Ìjíròrò Wa Àkọ́kọ́
Chapter Objectives
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
- Sustain a short introductory conversation with a new acquaintance, covering greetings, identity, origin, family, and classroom topics.
- Introduce a third person, giving their name, origin, language, and relationship to you.
- Describe a family member or friend using possession, quality predicates, and noun-qualifier order.
- Identify classroom objects and ask for clarification when you do not know a word.
- Select the correct subject, possessive, object, emphatic, plural, and honorific pronoun for a given context.
- Consistently distinguish mid-tone ni (identification) from high-tone ní (possession and location).
- Use àwọn naturally to signal explicit plurality.
- Write a fully marked, organized 60–80-word personal profile using all Unit I grammar.
- Produce high, mid, and low tones, the seven oral vowels, and the key contrasts e/ẹ, o/ọ, and s/ṣ with developing accuracy.
- Complete a dictation passage with correct tone marks and underdots.
Communication Scenario
A community center in Lagos is hosting its first Yorùbá language and culture evening. People of many backgrounds — Nigerians who grew up speaking other first languages, members of the diaspora, and international visitors — have come to meet one another and practise their Yorùbá. You are one of them. By the end of the evening, you will have greeted several people, introduced a friend, described your family, asked the Yorùbá name of something you did not know, and swapped contact details. Everything in that evening belongs to what you have already learned.
- Look back at the vocabulary and grammar from Chapters 1 through 4. Write down five things you can now say in Yorùbá that you could not say four chapters ago.
- Think about the moment when a real conversation shifts from a greeting into a real exchange. What question usually opens that door? What is the Yorùbá equivalent you have already learned?
- Chapter 5 introduces no major new grammar. Instead, it gives you the chance to combine everything you have learned into flowing communication. What aspect of Unit I do you feel most confident about? What do you want to practise most?
Vocabulary Review
No new productive vocabulary domain is introduced in Chapter 5. Instead, this section gathers the highest-frequency expressions from Chapters 1 through 4 into a single reference, organized by communicative function. Use it to prepare for the speaking and writing tasks in this chapter, and keep it as a reference as you move into Unit II.
Àwọn ìkíni àti ìdáhùn — Greetings and responses
| Yorùbá | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| Ẹ káàárọ̀. | Good morning. | Morning greeting; honorific or plural |
| Káàárọ̀. | Good morning. | Familiar peer response |
| Ẹ káàsán. | Good afternoon. | Afternoon greeting; honorific or plural |
| Ẹ káalẹ̀. | Good evening. | Evening greeting; honorific or plural |
| Ẹ ń lẹ́. | Hello / Good day. (general honorific) | Common respectful greeting |
| N ń lẹ́. | Hello. (familiar response) | Familiar response to Ẹ ń lẹ́ |
| Báwo ni? | How are you? (familiar) | Peer enquiry about well-being |
| Adúpẹ́. / Mo dúpẹ́. | Thank you. | General thanks |
| Ẹ ṣé. | Thank you. (honorific / plural) | Thanks to elder, group, or teacher |
| Ó dàbọ̀. | Goodbye. | General farewell |
| Ẹ wá pẹ̀lé. | Goodbye. (honorific / plural) | Farewell to elder or group |
| Ó yá. | OK. / Alright. | Casual acknowledgement or agreement |
| Bẹ́ẹ̀ ni. | Yes. | Affirmative |
| Rárá. | No. | Negative |
Àwọn ìbéèrè àkọ́kọ́ — Core personal-information questions
| Question (Yorùbá) | English | Sample answer (Yorùbá) |
|---|---|---|
| Orúkọ rẹ ni kí? | What is your name? (familiar) | Orúkọ mi ni Àmíná. |
| Orúkọ yín ni kí? | What is your name? (honorific) | Orúkọ mi ni Dókítà Adéwálé. |
| Níbo ni o ti wà? | Where are you from? (familiar) | Mo ti wà ní Ìbàdàn. |
| Èdè wo ni o ń sọ? | What language do you speak? | Mo ń sọ Yorùbá àti Gẹ̀ẹ́sì. |
| Iṣẹ́ rẹ ni kí? | What is your work / profession? | Mo jẹ́ olùkọ́. |
| Ẹni mélòó ni ó wà nínú ẹbí rẹ? | How many people are in your family? | Àwọn ènìyàn mẹ́fà wà nínú ẹbí mi. |
The question forms above include several contracted or formulaic patterns — including Níbo ni o ti wà? and Èdè wo ni o ń sọ? — that contain grammar not yet fully analyzed. Treat them as productive expressions you have learned as complete units. Their internal structure will be examined in later chapters.
Àwọn ìjíròrò ìmójútó — Conversation-management expressions
Àwọn ọ̀rọ̀ ìbéèrè pàtàkì — High-frequency question words
| Yorùbá | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| kí / kí ni | what | Kí ni orúkọ rẹ? |
| ta / ta ni | who | Ta ni ìyá rẹ? |
| níbo / níbo ni | where | Níbo ni o ti wà? |
| mélòó | how many | Ọmọ mélòó ni o ní? |
| ìgbà wo | when | Ìgbà wo ni o dé? |
| èdè wo | which language | Èdè wo ni o ń sọ? |
Several of these question words combine with the identification or focus particle ni (mid tone). The full grammar of focus questions will be analyzed in Chapters 9 and 19. For now, learn these as productive formulaic expressions.
