Going to Ghana? Learn Twi holiday greetings for your friends and family.

Impress your family, Ghanaian friends or locals on the continent with these phrases, used to greet and express well wishes during the holidays, in the Twi language.


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1. Afehyia pa! - Happy new year

‘Afehyia pa!’ (pronounced afee-shia-pah) is a common greeting used during the holidays. Today, it is often used on any day during the end of year & new year holidays. It translates to good year-meeting (afe: year, hyia:meet, pa:good).

Unlike in English where adjectives normally come before the noun (e.g. good year), in Akan languages, the adjective normally follows the noun. So in this case, the correct order is ‘Afehyia pa’. Tell a Twi speaker you know ‘Afehyia pa!’ this holiday season & watch the endearing smile that forms on their face!.


2. Afe nkɔ mmɛto yɛn!

‘Afe nkɔ mmɛto yɛn!’ is a response to the common greeting ‘Afehyia pa!’. It means a year should pass and come meet us - essentially alive and well (afe: year, nkɔ: should go, mmɛto: should come to meet, yɛn: us). People normally use this Twi phrase to express wishes for health and good fortune for the coming year.

In Akan culture, life in the future is generally not taken for granted. Therefore speaking life into someone’s future is highly welcome and often met with great appreciation.

Note: While you read or learn Twi, you will see a few letters unique to the Twi language. The letter “ɔ” is pronounced “oh" - like the sound of the English letter 'o' in the word 'boy'. The letter “ɛ” is pronounced “eh.”


3. Afe sɛsɛɛ na . . .

‘Afe sɛsɛɛ na . . .’ . It means a year from now . . . (afe: year, sɛsɛɛ: like this one, na: then).


Example Twi Conversation

There you go! Now you should be able to understand the following conversation. This pattern is used very often among Twi speakers.

Ama: Kofi, afehyia pa! (Happy new year)

Kofi: Afe nkɔ mmɛto yɛn! (Well wishes for the next year)

Kofi: Afe sɛsɛɛ na m’aware (Next year by now I’ll be married)



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