ALPHABET MATCHING GAME VOCABULARY FLASHCARDS
Why learn Yoruba?
International travel is made easier and more pleasant when you know Yoruba. Your marketable skills in the global economy are improved when you master Yoruba. Aquiring a second language can improve your skills and grades in math and English. Studying Yoruba offers a sense of the past: culturally and linguistically.
How Long Does it Take to Learn Yoruba?
*** NOTES *** Yoruba spoken in West Africa and most prominently South western Nigeria, where about 17% of the population speaks it. It is also spoken in communities in Sierra Leone, Liberia, other parts of Africa, the Americas, and Europe. - Yoruba has borrowed a lot of vocabulary from Arabic and Hausa. There are three tones in Yoruba - high, middle and low - which affect the meaning of words. Tones are marked by use of the acute accent for high tone ⟨á⟩ and the grave accent for low tone ⟨à⟩ while the mid is unmarked. It can also double words for extra emphasis.
Yoruba Alphabet & Pronunciation
(ah)
(bi)
(di)
(hay)
(hen)
(fi)
(gi)
(gbi!)
(in)
(he!)
(ji)
(ki)
(li)
(mi)
(ni)
(oh)
(or!)
(pi)
(ri)
(si)
(shi)
(ti)
(uh!)
(wi)
(yi)
Basic Phrases in Yoruba
| Hello | Pẹlẹ o |
|---|---|
| Goodbye | O dabọ |
| Yes | Bẹẹni |
| No | Rárá |
| Excuse me | Mo tọrọ gafara |
| Please | Jowo |
| Thank you | E dupe |
| You are welcome | A ki dupe ara eni |
| Do you speak english | Se o nso ede Gesi? |
| Do you understand | Ṣe o ye ọ? |
| I understand | O ye mi |
| I do not understand | Ko ye mi |
| How are you | Bawo ni o se wa? |
| Fine thanks | O dara o ṣeun! |
| What is your name | Ki 'ni oruko re? |
| My name is | Orukọ mi ni |
| Pleased to meet you | Inu mi dun lati pade yin |
Yoruba Grammar
Yoruba Nouns
| Man | ọkunrin |
|---|---|
| Woman | Obinrin |
| Boy | ọmọkunrin |
| Girl | Omobinrin |
| Cat | O nran ( ) |
| Dog | Aja |
| Fish | ẹja |
| Water | Omi |
| Milk | Wara |
| Egg | ẹyin |
| House | Ilé |
| Flower | òdòdó |
| Tree | Igi |
| Shirt | Seeti |
| Pants | Pátá |
Yoruba Adjectives
Colors in Yoruba
| Black | Dudu |
|---|---|
| White | Funfun |
| Red | Pupa |
| Orange | ọsan |
| Yellow | Odo |
| Green | Alawọ ewe |
| Blue | Bulu |
| Purple | Elese |
| Pink | Awọ pupa |
| Gray | Grẹy |
| Brown | Brown |
Numbers in Yoruba
| Zero | Odo |
|---|---|
| One | Ọkan |
| Two | Meji |
| Three | Mẹta |
| Four | Mẹrin |
| Five | Marun |
| Six | Mefa |
| Seven | Meje |
| Eight | Mẹjọ |
| Nine | Mẹsan |
| Ten | Omẹwa (mẹwa) |
| Eleven | Mọkanla |
| Twelve | Mejila |
| Twenty | Ogun |
| Thirty | ọgbọn |
| Forty | Ogoji |
| Fifty | Aadọta |
| Sixty | ọgọta |
| Seventy | Aadọrin |
| Eighty | ọgọrin |
| Ninety | Aadọrun |
| Hundred | ọgọrun |
| Thousand | ẹgbẹrun |
Yoruba Verbs
| To be | Lati jẹ |
|---|---|
| To have | Lati ni |
| To want | Lati fẹ |
| To need | Lati nilo |
| To help | Lati ran |
| To go | Lati lọ |
| To come | Lati wa |
| To eat | Lati jẹ |
| To drink | Lati mu |
| To speak | Lati sọrọ |
Building Simple Sentences
More Complex Yoruba Sentences
| And | Ati |
|---|---|
| Or | Tabi |
| But | ṣugbọn |
| Because | Nitori |
| With | Pẹlu |
| Also | Tun |
| However | Sibẹsibẹ |
| Neither | Bẹni |
| Nor | Bẹni |
| If | Ti o ba ti |
| Then | Lẹhinna |
Useful Yoruba Vocabulary
Yoruba Questions
| Who | Tani |
|---|---|
| What | Kini |
| When | Nigbawo |
| Where | Nibo |
| Why | Idi |
| How | Bawo |
| How many | Melo ni |
| How much | Elo ni |
Days of the Week in Yoruba
| Monday | Ọjọ Mọndee |
|---|---|
| Tuesday | Ọjọbọ |
| Wednesday | Ọjọru |
| Thursday | Ọjọbọ |
| Friday | Ọjọru |
| Saturday | Alẹ́ |
| Sunday | Ọjọ Sundee |
| Yesterday | Lana |
| Today | Loni |
| Tomorrow | ọla |
Months in Yoruba
| January | Oṣu Kini |
|---|---|
| February | Oṣu Kínní |
| March | Oṣu Kẹta |
| April | Oṣu Kẹrin |
| May | Oṣu Karun |
| June | Oṣu Kẹfa |
| July | Oṣu Keje |
| August | Oṣu Kẹjọ |
| September | Oṣu Kẹsan |
| October | Oṣu Kẹwa |
| November | Oṣu kọkanla |
| December | Oṣu kejila |
Seasons in Yoruba
| Winter | Igba otutu |
|---|---|
| Spring | Orisun omi |
| Summer | Igba ooru |
| Autumn | Igba iwọwe |
Telling Time in Yoruba
| What time is it | Ogogo melo ni o lu? |
|---|---|
| Hours | Wakati |
| Minutes | Iṣẹju |
| Seconds | -aaya |
| O clock | Aago |
| Half | Idaji |
| Quarter past | Mẹẹdogun ti o ti kọja |
| Before | ṣaaju |
| After | Lẹhin |
