1. Bɛn? (What?/which?/when?)
This question marker is used with other time oriented words to ask the question what ... ? So we have
- Abere/bere bɛn? (What time?) This is a more generic question in terms of time frame
The response can be in any of these (day, years, months or hours).
Nhwεsoɔ (Example)
Q: Yεbεk New York abere bεn? (We will go to New York what time?)
R: Yεbεk New York kyena anwummere nnsia. (We will go to New work tomorrow 6 pm).
The following questions (a-f) are specific and demand specific responses to time frame used in the used in the question.
- Dn bεn? (What hour?)
Nhwεsoɔ (Example)
Q: Dn (dnhwere) bεn na wobεk sukuu? (What time will you go to school?)
R: Mεk sukuu anpa nnn nkron. (I will go to school at 9:00) am)
- Da bεn? (What day?)
Nhwεsoɔ (Example)
Q: Wobεk California da bεn? (You will go to California what day?)
R: Mεk California Benada. (I will go to California on Tuesday)
d. Dapεn bεn? (What week?)
Nhwεsoɔ (Example)
Q: Dapεn bεn na mobεfi ha? (What week will you leave here?)
R: Yεbεfi ha dapεn a εreba yi. (We will leave here this coming week)
e. Bosome bεn? (What month?)
Nhwεsoɔ (Examples)
Q: Bosome bεn no yεwoo wo? (What month were you born?)
R: Yεwoo me pεpn (I was born (on) January)
- Afe bεn? (What year?)
Nhwεsoɔ (Examples)
Q: Yεwoo wo afe bεn? (In what year were you born?)
R: Yεwoo me afe apem ahankron aduosia. (I was born in 1960)
2. Bere/Abere a …no. This introduces an adverbial clause of time. It answers the question what time or when.
Examples:
- Abere a yεpnn Twi adesua no, yεkɔɔ fie. (When we finished learning Twi, we went home).
- Bere a mekɔɔ New York no, mehuu Abena (when I went to New York, I saw Abena)
- Sangu baeε no, na madidi awie. (When Sangu come I hade eaten)
- Metɔɔ atadeε bere a mekɔɔ Columbus no. (I bought a dress when I went to Columbus)
- Abere a εkɔm dee me no, medii pizza (When I was hungry yesterday I ate pizza).
Note: The abere a part of the subordinate clause can be omitted/left out but the no part is compulsory. Since the abere a … no part of the sentence is adverbial, it can be at second part of the sentence as in sentence (d).