(1). ‘’MALI’’ (TO HAVE SOMETHING)

• M mali ligiri pam.   > I have a lot of money.
• Ti mali paanuu pam.> We have a lot of bread.

NOTE:  I want you to use ‘’Mali’ (to have something) in creating sentences to finish up the following pronouns:

1. A mali>
2. O mali>
3. Di mali>
4. Yi mali>
5. Be mali>

(2). ‘’MI (TO KNOW):

• M mi o yuli> I know his or her name.
• M mi be yaa> I know their town.
• Ti mi be yuya> we know their names.
• Ti mi be yinsi> we know their houses.
• Isabella mi bidibillil maa> Isabella knows the boy.
• Farouk mi tuma maa> Farouk knows how to do the work.
• O mi sabbu> he/ she knows how to write.
• Isabella mi karim pam> Isabella knows how to read very well.

Opposite:

• M bi mi yi yuya.> I don’t know you names.
• Mma bi mi Accra.> My mother doesn’t know Accra.
• Noombili maa bi mi kumsi.> The bird doesn’t know how to sing (cry)
• Farouk bi mi Spanish.      > Farouk doesn’t know Spanish.
• Isabella be ni Ghana.> Isabella doesn’t know Ghana.
• N zii yi yuya.> I don’t know your names.
• Yi mi n yuga?> do you know my house?
• Aayi, ti zii a yiga.> No, we don’t know your house.
• O zii ma> he/ she doesn’t know me.
• Ti zii yila yilibu.> We don’t know how to sing.

(3). OTHER LOCATIVE PREPOSITIONS:

• Zugu> on.
• Zugsaa> on top of.
• Gbinni/ logni> under.
• Tooni> in front of.
• Sani/ Yagli/ polo> side, with.
• Nyaaga> behind.
• Ni> ni, with.
• Puuni> inside.
• Shee/ miri> by, near.
• Shee/ lugli> near/ beside
• Shee> near.

NOTE: the reason behind the different word (ie, Sani/ Yagli/ polo, Bookunimaa/ kundinim’ ) in Dagbani which virtually means the same is to equip you to play with diverse words in your sentences and also make you understand numerous words and their meanings whenever is been change in a sentence.

Practical sentences for the preposition:

• Buku be teebuli maa zugu. > There is a book on the table.
• Ligri pa teebuli maa zugu. > There is money on the table.
• Bookunimaa/ kundinim’ pa teebuli maa zugsaa. > There are books on the table.
• Ligri do teebuli maa gbinni. > There is money lying under the table.
• Ligri do kug’ maa gbinni. > There is money lying under the chair.
• Pensili do teebuli maa logni > there is pencil lying under the table.
• takara gbag do teebuli maa tooni. > There is a sheet of paper in front of the table.
• Koru do adaka maa tooni. > There is a Banana in front of the Box.
• Leemu be adaka maa nyaaga > there is an orange behind the Box.
• Namda be teebuli maa nyaaga. > There are sandals behind the table.
• Ligri be teebuli maa shee. > There is money near the table.
• Leemu be adaka maa shee. > There is an orange near the Box.
• Takari gbag maa be Adam sani. > The paper is with Adam.
• Koru be Isabella sani. > There is a Banana with Isabella.
• Buku be adaka maa puuni. > There is a book in the Box.
• Ligri be adaka maa puuni. > There is money in the Box.
• Ligri do kugsi maa sunsuuni. > There is some money lying between the chairs.
• Pensile do m mina sunsuuni. > There is a pencil lying between you and I.

(4). Using of pa, ze, tam, kpe in replace of be, and do.

• Ligri pa adaka maa zugu. > There is money on the Box.
• Chinchini pa kug’ maa zugu. > There is cloth in the chair.
• Daliya/ liiga maa pa duu puuni. > The shirt is in the room.
• Bindirigu tam teebuli maa zugu. > There is food on the table.
• Doo maa tam loori maa zugu >The man is on top of the lorry.
• Bihi maa zii tia maa gbinni. > The children are seating under the tree.
• Zoo kpe nyee ni > a fly has entered my nose.
• Dugu maa ze jaara ni.                 > The pot is in the kitchen.
• Ligri kpe n liiga surigu ni. >the money has falling into my pocket.