Pronunciation and Orthography Review
Chapter 5 introduces no new pronunciation system. Instead, this section consolidates the four most important contrasts from Chapters 1 through 4 and provides a dictation exercise to assess cumulative orthographic accuracy. Use the review to identify which contrasts still need practice before you move into Unit II.
Consolidation 1 — The three tones
Every syllable in Yorùbá carries a tone. The three tones are:
- High tone — marked with an acute accent: á, é, í, ó, ú, ẹ́, ọ́. Produce it at the top of your comfortable speaking pitch.
- Mid tone — unmarked in standard orthography: a, e, i, o, u, ẹ, ọ. Produce it at a steady, comfortable middle pitch. An unmarked vowel is not "neutral" — it is an active tone that carries meaning.
- Low tone — marked with a grave accent: à, è, ì, ò, ù, ẹ̀, ọ̀. Produce it at the bottom of your comfortable speaking pitch.
Read these pairs aloud and notice how tone changes meaning:
- orúkọ (name) — high-mid-low
- olùkọ́ (teacher) — mid-low-high
- ìwé (book) — low-high
- ìyá (mother) — low-high
- bàbá (father) — low-high
- ẹbí (family) — low-high
Key rule: Tone is part of the word. Omitting tone marks is not a stylistic choice — it removes information that readers need. In formal Yorùbá writing, and throughout this textbook, every high and low tone must be marked.
Consolidation 2 — e/ẹ and o/ọ
Review these minimal contrasts from vocabulary already introduced. Say each pair aloud and feel the vowel quality change:
- e (closer, like they) vs. ẹ (more open, like bed): compare fèrèsé (window) and pẹ̀ńsù (pencil)
- o (closer, like go) vs. ọ (more open, like law): compare dòòmù (door) and ọ̀wọ̀ (ruler)
The underdot is part of the letter, not a decoration. ẹ and e are two distinct letters representing two distinct sounds. Omitting the underdot in writing is always an error. Practice writing words from Unit I that contain underdotted vowels until the habit is automatic.
Consolidation 3 — s and ṣ
ṣ is a palato-alveolar sound similar to English sh in shoe. It is a separate letter from s, which sounds like the ordinary English s in sun. Both appear in Unit I vocabulary:
- ṣ: kíláàsì (classroom), ṣíi (open), ẹ ṣé (thank you — honorific)
- s: Báwo ni? (How are you?), sọ (speak / say)
As with the underdotted vowels, the underdot on ṣ must always be written. Do not replace ṣ with s in any learner-facing text.
Consolidation 4 — Nasal vowels and syllabic nasals
Two features introduced in Chapters 3 and 4 need ongoing practice:
- Nasal vowels are vowels pronounced with air flowing through the nose. In Standard Yorùbá orthography, nasalization is indicated by the spelling convention of the word, not by a separate diacritic for the learner. Listen carefully to the pronunciation of words such as ìbàdàn, orúnmìlà, and names ending in nasal sounds, and practise producing the vowel with nasal airflow rather than as a vowel followed by a separate English n.
- Syllabic nasal: the sound spelled ń or n̄ in certain contexts forms a complete syllable on its own and carries a tone. In the question word Báwo ni? the final ni is two syllables, not one. The syllabic nasal will become even more important in Chapter 7 when the progressive aspect marker ń is introduced.
Ìdarí — Dictation practice
Ask your instructor or a study partner to read the following sentences aloud at a slow, clear pace. Write exactly what you hear, including every tone mark and underdot. Then compare your writing with the printed text in the Answer Key.
(Dictation sentences — for instructor or partner use only. Do not read ahead.)
1. Orúkọ mi ni Kọ́lá.
2. Mo ti wà ní Èkó.
3. Ìyá mi jẹ́ olùkọ́.
4. Àwọn ọ̀rẹ́ mi méjì wà níbí.
5. Kí ni orúkọ rẹ̀ ní Yorùbá?
6. Èyí ni ìwé àkọsílẹ̀ pupa mi.
If no partner is available, cover the sentences with a sheet of paper and listen to yourself say each sentence naturally, then write it out. Uncover and check. This read-cover-write-check method strengthens orthographic memory even in solo practice.
Grammar Consolidation
No new grammatical system is introduced in Chapter 5. The grammar section reviews and integrates the five most important systems from Chapters 1 through 4, giving you the opportunity to practise them together rather than in isolation.
5.1 Pronoun sets — a complete Unit I summary
Purpose: consolidate the distinction between subject, possessive, object, emphatic, plural, and honorific forms.
By the end of Chapter 4, you have encountered several different pronoun forms. They are gathered here in one place. Study the table carefully: the forms in each column are not interchangeable, and tone is part of each form.
- They do not grammatically distinguish "he" from "she." Context identifies the person being referred to. Do not invent a separate feminine pronoun.
- Subject and possessive forms are not interchangeable. mo is the subject; mi is possessive or object in many patterns. ó is the subject; rẹ̀ is possessive.
- Tone is part of the pronoun. wọ́n (high, subject) and wọn (mid, possessive) look similar in unmarked text but are different forms. Always write tone marks on pronouns.
- The plural-or-honorific form ẹ (subject) and yín (possessive / object) must be used consistently throughout a conversation with the same person. Do not switch between o/rẹ and ẹ/yín for the same addressee.
5.2 ni versus ní — the most important contrast in Unit I
Purpose: consolidate accurate distinction of the identification particle from the possession and location particle.
- Orúkọ mi ni Títí. ni — mid tone — identification My name is Títí.
