Pronunciation guide
[edit]Alphabets
[edit]- 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
[edit]- a e ɛ i o ɔ u
Consonants
[edit]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
[edit]dz, gb, kp, ny, ts,
Phrase list
[edit]Some phrases in this phrasebook still need to be translated. If you know anything about this language, you can help by plunging forward and translating a phrase.
Basics
[edit]- 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
[edit]- I am sick
- mɛdɔlɛm/mɛdzɛdɔ
- Sickness
- dɔlɛlɛ
- Hurt/Injured
- nuvɛviewɔm/mɛxɔabi (noo vah vee-ay wohm)
Numbers
[edit]- 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
Time
[edit]- Today
- egba
- Tomorrow
- etsɔ (etch-or)
Clock time
[edit]Gah-may
Duration
[edit]Days
[edit]- MONDAY
- DZOĐA
- TUESDAY
- BLAĐA
- WEDNESDAY
- KUĐA
- THURSDAY
- YAWOĐA
- FRIDAY
- FIĐA
- SATURDAY
- MEMLIĐA
- SUNDAY
- KWASIĐA
Months
[edit]- 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 )
Writing time and date
[edit]Colours---Amadedewo
[edit]- red, reddish
- dzĩ̍é
- green
- dáma̍, gbemu
Yellow or Orange → Aŋtitsiɖiɖi Black → Yibɔ White → Ɣee or Ɣie Blue → Blɔ
Transportation
[edit]Bus- 3vul3gbe3
Train- Keteke
Car- Lor3
Directions
[edit]Taxi
[edit]Lodging
[edit]Money
[edit]- Money
- ɛga (Eh-Gah), 3ho
- How much?
- Ho neni? ,(Hoh neh-nee?),Ne nei?
Eating
[edit]- 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
[edit]ahadzraƒe
Shopping
[edit]- 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 buy → Ƒle ŋu
- To sell → Dzra ŋu
- BOOK →Agbale
Driving
[edit]- Road
- eʋumɔ
- Car
- eʋuvi
Authority
[edit]- Government
- dzidudu (jee-doo-doo), Dziɖuɖu
Animals and Insects
[edit]- 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
[edit]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