(5). PRESENT AND HABITUAL TENSE:

N nyuri Fanta.                       > I drink Fanta.

A nyuri Fanta.                      > You drink Fanta.

O nyuri sitaa.                     > He/ she drinks star.

Ti nyuri kook.                  > We drink coke.

Yi nyuri club.                   > You drink club (plural).

Be nyuri Ginis.                 > They drink Guinness.

N diri sagam.                  > I eat Tuon Zafi (TZ).

A diri shir.                      > You eat honey.

O diri sagam.                  He/ she eat TZ.

Present Continuous Sentence:

Ti dirila Sakoro.                           > We are eating Fufu etc.

(5). NEGATIVE STATEMENTS:

• M bi nyuri Fanta.> I don’t drink Fanta.
• A bi nyuri Sitaa.> You don’t drink Star.
• O bi nyuri sprite.> He/ she doesn’t drink sprite.
• Man’ bi nyuri fanta.> As for me, I don’t drink fanta.
• Yinim’ be nyuri kook.> You don’t drink coke (plural).
• Te bi nyuri kook.> We don’t drink coke.
• Be bi nyuri sprite.> They don’t drink sprite.
• Isabella bohandila Dagbani.> Isabella is learning Dagbani.
• Esteniola bi bohandi Dagbani.> Esteniola doesn’t learn Dagbani.

(6). Mixed Negative and Positive:

• N dila sagam.> I ate TZ.
• A di shiri?   > have you eaten honey.
• O bori karim.> He. She likes to read.
• Be je karim.> They don’t like reading.
• Yi diri shiri?> do you eat honey?
• Mmi loori duhibu.> I know how to drive a car.
• N ze loori du hibu.> I don’t know how to drive a car.
• N tuzopaga n-nye a.> You are my sister.
• Pa nzo n-nye o.> He/ she is not my friend.
• O milila bihi ayobu.> He/ she have six children.
• O ka bia.> He/ she has no child.

ASSIGNMENT

Q1: Please give me the English meaning of this preposition:

• Zugu
• Zugsaa
• Gbinni/ logni
• Tooni
• Sani/ Yagli/ polo
• Nyaaga
• Ni
• Puuni
• Shee/ miri
• Shee/ lugli
• Shee

Q2:  I want you to use ‘’Mali’ (to have something) in creating sentences to finish up the following pronouns:

1. A mali>
2. O mali>
3. Di mali>
4. Yi mali>
5. Be mali>

GOOD LUCK

ANSWERS PROVIDERED BY ISABELLA

Here are my attempts at your assignments, I hope they’re on track:

First Part:

· Zugu -> On

· Zugsaa -> On top of

· Gbinni/ logni -> Under

· Tooni -> In front of

· Sani/ Yagli/ polo -> side/with

· Nyaaga -> behind

· Ni -> with

· Puuni ->inside

· Shee/ miri -> by, near

· Shee/ lugli -> near, beside

· Shee -> near

Second Part:
1. A mali > A mali sinkaafa pam.
You have a lot of rice.

2. O mali > O mali kom pam.
He/she has a lot of rice.

3. Di mali > Di mali noo pam.
It has a lot of fowl.

4. Yi mali > Yi mali bukunim’ pam.
You (pl.) have a lot of books.

5. Be mali > Be mali tihi pam.
They have a lot of trees.

CORRECTIONS MADE BY FAROUK

It is a good attempt my dear; the only mistake seen is in the second part that is on the third point.

Di mali noo pam.                      >It has a lot of fowl.
From the Dagbani translation by Isabella on the sentence Di mali noo pam; is not the best combination. It should have been:

Di mali lagiri pam                      > it is costly

Di mali araha pam                     > it is cheap.

But if you would have wanted to use the word Noo (fowl); it should have been:

Be male noohi pam (they have a lot of fowls) instead of Di mali noo pam (It has a lot of fowl).

Better still, thanks for the attempt and more grace to your elbow Bravoooooooooooooooo.