English Translation of “a”

a _letter

1. first letter of the Akan alphabet

a _{plural nominal prefix}

2. prefixed to certain nouns to form their plural forms
   • ɔsɔfo (a pastor) to asɔfo (pastors)
   • pɔnkɔ (a horse) to apɔnkɔ (horses)
   • nantwie (a cow) to anantwie (cows)

a _{plural adjectival prefix}

3. prefixed to certain adjectives to form their plural forms
   • kɛseɛ (big, singular) to akɛseɛ (big, plural)
   • foforɔ (other; new, singular) to afoforɔ (others; new, plural)
   • tenten (long, sinular) to atenten (long, plural)

a _{numeral prefix}

4. prefixed to numbers in tens, from 20 to 90
   • aduonu (twenty)
   • aduasa (thirty)
   • aduanan (forty)
   • aduonum (fifty)
   • aduosia (sixty)
   • aduɔson (seventy)
   • aduɔwɔtwe (eighty)
   • aduɔkron (ninety)

a _{if-clause particle}

5. can be used with or without “sɛ” to form if clauses within conditional statements
   • woba a, mɛkɔ (if you come, I’ll go)
   • sɛ woba a, mɛkɔ (if you come, I’ll go)
   • wohwɛ me a, mɛsa sɛ afofantɔ (if you look at me, I’ll dance like a butterfly)
   • sɛ wohwɛ me a, mɛsa sɛ afofantɔ (if you look at me, I’ll dance like a butterfly)
   • wɔwo wo wɔ Amɛreka a, wonyini yɛ tenten (if you’re born in America, you grow tall)
   • sɛ wɔwo wo wɔ Amɛreka a, wonyini yɛ tenten (if you’re born in America, you grow tall)

a _{relative pronoun}

6. used as the subject of a relative clause to refer to an antecedent referent
   • akokɔ no a yɛkumm no no anwu (the chicken that we killed did not die)
   • Onyankopɔn a mesom no no da so te ase (the God that I worship is still alive)
   • osikani no a ɔgyaee ne yere no asan aware (the rich man who divorced his wife has remarried)
   • sika no a wode maa me no ayera (the money which you gave me is lost)

a _{interrogative particle}

7. used to form questions
   • ɔno a? (is it him/her?)
   • ɛyɛ ɛno a? (is that it?)

a _{emphatic particle}

8. used to emphasize
   • ɔno a! (it’s him/her!)
   • me a! (it’s me!)

a _{perfect aspect marker}

9. used to make the perfect form of verbs
   • akwadaa no ada (the child has slept)
   • ɔwɔ no aka papa no (the snake has bitten the man)
   • abansoro no adwiri agu (the storey building has collapsed)