Te | Tea

Image
Someone making tea in Côte d'Ivoire
Audio file

SITUATION: Abi's younger male cousin Adama brings her to his "grɛn" (a tea-drinking group).

ADAMA: Abi, an ka grɛn ye nin ye. Te ka di i ye? [1]
ABI: Kojugu! N bɛ te wuli k'à min tuma bɛɛ! [2][3]
ADAMA: O ka ɲi. Hɔn! Te filɛ.
ABI: Sukaro b'à la? Sukaro caman man di n ye.
ADAMA: Sukaro dɔɔnin b'à la!
ABI: I ni ce! Tiga tɛ yen?
ADAMA: Tiɲɛ na, tiga si tɛ yen.
ABI: Ɛ Ala! Aw tɛ taa maribatiga dɔ san?
ADAMA: Wari foyi tɛ!
ABI: Aw fana sa! Wari filɛ. Taa dɔ san! [4]

ADAMA: Abi, this our tea-drinking group. Do you like tea? [1]
ABI: A ton! I make tea and I drink it all the time! [2]
ADAMA: That's good. Here! Here's some tea.
ABI: Is there sugar in it? I don't like a lot of sugar.
ADAMA: There's a little bit of sugar!
ABI: Thanks! Are there any peanuts?
ADAMA: In truth, there's no peanuts.
ABI: Oh God! (Why) don't you go buy some roasted peanuts?
ADAMA: (There's) zero money.
ABI: Come on, you guys! Look, here's money. Go buy some!

 

Grammar Points

  • 1) Expressing "to like" with X ka di Y ye
  • 2) Sequential verb constructions with ka
  • 3) Determiners
  • 4) The particle sa

[Video coming soon!]

grɛn
tea-drinking group [< Fr. "grin"]
te
tea
ka mɔ
to ripen; to be ready [for tea, foods, etc]
sukaro
sugar
ka te wuli
to prepare/make tea [Lit. "to raise tea"]
tiga
peanut(s)
ka tiga ɲimi
to eat peanuts [Lit. "to chew peanuts"]
maribatiga
salted roasted peanut(s)
kɔgɔ
salt
baro
chatting
k'à baro
to entertain sb via conversation [Lit. "to chat sb"]
ka baro kɛ
to chat
wɛri/wɛrɛ
a glass [< Fr. verre]
ka kuma
to talk
kuma
talk; words; remarks
fɔlɔ
yet [Lit. "first"]
kaban
already [< ka ban "to end"]
k'à balabala
to boil sth
teri
friend
sigiyɔrɔ
chair; seat; bench [lit. "sit-place"]
X ka di Y ye
Y likes X [Lit. "X is pleasing to Y"]
X man di Y ye
Y doesn't like X [Lit. "X isn't pleasing to Y"]
ka
infinitive marker
An bɛ te min ka baro kɛ
We drink tea and chat
N nana baro kɛ
I came and chatted / I came to chat
N taara te min
I went and drank tea / I went to drink tea
ka sɔrɔ ka
"and then"
Adama ye te wuli ka sɔrɔ k'à min
Adama prepared tea and then drank it
sa
exasperation particle
"O man ɲi sa!"
"That's no good, man!"
Aw fana sa!
"Man, you guys (are killing me)!" [Lit. "Y'all too, man!]
bɛɛ
all; each
some
si
none; any
foyi/fosi
none; nothing
wɛrɛ
another; other
dɔwɛrɛ
another one; some other one
dɔrɔn
only
Hɔn!
Here! [as in, "Here, take this"]