The Yoruba course
Learn Yoruba ten words at a time
Yorùbá
Ten games of ten words: the hundred most useful Yoruba words and expressions you could live on for years, from greetings and ordering food to numbers, small talk and getting around. Play a lesson in the box beside its words, and the next one starts itself.
Yoruba challenge
Do you know the essentials? 25 quick questions from across the course. Score high and you are ready for the trip.
Yoruba · Lesson 1 of 10
Greetings and politeness
Hello, thanks, please: the ten openers everything else builds on.
- BawoBAH-wo
- Hello
- Ẹ kaaboeh KAA-bo
- Hi
- Ẹ kaaroeh KAA-ro
- Good morning
- Odaroo-DA-ro
- Good night
- E se pupoeh SHEH POO-po
- Thank you very much
- E seeh SHEH
- Thanks
- Ko topeko TO-peh
- You're welcome
- JowoJO-wo
- Please
- E jowoeh JO-wo
- Excuse me
- O daboo DA-bo
- Goodbye
Yoruba · Lesson 2 of 10
Order anything by pointing
One beer please, one of these please, the bill: survive any menu.
- Oti kan, jowoo-TEE kan JO-wo
- One beer, please
- Eyi yi, jowoeh-YEE yee JO-wo
- One of these, please
- Kaawa kan, jowokah-AH-wa kan JO-wo
- One coffee, please
- Meji, jowoMEH-jee JO-wo
- Two, please
- Kan miiran, jowokan mee-RAN JO-wo
- One more, please
- Enini ni iye re?en-ee-NEE nee EYE-eh reh
- How much is it?
- Isiro, jowoee-SHEE-ro JO-wo
- The bill, please
- Mo le..., jowo?mo LEH JO-wo
- May I...?
- Cheers!CHEERZ
- Cheers!
- Pẹ̀lẹ́peh-LEH
- Bless you
Yoruba · Lesson 3 of 10
Yes, no and the essentials
The tiny words that carry half of every conversation.
- BeniBEH-nee
- Yes
- Beenibeh-EH-nee
- No
- O daauno DAH-oon
- Okay
- Ko si wahalako SEE wa-HAH-la
- Sure, no problem
- Mi o momee oh MO
- I don't know
- Mi o gbemee oh GBEh
- I don't understand
- Nje o ba so Gesi?n-JEH oh bah so GEH-see
- Do you speak English?
- Kekerekeh-KEH-reh
- A little
- Dajudajudah-joo-DAH-joo
- Of course
- Ise dunEE-sheh doon
- Everything is fine
Yoruba · Lesson 4 of 10
Numbers and money
Counting, prices, paying by card or cash.
- Kankan
- One
- MejiMEH-jee
- Two
- EkoEH-ko
- Three
- ErinEH-rin
- Four
- MewoMEH-wo
- Ten
- Adotaah-DO-ta
- Fifty
- Ogoruno-go-ROON
- One hundred
- Nairanai-EE-rah
- Naira
- KadiKAH-dee
- By card
- Owo tituno-WO TEE-toon
- In cash
Yoruba · Lesson 5 of 10
At the supermarket
Bread, milk, a bag, nothing else thanks: the checkout routine.
- Aadaluah-ah-DAH-loo
- Bread
- WaraWAH-rah
- Milk
- CheeseCHEESE
- Cheese
- Omio-MEE
- Water
- Apako ni?ah-PAH-ko nee
- A bag?
- Se o ni...?seh oh nee
- Do you have...?
- Nibo ni...?nee-BO nee
- Where is...?
- Eyi yieh-YEE yee
- This one
- Ohun miiran koo-HUN mee-RAN ko
- Nothing else
- Ojo rere fun yinO-jo REH-reh fun yin
- Have a nice day
Yoruba · Lesson 6 of 10
Cafe and restaurant
A table, the menu, a compliment to the kitchen.
- Tabili fun mejitah-bee-LEE fun MEH-jee
- A table for two
- List awe, jowolist AH-weh JO-wo
- The menu, please
- Kaawa espresso kan, jowokah-AH-wa es-PRES-so kan JO-wo
- One espresso
- Wine kan, jowowine kan JO-wo
- A glass of wine
- Oti siseo-TEE SEE-seh
- Draft beer
- Obe jollofo-BEH JOL-of
- Jollof rice
- Dun pupodoon POO-po
- It's delicious
- Iyalode koee-yah-LO-deh ko
- Without spice
- Lati gbe laa ileLAH-tee GBEh lah EE-leh
- To take away
- Owo yoku loo-WO yo-KOO lo
- Keep the change
Yoruba · Lesson 7 of 10
Small talk and neighbors
How are you, nice day, see you soon: superficial and proud of it.
- Bawo ni?BAH-wo nee
- How are you? (polite)
- Bawo lo se?BAH-wo lo seh
- How are you? (casual)
- Mo wa ninu iremo wah nee-NOO EE-reh
- I'm fine
- Iwo nko?ee-WO nko
- And you?
- Kini nse ati ewe?kee-NEE n-seh ah-tee EH-weh
- What's new?
- Ojo to nire, abi?O-jo to nee-REH ah-bee
- Nice weather, huh?
- A ri yin laraah ree yin LAH-rah
- See you soon
- Ogo ti tun, jowoo-GO tee toon JO-wo
- Have a nice evening
- Lo gbe ebe yin l enulo GBEh EH-beh yin LOO EH-noo
- Say hi to the family
- Ire ooEE-reh oh
- All the best
Yoruba · Lesson 8 of 10
Getting around
Left, right, the station, one ticket, where is the toilet.
- Nibo ni ile ti ara?nee-BO nee EE-leh tee AH-rah
- Where is the toilet?
- OsiO-see
- Left
- Otuno-TOON
- Right
- Iwaju roee-WAH-joo ro
- Straight ahead
- EwaEH-wah
- Here
- Eyineh-YIN
- There
- Busboos
- Bus
- Ile ilu tirinEE-leh EE-loo tee-REEN
- Train station
- Tiket kan, jowotee-KET kan JO-wo
- One ticket, please
- Duro ni, jowodoo-RO nee JO-wo
- Stop here, please
Yoruba · Lesson 9 of 10
Time and days
Today, tomorrow, later, the weekend.
- Lonilo-NEE
- Today
- Lati ileLAH-tee EE-leh
- Tomorrow
- EsanEH-san
- Yesterday
- Bayibah-YEE
- Now
- Igba tiIG-bah tee
- Later
- Se o kan iye nko?seh oh kan EYE-eh nko
- What time is it?
- Ajeah-JEH
- Monday
- Ojo Asafoo-JO ah-sah-FO
- Saturday
- Ojo Aikuo-JO ah-EE-koo
- Sunday
- Ojo isi ajeo-JO EE-see ah-JEH
- The weekend
Yoruba · Lesson 10 of 10
Help and emergencies
The words you hope to never need.
- Ranmi o!rah-N-mee oh
- Help!
- Lo pe dokte kanlo peh DOK-teh kan
- Call a doctor
- Polispo-LEES
- Police
- Ile eweEE-leh EH-weh
- Pharmacy
- Ile aisanEE-leh ah-ee-SAN
- Hospital
- A lo sileah lo see-LEH
- I'm lost
- Ara mi dunAH-rah mee dun
- I don't feel well
- Ibadandun miee-bah-dan-DUN mee
- My phone
- A ba loah bah lo
- It was stolen
- Ihun to leee-HUN to leh
- It's urgent