- Ìyá mi ní ọmọ mẹ́ta. ní — high tone — possession My mother has three children.
- Bàbá mi wà ní Àbéòkúta. ní — high tone — location My father is in Àbéòkúta.
- Kò ṣe ọmọ Nàìjíríà ni. ni — mid tone — identification (negative) He/she is not a Nigerian. (formulaic negative)
One reliable strategy is to ask yourself what the sentence is doing:
- If the sentence is naming or identifying something — saying what something is or who someone is — use ni (mid tone, no accent mark).
- If the sentence is expressing possession (someone has something) or location (someone or something is at a place), use ní (high tone, acute accent).
The contrast is carried entirely by tone. In unmarked informal digital writing, both words look the same — which is one of several reasons this textbook insists on marking every tone. Without the acute accent on ní, a reader cannot distinguish the two constructions.
5.3 àwọn and noun-phrase order
Purpose: confirm the placement of àwọn and qualifiers relative to the noun.
- àwọn ọ̀rẹ́ mi àwọn + noun + possessive pronoun my friends
- ìyá rẹ̀ tó dára noun + possessive pronoun + quality predicate his/her mother who is good / his/her kind mother
- àwọn ìwé pupa méta àwọn + noun + color + numeral three red books
The head noun comes first. Qualifiers — including possessives, colors, and numerals — follow in the order: noun → possessive pronoun → color or other descriptor → numeral or quantifier. Full multi-modifier order will be analyzed in Chapter 6.
5.4 Description — quality predicates review
Purpose: use simple predicates to describe people and things without imposing English adjective-before-noun order.
- Ọ̀rẹ́ mi ga. My friend is tall.
- Bàbá rẹ̀ dára. His/her father is good / kind / fine.
- Ìwé yín tóbi. Your book (honorific) is big.
- Kíláàsì wa kéré. Our classroom is small.
In these sentences, the quality word follows the noun phrase it describes rather than preceding it as an adjective would in English. These are predicate constructions, not adjective-before-noun phrases. The quality word does not change form for number or gender.
Yorùbá organizes the same communication that English handles through several different verbs — "be," "have," "is at," "is in" — through distinct constructions with different particles and different tones. You have now learned three of the most important: identification with mid-tone ni, possession and location with high-tone ní, and existence with wà. In English, "My sister is a doctor," "My sister has a car," and "My sister is in Abuja" all use the word "is" — but in Yorùbá, each requires a different construction. The key to accurate production is to ask what the sentence is doing, not to look for a single Yorùbá equivalent of the English word "is."
This principle — that Yorùbá and English organize meaning through different structures — will be one of the most important habits to develop throughout the course. Chapters 1 through 4 have given you three major examples of it. Unit II will add more.
Practice — Choosing the right particle
Complete each sentence with ni, ní, or wà ní. Then give the English meaning.
- Orúkọ ọ̀rẹ́ mi ___ Àbíké.
- Ìyá rẹ̀ ___ ilé ní Ìlọrin.
- Bàbá wa ___ àga méta.
- Kíláàsì wa ___ kíláàsì ìkẹ́jì. (our classroom is the second classroom)
- Àwọn ọ̀rẹ́ rẹ ___ Àkúrẹ́.
Practice — Pronoun selection
Rewrite each sentence, changing the underlined pronoun to the form indicated in parentheses. Make any other necessary adjustments.
- Mo ní ìwé méta. (change to honorific 2nd-person subject)
- Orúkọ rẹ ni kí? (change to honorific possessive)
- Ó jẹ́ olùkọ́. (keep 3rd-person but note that this applies to any gender)
- Àwọn ìwé mi wà níbí. (change to 1st-person plural possessive)
- O ti wà ní Èkó bí? (change to honorific 2nd-person subject)
Practice — Introducing a third person
Write three sentences introducing the following person. Use the identification, possession, and location patterns you have learned.
Name: Títílọpẹ́. Relationship: your friend. Origin: Ògbómọ̀ṣọ́. Profession: doctor (dókítà). Age: 28.
Model Dialogue
The dialogue below integrates vocabulary, grammar, and pragmatic skills from all four previous chapters into one extended conversation. Read it carefully, then answer the comprehension questions. Notice how the speakers manage the interaction — how they greet, maintain honorific reference, manage a misunderstanding, introduce a third person, and close the conversation courteously.
Ipò: Àárọ̀ ọjọ́ Àbámẹ́ta ní ilé-iṣẹ́ àwùjọ Yorùbá kan ní Èkó. Fọlákẹ́ (ọmọ ìlú Ìbàdàn, olùkọ́) pàdé Dávídì (ará Amẹ́ríkà, akẹ́kọ̀ọ́ Yorùbá) àti Àmíná (ará Nàìjíríà, tí ó ń kẹ́kọ̀ọ́ ní Èkó). Yorùbá ìpele àkọ́bẹ̀rẹ̀.
Setting: Wednesday morning at a Yorùbá community centre in Lagos. Fọlákẹ́ (from Ìbàdàn, a teacher) meets Dávídì (from the USA, a Yorùbá student) and Àmíná (a Nigerian studying in Lagos). Beginner-level Standard Yorùbá.
(Àmíná wọlé, o ń gbe àpótí rẹ̀. — Àmíná enters, carrying her bag.)
Ó dára láti pàdé yín (It is good to meet you) and Ẹ jẹ́ kí a sọ Yorùbá pọ̀ (Let us speak Yorùbá together) contain grammar — specifically the infinitive-like use of láti and the suggestion pattern jẹ́ ká — that will be taught productively in Chapters 14 and 17 respectively. Treat both expressions as formulaic units for now and learn their overall meaning. Do not yet try to build new sentences by analogy with their internal structure.
