Adjectives

1. As an attribute to a noun, e.g.:

oniápa kñseáñ	a great, important person
abõfraá paá	a good child
kaáaà kõkõõá	a red car

2. As a predicate:

Oniápa yiá yñ kñseáñ.	This person is great/important.
Ataadeáñ yiá yñ fñá.	This dress is nice.
Kofiá kaáaà noá yñ kõkõõá.	Kofi's car is red.

2a. Monosyllabic adjectives, with the exception of 'pa' (good), are only used predicatively:

dñ	sweet, delicious
deán	hard, difficult
fñá	nice, beautiful
hyeá	hot
mmeárñ	soft, easy, weak
tan	ugly
teán	long, high

Examples:

Ñyñ dñ.	It is sweet.
Nkwaán noá yñ dñ.	The soup is delicious.
Neá 'boáõ yñ deán.	It's expensive (= its price is hard).
Ñyñ fñá.	It is nice.
Ne hüé yñ fñá.	(S)he is beautiful (= his/her body is beautiful).
Ne hüé yñ tan.	(S)he is ugly (= his/her body is ugly).

3. Many adjectives distinguish a simple, a reduplicated and a triplicated form. The simple form is only used predicatively (see above 2a.) The reduplicated form is used attributively. If used predicatively, it expresses intensity "very X". The triplicated form marks intensity, or, compared to the reduplicated form, increased intensity ("very, very X").

Simple form	Reduplication	Triplication	Meaning
1. dñ	dñdñ (predicate)/dññdñá (attribute)	dñdñáñdñ/dññdñáñdñ	sweet, delicious
2. deán	dendeán	dendeánden/denneánnen	hard, difficult
3. fñá	fñáfñ (predicate)/fñáñfñ (attribute)	fñfñáñfñ	nice, beautiful
4. foá	foáfo	fofoáofo	cheap
5. hyeá	hyeáhye	hyehyeáehye	hot
6. nwuánuá	nwununwuánu	nwununwuánunwunu	cold
7. keáte(wa)	keátekete(wa)	keáteketekete(wa)	little, small
8. mmeárñ	mmerñmmeárñ	mmerñmmeárñmmerñ	soft, easy, weak
9. paá	paápa	paápaapa	good (as to character)
10. taán	tantaán	tantaántan	ugly
11. teán	teánten	tenteáenten	long, high
12. tiaá	tiaátiàaá	tiaátiàaátiàaá	short

3.1. The four basic colour terms also dispose of an intensified form:

Simple form	Meaning	Intensified form	Meaning
1. fiátaa	white	fiátaaa	snow white
2. kõkõõá	red	kõõõ	flaming red
3. tuntumá	black	tumm	pitch dark
4. haánn	bright	haánnn	very bright

4. Plural forms: Whereas most adjectives do not change their forms in the plural, some adjectives do distinguish between singular and plural forms. A few adjectives even dispose of two plural forms, as can be seen from below. The reduplicated plural form stands for intensity

Singular	Plural		Meaning
.	Unmarked	Marked for intensity	.
1. foáforõ	afoáforõ	-	new, other
2. kñseáñ	akñseáñ	akñseáñaàkñseáñ	big, important
3. keátewa	nkeátewa	nkeátenàkeáte	small
4. kuámaa	nkuámaa	nkuámaanàkuámaa	junior
5. teánten	ateánten	atentenateánten	long
6. tiaá	ntiaá	ntiaánàtiaá	short

5. Note: A large number of English adjectives are rendered as verbs in Akan. We will distinguish two cases:

5.1. Stative verbs

5.2. Active verbs in perfect tense

5.1. Stative verbs
Stative verbs are mostly low-toned and do not take any tense or aspect markers:

Adjectival expression	Akan verb	English example	Akan example
to be big, enough	süè	I have much money.	Meá siákaá sü.
to be small, little	suaà	I have (only) a little money.	Meá siákaá sua.
to be tall, long	ware	It is far.	Ñware.
to be sick, ill	yareá	I am ill.	Meyareá.

5.1.1. Idiomatic expressions: Bodily conditions
Adjectives in expressions like "I am hungry/thirsty/cold", and the like are rendered with a noun and the stative verb 'deà'. The experiencer, i.e. the one who is affected by the action is in object position:

Adjectival expression	Akan expression	English example	Akan example
to be hungry	õkõám de EXP	I am hungry.	Ïkõám de me.
to be thirsty	sukõám de EXP	They are thirsty.	Sukõám de wõn.
to be cold	awõá de EXP	He is cold.	Awõá de no.
to be warm/hot	ahuáhuro de EXP	We feel hot.	Ahuáhuro de yñn.

5.2. Active verbs in perfect tense
Active verbs in the perfect tense often render English adjectival expressions, such as below:

Adjectival expression	Akan verb	Basic meaning	English example	Akan example
to be X years old	diá mfeáñ	"eat/spend years"	I'm 20 years old.	Madiá mfeáñ aduonuá.
to be dead	wuá	"die"	He's dead.	Ïawuá.
to be tired	brñá	"become tired"	I am tired.	Mabrñá.
to be old (of humans)	nyäni	"grow (old)"	(S)he is old.	Ïanyäni.
to be full, satisfied	meáe	"become satisfied"	I am satisfied.	Mameáe.

5.2.1. Idiomatic expressions: Emotions
Adjectives in expressions like "I am happy/angry", and the like are rendered with a body-part noun and an active verb. The experiencer, i.e. the one who is affected by the action is a noun or possessive pronoun:

Adjectival expression	Akan expression	Basic meaning	English example	Akan example
to be happy	EXP+aniá+gyeá	'eye', 'receive'	She is happy.	N'aniá agyeá.
to be angry	EXP+ñboá+fuá	'chest', 'raise'	Kofi is angry.	Kofiá boá afuá.
to be sad	EXP+weárñâ+hoá	'heart', 'dry up'	I'm sad.	Me weárñâ ahoá.
to be comforted	EXP+ñhüé+tõá+EXP(Obj.)	'body', 'relieve'	They are comforted.	Wõn hüé atõá wõn.