Twi (pronounced "chwee") is the most widely spoken language in Ghana. A member of the great Akan language family, Twi serves as the lingua franca of this West African nation of 33 million people. With approximately 20 million speakers — including a significant diaspora in the UK, US, Canada, Germany, and the Netherlands — Twi is an essential gateway to Ashanti culture, one of the most influential civilizations in West African history.
1. Why learn Twi? 2. The alphabet and writing system 3. The tonal system 4. Greetings in Twi 5. Basic grammar 6. Essential vocabulary: 50 words 7. Numbers 8. Useful everyday phrases 9. Ashanti culture 10. Learn Twi with Targumi
Why learn Twi?
Ghana's most spoken language
Ghana has over 80 languages, but Twi dominates by far. It's the language of the Ashanti people — who founded one of the most powerful empires in precolonial Africa — and most Akan subgroups (Fanti, Akyem, Kwahu, Brong). Even non-Akan Ghanaians often speak Twi as a second language.
A massive and active diaspora
The Ghanaian diaspora is one of Africa's largest in the Western world. An estimated 350,000+ Ghanaians live in the United States, 130,000 in the UK, 150,000 in Germany, 100,000 in the Netherlands, and significant communities across Italy, Spain, France, and Belgium. Twi is the language that unites this diaspora.
Very few learning resources
Despite having 20 million speakers, Twi is virtually absent from major language learning platforms. Neither Duolingo, Babbel, nor Rosetta Stone offer Twi. Targumi is one of the rare platforms providing a structured learning path.
An exceptional cultural heritage
The Ashanti Empire (17th-19th century) left a remarkable cultural legacy: kente cloth (royal fabric with symbolic patterns), the Golden Stool (Sika Dwa Kofi, symbol of national unity), Ashanti proverbs (universally admired), and the day-name system (every Ghanaian carries a name linked to their day of birth).
The alphabet and writing system
The Twi alphabet
Twi uses the Latin alphabet with a few special characters:
| Letter |
| Example |
| -------- |
| --------- |
| a |
| ama (he gave) |
| ɛ |
| ɛte (it is located) |
| e |
| me (I/me) |
| i |
| ni (and) |
| o |
| ko (go) |
| ɔ |
| ɔno (him/her) |
| u |
| buru (donkey) |
| Word |
| Low tone |
| ------ |
| ---------- |
| papa |
| fan |
| da |
| lie down |
| kɔ |
| rub |
| Twi |
| Context |
| ----- |
| --------- |
| Maakye |
| Until ~12pm |
| Maaha |
| ~12pm-5pm |
| Maadwo |
| After 5pm |
| Ɛte sɛn? |
| Universal |
| Me ho yɛ |
| Standard reply |
| Yɛma wo akwaaba |
| For welcoming |
| Nante yie |
| When leaving |
| Day |
| Girl |
| ----- |
| ------ |
| Monday |
| Adwoa |
| Tuesday |
| Abenaa |
| Wednesday |
| Akua |
| Thursday |
| Yaa |
| Friday |
| Afua |
| Saturday |
| Ama |
| Sunday |
| Akosua |
| English |
| Twi (object) |
| --------- |
| -------------- |
| I |
| Me |
| You |
| Wo |
| He/She |
| No |
| We |
| Yɛn |
| You (pl.) |
| Mo |
| They |
| Wɔn |
| English |
| Pronunciation |
| --------- |
| --------------- |
| Yes |
| ah-ah-nay |
| No |
| dah-bee |
| Thank you |
| may-dah-say |
| Please |
| may-pa-wo-chew |
| Sorry |
| ko-seh |
| Water |
| n-swo |
| Food |
| a-dwa-nay |
| House |
| dan / fee-ay |
| Person |
| o-nee-pa |
| Child |
| a-baw-fra |
| Mother |
| mah-may / eh-na |
| Father |
| pa-pa / a-ja |
| Friend |
| a-dam-fo |
| Money |
| see-ka |
| Work |
| a-dwoo-ma |
| Market |
| dwam |
| Road |
| eh-kwan |
| Day |
| da |
| Night |
| a-na-dwo |
| Sun |
| ay-wee-a |
| Rain |
| n-swo taw |
| Big |
| keh-say |
| Small |
| kay-tay-wa |
| Good |
| pa-pa |
| Bad |
| baw-nay |
| Beautiful |
| feh |
| Hot |
| hyew |
| Cold |
| nwee-nee |
| Eat |
| dee |
| Drink |
| nom |
| Sleep |
| da |
| Go |
| kaw |
| Come |
| bra |
| Speak |
| ka-sa |
| See |
| hoo |
| Hear |
| tay |
| Know |
| neem |
| Want |
| peh |
| Can |
| too-mee |
| Love |
| daw |
| God |
| nya-may |
| King |
| oh-hay-nay |
| Queen Mother |
| oh-hay-mah |
| Earth |
| a-sa-say |
| River |
| a-soo-bawn-ten |
| Tree |
| doo-a |
| Animal |
| a-bo-a |
| Fish |
| a-pa-tah |
| Bird |
| a-no-mah |
| Book |
| n-ho-ma |
| Number |
| -------- |
| 1 |
| 2 |
| 3 |
| 4 |
| 5 |
| 6 |
| 7 |
| 8 |
| 9 |
| 10 |
| 20 |
| 50 |
| 100 |
| 1000 |
| English |
| --------- |
| What is your name? |
| My name is... |
| Where are you from? |
| I'm from England |
| I don't understand |
| Speak slowly |
| How much does it cost? |
| It's too expensive |
| I'm learning Twi |
| You speak Twi well! |
| Where is the bathroom? |
| I'm hungry |
| I'm thirsty |
| I love you |
| Help me please |
Ashanti culture
Kente cloth
Kente is Africa's most famous textile. Hand-woven by the Ashanti since the 12th century, each pattern carries a specific meaning. Kente was once reserved for royalty — wearing it without permission was punishable by death. Today, it symbolizes Pan-African pride worldwide.
The Golden Stool (Sika Dwa Kofi)
According to tradition, the priest Okomfo Anokye called down from the sky a stool of pure gold that landed on the lap of King Osei Tutu I around 1701. This stool embodies the soul of the Ashanti nation. It never touches the ground and no one sits on it — not even the king.
Ashanti proverbs
The Ashanti are famous for their proverbs (ɛbɛ):
Highlife music
Ghana is the birthplace of highlife, a music genre that influenced afrobeat, jùjú, and all modern West African music. Listening to highlife is the best way to train your ear for Twi.
Learn Twi with Targumi
Targumi offers a structured path to learn Twi:Twi is a language that opens the doors to Ghana and Ashanti culture — one of the richest in Africa. Every word you learn brings you closer to this extraordinary civilization.
Akwaaba! (Welcome!)---
Article written by Kwame Asante, certified Twi tutor and Targumi collaborator. At Targumi, we make learning Twi accessible to everyone.