Also note: Ó dàbọ̀ fún ìsinsìnyí (Goodbye for now) is a formulaic leave-taking expression. Use it as a complete unit.
Àwọn ìbéèrè nípa ọ̀rọ̀ àdáhùnṣe — Comprehension questions:
- Níbo ni Fọlákẹ́ ti wà? Níbo ni ó ń gbé báyìí? (Where is Fọlákẹ́ from? Where does she live now?)
- Iṣẹ́ Fọlákẹ́ ni kí? (What is Fọlákẹ́'s work?)
- Níbo ni Dávídì ti wà? Ó jẹ́ olùkọ́ bí? (Where is Dávídì from? Is he a teacher?)
- Ta ni Àmíná? Kí ni ọ̀rọ̀ tí ó kò gbọ́? (Who is Àmíná? What word did she not understand?)
- Ìtumọ̀ àwùjọ ní Gẹ̀ẹ́sì ni kí? (What is the English meaning of àwùjọ?)
- Find the two sentences in the dialogue that use the possessive pronoun rẹ̀. Write them out and translate them.
- How does Dávídì use the honorific form when speaking to Fọlákẹ́? Find one example and explain the choice.
Listening
Ask your instructor, a study partner, or a qualified Yorùbá speaker to read the following short introductions at a natural pace. Listen twice. On the first listen, identify who is speaking and what topic each paragraph covers. On the second listen, complete the comprehension table.
If no speaker is available, this is a Listening Script for Independent Use. Read each paragraph aloud at a natural pace, then cover it and answer the questions. Machine text-to-speech output must be verified by a qualified Yorùbá speaker before being used as a pronunciation model.
Agbẹ̀yìnbò 1 — Àdùnọlá: "Ẹ káàárọ̀. Orúkọ mi ni Àdùnọlá Oyelárán. Mo ti wà ní Ògbómọ̀ṣọ́, ṣùgbọ́n mo ń gbé ní Èkó báyìí. Mo jẹ́ dókítà. Ìyá mi ní ọmọ mẹ́rin — àwọn ọkùnrin méjì àti àwọn obìnrin méjì. Èdè Yorùbá àti Gẹ̀ẹ́sì ni mo ń sọ."
Agbẹ̀yìnbò 2 — Kọ́bí: "Báwo ni. Orúkọ mi ni Kọ́bí. Mo ti wà ní Gana, ṣùgbọ́n bàbá mi jẹ́ ará Yorùbá. Bàbá mi wà ní Ìbàdàn báyìí. Mo ní ìyá ọkùnrin kan àti ìyá àgbà kan ní Nàìjíríà. Mo ń kẹ́kọ̀ọ́ Yorùbá nítorí pé mo fẹ́ sọ̀rọ̀ pẹ̀lú ẹbí mi."
Agbẹ̀yìnbò 3 — Ìféọlúwa: "Ẹ káàárọ̀. Orúkọ mi ni Ìféọlúwa Àdégbéṣan. Mo jẹ́ akẹ́kọ̀ọ́. Mo ní àwọn ọ̀rẹ́ mẹ́rin nínú kíláàsì mi. Kíláàsì wa kéré ṣùgbọ́n ó dára. Olùkọ́ wa ní ìwé Yorùbá tóbi kan. Mo nífẹ̀ẹ́ Yorùbá."
Kàwé iṣẹ́ — Listening comprehension: Complete the table based on what you hear.
| Ẹni (Speaker) | Orúkọ àti ìpilẹ̀ṣẹ̀ (Name and origin) | Iṣẹ́ tàbí ipò (Work or status) | Àwọn ìfọ̀rọ̀wánilẹ́nuwò mìíràn (Other details) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 — Àdùnọlá | ______ | ______ | ______ |
| 2 — Kọ́bí | ______ | ______ | ______ |
| 3 — Ìféọlúwa | ______ | ______ | ______ |
Ìbéèrè àfikún — Bonus questions:
- Which speaker explicitly mentions their reason for studying Yorùbá? What reason do they give?
- Find one sentence in the listening passage that uses ní (high tone) for possession. Write it out and explain why ní is correct rather than ni.
Reading
Read the two texts below. The first is a short personal profile message. The second is a printed name card. All text uses Standard Yorùbá orthography with full tone marks and underdots.
Ìfitónilétí àkọ́kọ́ — Personal message
Ẹ káàbọ̀ sí ẹgbẹ́ Yorùbá wa. Orúkọ mi ni Olátúndé Àlàbí. Mo ti wà ní Àbéòkúta, ipínlẹ̀ Ògùn, Nàìjíríà. Mo jẹ́ akẹ́kọ̀ọ́ gẹ́gẹ́ bí ẹ ṣe rí mi ní kíláàsì. Mo ní ẹgbọ́n obìnrin kan àti àbúrò ọkùnrin méjì. Bàbá mi jẹ́ agbẹ̀. Ìyá mi jẹ́ oníṣòwò. Àwọn ènìyàn méfàá wà nínú ẹbí wa. Ìyá àgbà mi wà ní Àbéòkúta pẹ̀lú wa. Ó pọ̀ mọ́ ọgọ́rin ọdún. Ó dára àti ẹlẹ́wà.
