xɔnam/Kpɛɖɛ nu nyɛ ! ( !)
 * Look out! :Kpɔ ɖá ! ( !)
 * Good morning. : Ŋdi. (n-dee )
 * Good afternoon. : Ŋdɔ. (n-doh)
 * Good evening. : Fie. (fee-ay)
 * Good night (to sleep) :za nɛnyo/ dɔdɔ nɛnyo (Doh doh neh nyo)
 * I am going to bed/sleep : Mɛ yina anyi mlɔfe
 * I don't understand. : Nyɛ mɛ sɛ ɛgɔmɛo.: nyɛ mɛ sɛ egɔme o
 * Where is the toilet? : Fika afɔdzi lɛ? ( Fee-kah a-foh-le day?):  fikae afɔdzi dɛƒɛ lɛ?
 * fikae ŋgodo xɔ lɛ?


 * White person : Yevu (Yevu comes from Ayevu, meaning a cunning dog)
 * Visitor : amedzroe

Problems

 * I am sick : mɛdɔlɛm/mɛdzɛdɔ
 * Sickness : dɔlɛlɛ
 * Hurt/Injured : nuvɛviewɔm/mɛxɔabi (noo vah vee-ay wohm)

Numbers

 * Zero : nadɛkɛ o,d3k3 o
 * One : dɛka,ɖɛka,Ɖɛka
 * Two : eve (ev-ee)
 * Three : ɛtor, ɛtɔ̃
 * Four : ene
 * Five : ator, atɔ̃
 * Six : adɛ
 * Seven : andrɛ, adrɛ
 * Eight : enyi
 * Nine : ashieke (a-shee-kee), asieke
 * Ten : ewo
 * Eleven : wideke, wiɖeke
 * Twelve : wieve
 * Thirteen : wietor, wietɔ̃
 * Twenty
 * blaeve


 * Twenty-One : blave vor deke, Blaeve-vɔ-ɖeke
 * Twenty-Two : blave vor eve,Blaeve-vɔ-eve
 * Thirty : bla etor, Blaetɔ̃
 * Thirty-One : blator vor deka, Blaetɔ̃-vɔ-ɖeke
 * Forty : bla ene, Blaene
 * Fifty : bla ator, Blaatɔ̃
 * Sixty : bla ade, Blaade
 * Seventy : bla andre, Blaadre
 * Eighty : bla enyi, Blaenyi
 * Ninety : bla ashieke, Blaasieke
 * One Hundred : alɔfa, Alɔfã
 * Ninety : bla ashieke, Blaasieke
 * One Hundred : alɔfa, Alɔfã

Time

 * Today :egba
 * Tomorrow: etsɔ (etch-or)

Clock time
Gah-may

Days

 * MONDAY : DZOĐA
 * TUESDAY : BLAĐA
 * WEDNESDAY : KUĐA
 * THURSDAY : YAWOĐA
 * FRIDAY : FIĐA
 * SATURDAY : MEMLIĐA
 * SUNDAY : KWASIĐA

Months

 * There are 13 months by Ewe peoples:
 * 1- Dzove → from 1st January to 28th January. ( 28 days )
 * 2- Dzodze → from 29th January to 26th February.( 29 days )
 * 3- Tedoxe → from 27th February to 26th March. ( 28 days or 29 days if February is 29 days )
 * 4- Afɔfie → from 27th March to 23rd April.( 28 days )
 * 5- Dame → from 24th April to 21st May.( 28 days )
 * 6- Masa → from 22th May to 18th June. ( 28 days )
 * 7- Siamlɔm → from 19th June to 16th July. ( 28 days )
 * 8- Deasiamime → from 17th July to 13th August.( 28 days )
 * 9- Anyonyo → from 14th August to 10th September.( 28 days )
 * 10- Kele → from 11th September to 8th October.( 28 days )
 * 11- Adeamekpɔxe → from 9th October to 5th November.( 28 days )
 * 12- Dzome → from 6th November to 3rd December.( 28 days )
 * 13- Ƒoave → from 4th December to 31st December.( 28 days )

Colours---Amadedewo
Yellow or Orange → Aŋtitsiɖiɖi Black → Yibɔ White → Ɣee or Ɣie Blue → Blɔ
 * red, reddish :dzĩ̍é
 * green :dáma̍, gbemu

Transportation
Bus- 3vul3gbe3

Train- Keteke

Car- Lor3

Money

 * Money : ɛga (Eh-Gah), 3ho


 * How much? : Ho neni? ,(Hoh neh-nee?),Ne nei?

Eating

 * Food : nududu, Nuɖuɖu
 * Cooking: nudada, Nuɖaɖa
 * Breakfast : ndi nududu, ŋdi nuɖuɖu
 * Lunch : ndor nududu, ŋdɔ nuɖuɖu
 * Dinner : fie nududu, fiɛnyi nuɖuɖu
 * Water : esi (eh-see), esi
 * Milk: Nyinotsi
 * Tea : tí (tea) Ti
 * Plantain :ablajo
 * Banana :akɔdu
 * Bread
 * abolo


 * Pineapple : atortor (a-toh-toh)
 * Mango : mango
 * Coconut : ené
 * Papaya (paw paw) : adiba
 * Tomato : tomato, Timati
 * Maize : ebli, Bli
 * Meat: La
 * Rice : morlu, Mɔlu
 * Fish : ndonui, Akpa, tomela
 * Chicken : kloklo, Koklo
 * Egg : kloklodzi (ko-klo-zee), Koklozi
 * Beans : ayi
 * Stew : tadi, Atadi
 * Soup : detsi (Deh-chee)
 * Bread :Akponoh (ah-(k)poh nuh)
 * Onion : Sabouleh(sabala)

Bars
ahadzraƒe

Shopping
To buy → Ƒle ŋu
 * Market : asime (ah-see-may)
 * I want (a) _______ : Medje ______ (meh-jee _______)
 * I have (a) _______ : ________ le asinye (________ luh ah seen yah)
 * Sell : nudzra (noo-jra)→ Ŋudzadzra
 * Buy : nupeple (noo-pay-play)→ Ŋuƒeƒle
 * To sell → Dzra ŋu
 * BOOK →Agbale

Driving

 * Road : eʋumɔ
 * Car : eʋuvi

Authority

 * Government : dzidudu (jee-doo-doo), Dziɖuɖu

Animals and Insects

 * Bird : Xe (heh)
 * Lizard : adoglo
 * Mouse : afi
 * Goat : Gbɔ
 * Cow : nyi
 * Cat : dadi
 * Dog : avu
 * Monkey : kese
 * Elephant : atsiglini, Atsiglinyi
 * Crocodile : alo, Lo
 * Bee : anyi
 * Mosquito : amu, Mu
 * Housefly : tagbatsutsu ( tag-bah choo choo)
 * Butterfly : kpakpaluhɔe (k-pak-paw-hoo-ay)
 * Tse Tse Fly : togbato
 * Ant : Anyidi
 * Termite: Baba
 * sheep : a̍lẽ́

Learning more
mobile phone

kaƒomɔ

Phone number

kaƒo dzesi

medicine

atike

soap

dzale

Hospital

dɔyɔƒe/ kɔdzi

Rice

mɔlu

Christmas blonya

Merry Christmas to you

ƒenawo

Happy new year to you

ƒe yeye nawo