Yoruba phrasebook

Yorùbá (èdè Yorùbá) is a language native to West Africa, mainly near the Bight of Benin. With over 38 million speakers worldwide, Yorùbá is easily the most influential language in all of Africa. It is spoken chiefly in Nigeria, Benin, and Togo. Internationally, Yorùbá can be heard in England, Maryland, Texas, and New York.

Pronunciation guide

Vowels

A - [ah] like in the Spanish alphabet
E – [a] like “a” in skate
Ẹ - [eh] like the first “e” elephant (dot written underneath the vowel to get the new sound: E / e + ̣: Ẹ / ẹ)
I – [ee] like in sweet
O – [o] like “o” in sofa
Ọ - [or] like the first “o” in octopus (dot written underneath the vowel to get the new sound: O / o + ̣: Ọ / ọ)
U – [u] like “u” in blue

Consonants

B – [be] like in bed
D – [de] like in dead
F - [fe]

G - geh
Gb – [gbe] is a strong ‘b’ like sound as in the name of the NFL star Gbaja-Biamila
H -
J - [ji] like "jee" in Jeep
K – [ki] like in kilo
L – [li] like in Lisa
M – [mi] like in Miso soup
N – [ni] like the word ‘knee’
P – [kpee] a strong 'p' unlike any sound in English.
R – [ri] like 'ree' in reef
S – [si] like the word 'see'
Ṣ - [shi] like the letter 's' in the name of the singer, Sade.
T - [ti]
U - ooh
W - wee
Y - yee

Common diphthongs

Phrase list

Basics

Hello? (informal) 

Bawo ni?

How are you? 

Ṣé àláàfíà ni?

Fine, thank you. 

A dupẹ, ẹ se!

What is your name? 

Kíni orúkọ rẹ?

What are your names? 

Kíni orúkọ yín? (plural but also used for politeness towards elders)

My name is ______ . 

Orúkọ mi n jẹ _____. / Orúkọ mi ni ____.

Nice to meet you. (informal) 

Inu mi dun lati mọ o.

Nice to meet you. (plural/honorific) 

Inu mi dun lati mọ yin

Please. 

(Ẹ) jọọ (note: [ẹ] is plural in Yoruba but also used in respect to elders)

Thank you. 

ẹ se / o se (note: [o] is singular and used amongst friends.)

You're welcome. 

Ko si nkan kan . (ko to ọpẹ)

Yes. 

bẹẹ ni

No. 

bẹẹ kọ / ó ti / ra ra

Excuse me. (getting attention) 

E jọwọ

Excuse me. (begging pardon) 

E ma binu (literally: "Don't be angry.")

I'm sorry. 

(E) pẹlẹ.

Goodbye 

O dabọ!

I can't speak Yorùbá [well]

N ko le sọ Yoruba [daradara] / N kò le gbọ́ èdè Yorùbá [daradara]

I speak Yoruba a little bit

Mo gbọ́ èdè Yorùbá díẹ̀.

Do you speak English? 

Ṣe o le sọ èdè oyinbo?

Is there someone here who speaks English? 

Ṣe ẹnikẹni wa nibi ti o le sọ oyinbo?

Help! 

ẹ gba mi o! / ran mi lowo!

Look out! 

(E) wo bẹ yẹn!

Good morning. 

(Ẹ) ku aarọ = E kaaro

Good evening. 

(Ẹ) ku irolẹ = E kurole

Good night. 

(Ẹ) ku ale = E kaale

Good night (to sleep) 

O di aarọ! (note: could also be used as a dismissal. It literally means till morning.)

I don't understand. 

Ko ye mi.

I understand. 

O ye mi.

I have a question. 

Mo ni ibeeri.

Where is the toilet? 

Nibo ni ilé igbọnsẹ wa?

Problems

Numbers

ọkan or ẹni or kan
(one)

eji or meji
(two)
mẹta
(three)
mẹrin
(four)
márùn
(five)
mẹfa
(six)
meje
(seven)
mẹjọ
(eight)
mẹsan
(nine)
mẹwa
(ten)
mọkanla
(eleven)
mejila
(twelve)
mẹtala
(thirteen)
mẹrinla
(fourteen)
mẹdogun
(fifteen) note: fourteen is the last number in Yoruba, besides those in the tenth position)
mẹrindilõgún
(sixteen) note: to make sixteen Yoruba will subtract four (mẹrin) from twenty (õgún)
mẹtadilõgún
(seventeen)
mejidilõgún
(eighteen)
mọkandilõgún
(nineteen)
õgún
(twenty) note: Yoruba numbers uses increments of ten, but not like in English. It is shifted upward 15-24, 25-34, etc.
mọkanlelõgún
(twenty one) note: to make twenty one Yoruba will add one (ọkan) to twenty (õgún)
mejilelõgún
(twenty two)
mẹtalelõgún
(twenty three)
mẹrinlelõgún
(twenty four)
mẹdọgbọn
(twenty five)
ọgbọn
(thirty)
mọkanlelọgbọn
(thirty one)
márùndilogoji
(thirty five)
ogoji
(forty)
adọta
(fifty)
ọgọta
(sixty)
adọrin
(seventy)
ọgọrin
(eighty)
adọrun
(ninety)
ọgọrun
(one hundred)

===Time=== (Ago) ====Clock time==== ( Ago me loo lo lu? ( What Time is it?)

Duration

Igbawo ni (When)

Days

Ọjọ Aiku
(Sunday/Воскресенье)
Ọjọ Aje
(Monday/Понедельник)
Ọjọ Isẹgun
(Tuesday/Вторник)
Ọjọ Riru
(Wednesday/Среда)
Ọjọ Bọ
(Thursday/Четверг)
Ọjọ Ẹti
(Friday/Пятница)
Ọjọ Abamẹta
(Saturday/Суббота)

Months

Osu

Writing time and date

Colors

Awo

Transportation

All forms of air transport - Oko ofurufu (ofurufu being sky) All forms of rail transport - Oko oju irin (irin being steel/metal/rail All forms of water transport - Oko Oju omi. ( You can now ellaborate further with size e.g. Nla (large), for a ship; Kekere (little/small) for a canoe or boat... E.g. Oko oju omi kekere ni mo wo wa (I can by a small water vehicle (canoe/boat))

Bus and train

Train- Oko Oju Irin

Directions

Right- Otun Left- Osi Front- Iwaju Back- Eyin/Ehin Up- Oke Down- Isale Under- Abe/l'abe On top of- L'orii

Taxi

Many people use motorcycles to get around the heavy traffic in Nigeria. These motorcycle taxis are called OKADAs, pronounced oh-ka-dah. "Cabi" is Nigerian Pidgin, which is an alternative word for taxi.

Lodging

There are a lot of hotels in Nigeria which the staff can speak English fluently.

Money

Naira. There is about 155 naira to the american dollar and 240 naira to a British pound.

Eating

There is a lot of variety from all over the world MacDolands in Nigeria is known as Mr Biggs.

Bars

Shopping

Driving

Authority

King

Oba, Otunba

Learning more