Welcome to our Yorùbá group. My name is Olátúndé Àlàbí. I am from Àbéòkúta, Ogun State, Nigeria. I am a student as you see me in class. I have one older sister and two younger brothers. My father is a farmer. My mother is a trader. Six people are in our family. My grandmother is in Àbéòkúta with us. She is past eighty years. She is good and beautiful / handsome.
Káàdì orúkọ — Name card
Orúkọ: Dókítà Àṣàké Ọlọ́runfẹ́mi
Ipò: Olùkọ́ agba, Ilé-ẹ̀kọ́ gíga
Ìpínlẹ̀: Ọ̀yọ́ State, Nàìjíríà
Èdè: Yorùbá, Gẹ̀ẹ́sì, Hausa
Ẹ lè kan mi: àṣàké.ọlọ́runfẹ́mi@àpẹẹrẹ.edu.ng
Àwọn ìbéèrè nípa ọ̀rọ̀ àdáhùnṣe — Comprehension questions:
- Níbo ni Olátúndé ti wà? Ìpínlẹ̀ wo ni ìlú náà wà? (Where is Olátúndé from? What state is that city in?)
- Ìyá Olátúndé jẹ́ kí ni? Bàbá rẹ̀ ńkọ? (What does Olátúndé's mother do? And his/her father?)
- Iye àwọn ènìyàn tí ó wà nínú ẹbí Olátúndé ni mélòó? Kọ nọ́mbà náà ní ọ̀rọ̀ Yorùbá. (How many people are in Olátúndé's family? Write the number in Yorùbá words.)
- Ìyá àgbà Olátúndé bá a wà níbo? Ó pọ̀ mọ́ ọdún mélòó? (Where is Olátúndé's grandmother? Approximately how old is she?)
- From the name card: what title does Dókítà Àṣàké hold? What languages does she speak?
- Find two places in the personal message where ní (high tone) is used. Write each phrase and explain whether it signals possession or location.
Writing Workshop
The major writing product for Chapter 5 is a fully marked personal profile of 60–80 words. This is the most extended and independent piece of Yorùbá writing you have attempted so far. Follow the steps below carefully.
- Plan your content. Decide what you will include. You need at least: your name, your origin, one or two languages you speak, one person in your family or social circle (with their relationship to you, one quality, and their origin or location), and one closing sentence about yourself or your reason for learning Yorùbá. Jot these facts in English or any language first.
- Draft in Yorùbá. Write your profile in Yorùbá. Begin with a greeting or a direct introduction. Use at least one example of ni (identification), one example of ní (possession or location), and one plural noun phrase with àwọn.
- Check your noun-phrase order. Scan every noun phrase. Is the qualifier — color, possessive pronoun, or quality word — placed after the noun? Fix any item where you have used English adjective-before-noun order.
- Write the tone marks. Go through every vowel. Mark every high and low tone. Leave mid-tone vowels unmarked. Add the underdot wherever ẹ, ọ, or ṣ appears.
- Count and revise. Count your words. If you have fewer than 60, add one more sentence. If you have more than 80 and the chapter requirement is strict, trim carefully without removing accuracy. Make a final check against the editing checklist.
Àtúnṣe àtúnyẹ̀wò — Editing checklist:
- I used ni (mid tone, no accent) for identification — naming or saying what something is.
- I used ní (high tone, acute accent) for possession or location — not as a general substitute for "is."
- Every high tone carries an acute accent. Every low tone carries a grave accent. Mid-tone vowels carry no accent mark.
- Every ẹ, ọ, and ṣ is spelled with an underdot — not replaced by plain e, o, or s.
- Tone marks appear correctly on underdotted vowels: ẹ̀, ẹ́, ọ̀, ọ́.
- All qualifiers — possessive pronouns, colors, quality words — appear after the noun, not before it.
- Where I used àwọn, the noun itself has not changed form.
- Subject and possessive pronouns are the correct forms — I did not use mo where mi is needed, or vice versa.
- I maintained a consistent register — either familiar or honorific — when addressing or referring to the same person.
- Every sentence begins with a capital letter and ends with a full stop or question mark.
- My profile is between 60 and 80 words.
Àfojúsùn àfikún — Optional extension: Write a 30–40-word profile of one person you are introducing — a friend, family member, or imagined person — using the same standards. This prepares you directly for the Unit I Performance Task.
Speaking Practice
Àdáwọlé àkọ́kọ́ — Controlled practice: question and answer
Working with a partner, take turns asking and answering the following questions. Use the Unit I vocabulary and grammar you have reviewed in this chapter. The partner asking questions should vary between the familiar and honorific forms to practise both.
- Orúkọ rẹ / yín ni kí?
- Níbo ni o / ẹ ti wà?
- Iṣẹ́ rẹ / yín ni kí?
- Èdè wo ni o / ẹ ń sọ?
- Ta ni ọ̀rẹ́ rẹ / yín tó wà níbí?
- Ẹbí rẹ / yín wà níbo?
- Kí ni orúkọ ìyá / bàbá rẹ / yín?
Iṣẹ́ ìjíròrò — Communicative task: the language evening
Imagine you are at the community centre described in the Communication Scenario at the top of this chapter. Your instructor will assign you a role card — or create your own — with a name, origin, profession, and family detail. You have eight minutes to circulate and speak to as many other participants as possible. In each mini-conversation you must:
- Greet the person appropriately for the time of day and your relationship.
- Exchange names using ni.
- Ask and answer at least one personal-information question.
- Introduce a third person if one is nearby.
