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Èdè Yorùbá

Learn to speak Yorùbá

Three tones, a few greetings and a word a day. Start here and say them out loud.

Three tones change the meaning

Yorùbá is a tonal language. The same letters said high, mid or low are different words. Here is one set to look for.

  • ọkọ

    MID TONE

    husband

  • ọkọ́

    HIGH TONE

    hoe

  • ọkọ̀

    LOW TONE

    vehicle

  • ọ̀kọ̀

    LOW, LOW

    spear

Everyday greetings

Read each one aloud. The tone marks show you how it rises and falls.

  • Ẹ kú àárọ̀

    Good morning

  • Ẹ kú ọ̀sán

    Good afternoon

  • Ẹ kú alẹ́

    Good evening

  • Báwo ni?

    How are you?

  • Ẹ ṣé

    Thank you

  • Ó dàbọ̀

    Goodbye

WORD OF THE DAY

Àṣẹ

The power to make things happen. Said at the close of a prayer or blessing, it means “so be it”.

1 of 5

Earlier words

Proverbs

Yorùbá speakers say that proverbs are the horses of speech. Read each one, then what it means.

  • “Ajèjé ọwọ́ kan kò gbé ẹrù dórí.”

    One hand alone cannot lift a load onto the head.

  • “[PROVERB]”

    [TRANSLATION]

  • “[PROVERB]”

    [TRANSLATION]