Yoruba phrasebook

Pronunciation guide / Vowels / Consonants / Common diphthongs / Phrase list / Basics / Problems / Numbers / Time / Clock time / Duration / Days / Months / Writing time and date / Colors / Transportation / Bus and train / Directions / Taxi / Lodging / Money / Eating / Yoruba phrasebook nightlife, bars, clubs and pubs. / Shopping / Driving / Authority / Learning more

Yoruba is a language native to Africa with over 22 million speakers. It is spoken, among other languages, chiefly in Nigeria, Benin, and Togo.

Pronunciation guide

Vowels

A - [ah] like in the Spanish alphabet
E – [a] like “a” in skate
Ẹ - [eh] like the first “e” elephant
I – [ea] like in sweat
O – [o] like “o” in sofa
Ọ - [o] like the first “o” in octopus
U – [u] like “u” in blue

Consonants

B – [be] like in bed
D – [de] like in
F -
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 – [pe] 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 -
U
W
Y

Common diphthongs

Phrase list

Basics

Hello.
Hello. (informal): Bawoni
How are you?: Se alafia ni?
Fine, thank you.: Adupe, ẹse!
What is your name?: Kini orukọ rẹ/yin?
My name is ______ .: Orukọ mi njẹ _____.
Nice to meet you.: . (Inu mi dun lati mo o/mo yin )
Please.: (Ẹ) jọ (note: [ẹ] is plural in Yoruba but also used in respect to elders)
Thank you.: ẹ sẹ / o sẹ (note: [o] is singular and used amongst mates.)
You're welcome.: Ko si nkan kan . (ko to ope )
Yes.: bẹni
No.: beko
Excuse me. (getting attention): . (E jowo )
Excuse me. (begging pardon): . (E ma binu )
I'm sorry.: (E) pele. ( )
Goodbye: Odabo!
Goodbye (informal): . ( )
I can't speak Yorùbá [well]: Mi ko le sọ Yoruba daradara
Do you speak English?: Se o le so onyinbo? ? ( ?)
Is there someone here who speaks English?: ? (Nje enikeni wa nibi ti o le so oyinbo)
Help!: ẹgba mi o!
Look out!: )(E) wo be yen ! ( !)
Good morning.: (Ẹ) ku arọ
Good evening.: (Ẹ) ku irole (E k'aale)
Good night.: (Ẹ) ku irọlẹ
Good night (to sleep): O di arọ! (note: could also be used as a dismissal. It literally means till morning.)
I don't understand.: Ko ye mi . ( )
Where is the toilet?: Ni bo ni ile igbonse 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

Clock time

Duration

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

Oshu

Writing time and date

Colors

Transportation

Bus and train

Directions

Taxi

Many people use motorcycles to get around the heavy traffic in Nigeria. These motorcycle taxis are called OKADA(s), pronounced OH-CAD-AH.cabi

Lodging

Money

Naira. There is about 118 naira to the american dollar.

Eating