- Use at least one clarification expression if you genuinely do not understand something.
- Close the conversation politely.
After the activity, report to the class: who did you meet, where are they from, and what do they do?
Fún àwọn tí ń kọ́ nìkọ̀ọ̀kan — Solo alternative: recorded self-introduction
Record a two- to three-minute spoken self-introduction. Include: your name and origin, your profession or student status, two or three people in your family or social circle with their relationship and one quality each, and a closing sentence about your reason for learning Yorùbá. Listen back and check the following:
- Did you use ni for identification and ní for possession or location?
- Did you maintain a consistent register?
- Could a Yorùbá speaker understand your tone on key words such as orúkọ, ìyá, bàbá, and ni / ní?
Culture and Communication
Unit I has introduced several Yorùbá greetings, and Chapter 5 is a good moment to review what governs the choice among them. The key variables are:
- Time of day — morning (káàárọ̀), afternoon (káàsán), evening (káalẹ̀). Using the wrong time-of-day greeting is a minor but noticeable slip.
- Relationship and status — the honorific prefix Ẹ signals respect. Using the bare form Káàárọ̀ without Ẹ is appropriate among peers or to a younger person, but using it to an elder or a teacher without other mitigating factors can read as abrupt.
- Setting and purpose — there are greetings specific to someone working, someone who has returned from a journey, someone who has recently lost a family member, and someone who is ill. These situational greetings are an important part of Yorùbá communicative culture and will be introduced progressively across the course.
The general greeting Ẹ ń lẹ́ — introduced in Chapter 1 — is broadly usable across most daytime settings and relationships, which is why it is a useful formula for beginners. As your vocabulary and awareness grow, you will be able to select more precisely.
In many Yorùbá-speaking contexts, a good conversationalist does more than answer questions — they show active interest through follow-up questions, affirmations, and occasional exclamations. Expressions such as À! (Ah!), Ó yá! (Alright! / Oh, really!), Ó dára! (Good! / That's wonderful!), and Ìdí nì! (That's right! / Exactly!) signal that you are engaged. Using these small responses at appropriate moments will make your Yorùbá conversations feel much more natural.
Notice how Fọlákẹ́ uses Ó dára, Dávídì! in the model dialogue to encourage Dávídì's efforts. This kind of warm affirmation is common in language-learning interactions and in everyday Yorùbá conversation more broadly.
When introducing someone in Yorùbá, the standard pattern is to name the person and state their relationship to you, their origin, and one or two relevant facts. The expression Ẹ jẹ́ kí n mú yín pàdé ___ (Let me introduce you to ___) is a natural way to frame a third-party introduction, though learners should use it as a formulaic unit for now rather than building from its parts.
Leave-taking in Yorùbá often involves more than a single word. Ó dàbọ̀ (Goodbye) is the most common general farewell. Ẹ wá pẹ̀lé (Go safely — honorific or plural) and Ó dàbọ̀ fún ìsinsìnyí (Goodbye for now) acknowledge that the separation may be temporary. In many Yorùbá-speaking contexts, a goodbye that feels too abrupt — particularly with an elder — may be softened by a brief expression of good wishes before the final farewell.
The dialogue and reading texts in this chapter introduce speakers from Ìbàdàn, New York, Kano, Ògbómọ̀ṣọ́, and Àbéòkúta. This breadth is deliberate. Yorùbá is spoken not only in southwestern Nigeria but in communities across Benin, Togo, and the global diaspora, and many Nigerians from non-Yorùbá ethnic backgrounds speak Yorùbá as a second or third language — as Àmíná's character illustrates.
When you encounter a Yorùbá name in reading or conversation, do not assume that the speaker's only language is Yorùbá or that their identity is solely defined by their ethnic heritage. Language use, ethnicity, nationality, religion, and family history are distinct and sometimes overlapping categories. Accurate cultural understanding requires keeping these distinctions in mind.
Common Mistakes
Error: Writing or saying *Ìyá mi ni ọmọ mẹ́ta when the meaning is "My mother has three children," or writing *Orúkọ mi ní Kọ́lá when the meaning is "My name is Kọ́lá."
Correction: Ìyá mi ní ọmọ mẹ́ta (possession — ní with high tone). Orúkọ mi ni Kọ́lá (identification — ni with mid tone, no accent). Ask yourself: is the sentence naming or identifying something? Use mid-tone ni. Is it expressing that someone has something or is at a place? Use high-tone ní.
Error: Writing *ìwé mo or *ọ̀rẹ́ ó instead of ìwé mi (my book) or ọ̀rẹ́ rẹ̀ (his/her friend).
Correction: Subject and possessive pronouns are different forms. The possessive form follows the noun it modifies. mo and ó are subject pronouns used before verbs; mi and rẹ̀ are the possessive forms that follow nouns. Review the pronoun table in Section 5.1 until each pair is automatic.
Error: Beginning a conversation with the honorific form Ẹ and yín, then switching to the familiar o and rẹ without a change in relationship or context.
Correction: Choose a register — familiar or honorific — based on your relationship with the person and the setting, and maintain it consistently throughout the conversation. If you begin with Orúkọ yín ni kí? (honorific), follow up with Níbo ni ẹ ti wà? and refer to their possessions as yín, not rẹ. Inconsistent register is noticed by Yorùbá speakers and can create an impression of inattention or social miscalibration.
Error: Writing *Oruko mi ni Titi. Iya mi wa ni Ibadan. Baba mi ni omo meta. — omitting all tone marks in a personal profile.
