When I tell people I live in Ghana, one of the first questions I get asked is what language do I speak there. There are more than 70 local languages spoken throughout Ghana, but English is the national language – a holdover from the British colonization.
However, just as American English is different from British English, Ghanaian English has it’s own distinct rhythms and quirks. Here are a couple phrases you might hear in Ghana, and what they mean.
Phrases
You are welcome!
When I first arrived and was meeting everyone for the first time, the first thing people said to me was, “You are welcome!” They were quite literally welcoming me to Ghana and my new home. But this isn’t a phrase that is reserved for new arrivals in Ghana. Anyone coming back from a long trip is greeted with this phrase. In Twi, one of the local languages, the word you may hear used is “Akwaaba!”
I am coming!
I was out with a friend who decided that she was going to go find the waiter to ask him something. She stood up and as she walked away from me she said, “I’m coming!” I was genuinely confused because to me, she was leaving. However, in Ghana, it’s a way of saying “I’ll be right back,” or “I’m coming back.”
Sorry.
Most often this word is not used as an apology for one’s actions, but rather as a show of sympathy. When I was getting out of the car and bumped my head, I heard a chorus of sorries behind me. When a mother disturbed her baby and he began crying, she softly chanted to him, “Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry.” When I saw someone trip over a rock and stumble, all I could do was shout out, “Aw, sorry!”
To take
This is a phrase that comes in handy for me quite often. It’s used in reference to food and drink as a way of saying you do or don’t eat or drink something. As a vegetarian, it’s easy to say, “I don’t take meat or fish.” It’s clear and concise in a way that saying “I’m vegetarian,” isn’t always. You can also use it for orders, such as, “I’ll take Club beer.”
Don’t mind them.
When someone is disturbing you, such as following you, continuing to playfully argue something, begging for money or trying to run a scam, the way you can tell someone to brush them off is to say, “Don’t mind them.” It’s basically saying, ignore them, but in a more polite way. You can also use it as a way to brush off what someone said, as in “I won’t mind you,” with a dismissive wave, but that is best used in a playful manner with friends.
Words
To dash
To give someone for free. You can ask for the woman selling you your vegetables to dash you a little extra, and she’ll usually oblige.
Chop
Food. When you are looking for a place to eat, look for signs that say “chop bar.” Or you can tell someone that you are looking for some chop.
Spot
A bar or pub. Places that only serve alcoholic drinks are called spots, and you’ll see that on their signs as well. I my favorite one I’ve seen is “The Milky Way Galaxy Spot.”