AAkan Teleteaching Course

Unit 6.1: Thanking

1. Standard version:

To 1 person
To several persons
Meda w'aseá (bebree/paa/pii).
Meda mo aseá (bebree/paa /pii).
"I thank you (very much)."
Possible responses:
Nènaá aseá!
Moánànaá aseá!
"Never mind!" (lit. Don't thank!)
Asedaá nniá muá. / Asedaá nniá hõá.
"Never mind!" (lit. There is no thanking.)
Yñnniá asedaá.
"Never mind!" (lit. We don't eat thanking.)

2. Expressing deep gratitude:

To 1 person
To several persons
Onyameá náhyira wo.
Onyameá náhyira mo.
"God bless you!"
Woáaàkþé me (paa). [woáaá'kþé]
Moáaàkþé me (paa). [moáaá'kþé]
lit. "You have killed me!"
Meda w'aseá ñnsæé.
Meda mo aseá ñnsæé.
"I am immensely grateful to you."
Possible responses:
Ñyñá!
"It's okay!"
Ñnyñá hwee!
"It's nothing."
To show gratitude is most important in Akan culture. When you receive a gift, you don't just thank once but twice. The first time, of course, when you get it, and for the second time on the next day. Where this is impossible for some reason, you say:
Adeáñ kyøé aâ, meda aseá.
"Thank you for tomorrow."
(lit. When day breaks, I thank you.)

Unit-6 Next