Correction: Every high and low tone must be marked, even in quickly written drafts. Orúkọ mi ni Títí. Ìyá mi wà ní Ìbàdàn. Bàbá mi ní ọmọ mẹ́ta. Unmarked text is incomplete text in Standard Yorùbá. The editing checklist in the Writing Workshop is designed to catch every missing mark before you submit.
Error: Inventing *o for "she" and *e for "he," or using the second-person form o to mean "she" or "he."
Correction: Yorùbá does not grammatically distinguish "he" from "she" in the third person. The third-person singular subject pronoun is ó (high tone) regardless of gender. Context — a name, a title, a previous mention — supplies the information that English expresses through gendered pronouns. Do not invent a gendered pronoun system that does not exist in the language.
Unit I Review
Unit I Review Exercises
Apá A — Àwọn Ọ̀rọ̀ (Vocabulary)
1. Write five fully marked Yorùbá sentences using the pattern Mo jẹ́ ___ (I am a ___). Use five different professions or identities from the Unit I vocabulary.
2. Write the Yorùbá word for each of the following numbers: 8, 14, 19, 20, 35, 50, 100. (Numbers above 20 use patterns introduced in Chapter 3; consult your vocabulary notes.)
3. Match each greeting to its most appropriate context: Ẹ káàárọ̀ · Ẹ káalẹ̀ · Ẹ ń lẹ́ · Ó dàbọ̀ · Ẹ wá pẹ̀lé. Contexts: (a) leaving a meeting, (b) greeting someone respectfully at any time, (c) greeting a group in the morning, (d) parting from an elder, (e) seeing someone for the first time in the evening.
4. Write three conversation-management expressions you would use if you did not understand something a speaker said. Provide the Yorùbá and English for each.
Apá B — Gírámà (Grammar)
1. Write six sentences — two using ni (identification), two using ní (possession), and two using wà ní (location). Each sentence must refer to a different person or object.
2. Rewrite the following sentences, replacing the underlined English pronoun with the correct Yorùbá form in the context given:
- ___ (I, subject) jẹ́ akẹ́kọ̀ọ́.
- Ìwé ___ (my, possessive) wà níbí.
- Níbo ni ___ (you, honorific subject) ti wà?
- Àwọn ọ̀rẹ́ ___ (her/his, possessive) dára.
- ___ (They, subject) wà ní Ìlọrin.
3. Correct the five errors in the following short profile. Write the corrected version with full tone marks.
Orúkọ mi ni Bísí. Mo ti wà ni Lagos. Iṣẹ mi ni dokita. Bàbá mi ga — ó tó ẹsẹ mẹfà. Ìyá mi ni ìyá dara.
4. Arrange the following words into a natural Yorùbá noun phrase, then translate it into English: mi / àpótí / búlúù / àwọn.
Apá C — Ìmọ̀ Ohùn àti Àkọ̀wé (Pronunciation and orthography)
1. The following words have been written without tone marks or underdots. Restore all required diacritics: oruko, iya, baba, oniṣowo, awon ore, kilaasi, peensù, owo.
2. Write one sentence for each of the following vowels that requires it to carry an underdot: ẹ and ọ. Each sentence must be fully marked and use vocabulary from Unit I.
3. Explain in plain English why tone is part of the lexical identity of a Yorùbá word, using ni and ní as your example.
Apá D — Kíkọ (Writing)
1. Write a 60–80-word personal profile using all Unit I grammar. Submit the draft you completed in the Writing Workshop above, revised according to the editing checklist.
2. Write a 30–40-word introduction of one person in your family or social circle. Include their name, relationship to you, origin or current location, and one quality description.
Apá E — Ìbánisọ̀rọ̀ (Speaking)
1. Without notes, conduct a two-minute introductory conversation with a partner or aloud for a recording. Cover: greeting, name, origin, and one question about the other person. Use a consistent register throughout.
2. Introduce the person from your written task above to a third person or to your recording. Use Orúkọ rẹ̀ ni ___ and at least one sentence stating their origin or profession.
Ìfojúsí ohun tó kẹ́kọ̀ọ́ tẹ́lẹ̀ — Checking cumulative control
Before submitting your Unit I Performance Task, confirm that you can do the following without looking at your notes:
- Give an appropriate time-of-day greeting in both familiar and honorific register.
- State your name, origin, language, and profession using ni.
- Express that someone has something using ní.
- State where someone is using wà ní.
- Distinguish subject from possessive pronoun for all six person-number categories.
- Write ẹ, ọ, and ṣ with their underdots in any word from Unit I.
- Write a four-sentence passage with every high and low tone correctly marked.
- Count from 1 to 20 in Yorùbá.
- Ask for repetition or clarification in Yorùbá.
- Close a conversation with an appropriate farewell.
Unit I Performance Task
Iṣẹ́ aṣeyọrí — Ìpín I
Ìpàdé àkọ́kọ́ — A first meeting
The Unit I Performance Task has three parts. All spoken and written Yorùbá must use full tone marks and underdots.
Part 1 — Oral conversation (2–3 minutes):
Conduct a structured introductory conversation with a partner (or record a simulated conversation solo). The conversation must include:
- An appropriate greeting for the time of day and the relationship (stranger / peer or stranger / elder).
- Exchange of names using the identification pattern.
- At least two follow-up personal-information questions and answers (origin, language, profession, or family).
- Introduction of a third person — real or imagined — including their name, relationship to you, and one additional fact.
- At least one use of a clarification expression.
- A polite leave-taking.
Part 2 — Written personal profile (60–80 words):
Submit the profile you drafted and revised in the Writing Workshop. It must include: your name and origin, at least one language you speak, a description of at least one family member or friend, and a closing sentence. Apply the full editing checklist before submission.
Part 3 — Orthographic spot-check:
Your instructor (or a self-check partner) will read aloud five words from Unit I vocabulary. Write each one with full tone marks and underdots. At least four of the five must be correct for the task to be considered complete.
Assessment note: The spoken task is evaluated on task completion, comprehensibility, consistent pronoun and register use, and intelligible tone production. The written task is evaluated on accuracy of ni/ní, tone marks, underdots, noun-phrase order, and overall organization. The spot-check is evaluated on orthographic accuracy only.
Answer Key
Dictation — Correct forms
- Orúkọ mi ni Kọ́lá.
- Mo ti wà ní Èkó.
- Ìyá mi jẹ́ olùkọ́.
- Àwọn ọ̀rẹ́ mi méjì wà níbí.
- Kí ni orúkọ rẹ̀ ní Yorùbá?
- Èyí ni ìwé àkọsílẹ̀ pupa mi.
Award one mark per sentence for complete accuracy (all tones, all underdots, all spellings). If a tone mark is missing on any syllable, the sentence is not fully correct — return to the pronunciation review and practise the specific word.
Practice — Choosing the right particle
- Orúkọ ọ̀rẹ́ mi ni Àbíké. — My friend's name is Àbíké. (identification)
- Ìyá rẹ̀ wà ní ilé ní Ìlọrin. — His/her mother is at home in Ìlọrin. (location)
- Bàbá wa ní àga mẹ́ta. — Our father has three chairs. (possession)
- Kíláàsì wa ni kíláàsì ìkẹ́jì. — Our classroom is the second classroom. (identification)
- Àwọn ọ̀rẹ́ rẹ wà ní Àkúrẹ́. — His/her friends are in Àkúrẹ. (location)
Practice — Pronoun selection
- Ẹ ní ìwé mẹ́ta. (honorific 2nd-person subject)
- Orúkọ yín ni kí? (honorific possessive)
- Ó jẹ́ olùkọ́. (3rd-person singular — form unchanged; note that this applies to any person regardless of gender)
- Àwọn ìwé wa wà níbí. (1st-person plural possessive)
- Ẹ ti wà ní Èkó bí? (honorific 2nd-person subject)
Dialogue — Comprehension
- Fọlákẹ́ ti wà ní Ìbàdàn; ó ń gbé ní Èkó báyìí. (Fọlákẹ́ is from Ìbàdàn; she lives in Lagos now.)
- Iṣẹ́ Fọlákẹ́ ni olùkọ́ Yorùbá. (Fọlákẹ́'s work is as a Yorùbá teacher.)
- Dávídì ti wà ní Amẹ́ríkà — New York. Kò jẹ́ olùkọ́; ó jẹ́ akẹ́kọ̀ọ́. (Dávídì is from America — New York. He is not a teacher; he is a student.)
- Àmíná ni ọ̀rẹ́ Dávídì. Ọ̀rọ̀ tí ó kò gbọ́ ni àwùjọ. (Àmíná is Dávídì's friend. The word she did not understand is àwùjọ.)
- Ìtumọ̀ àwùjọ ní Gẹ̀ẹ́sì ni "community." (The English meaning of àwùjọ is "community.")
- Sentences with rẹ̀: Orúkọ rẹ̀ ni Àmíná (His/her name is Àmíná) and Yorùbá rẹ dára (Your Yorùbá is good — note: rẹ here with mid tone addresses Dávídì in familiar register; rẹ̀ with low tone is the third-person possessive). Accept any well-argued identification from the text.
- Dávídì uses ẹ and yín when addressing Fọlákẹ́ — for example, Níbo ni ẹ ti wà? — signalling respect to someone he has just met who is also older and a professional.
Listening — Comprehension table
- Àdùnọlá — from Ògbómọ̀ṣọ́, lives in Lagos; doctor; speaks Yorùbá and English; mother has four children (two boys, two girls)
- Kọ́bí — from Ghana, father is Yorùbá and lives in Ìbàdàn; student (implied); has a paternal uncle and a grandmother in Nigeria; is studying Yorùbá to speak with family
- Ìféọlúwa — student; has four friends in class; classroom is small but good; teacher has a big Yorùbá book; loves Yorùbá
Bonus: Kọ́bí explicitly states his reason — to speak with his family (nítorí pé mo fẹ́ sọ̀rọ̀ pẹ̀lú ẹbí mi). Possession sentence: Olùkọ́ wa ní ìwé Yorùbá tóbi kan — ní is correct because the teacher has the book (possession), not because of identification.
Reading — Comprehension
- Olátúndé ti wà ní Àbéòkúta, ipínlẹ̀ Ògùn. (Olátúndé is from Àbéòkúta, Ogun State.)
- Ìyá rẹ̀ jẹ́ oníṣòwò. Bàbá rẹ̀ jẹ́ agbẹ̀. (His/her mother is a trader. His/her father is a farmer.)
- Àwọn ènìyàn mẹ́fà. In Yorùbá words: mẹ́fà.
- Ìyá àgbà rẹ̀ wà ní Àbéòkúta pẹ̀lú wọn. Ó pọ̀ mọ́ ọgọ́rin ọdún. (His/her grandmother is in Àbéòkúta with them. She is past eighty years.)
- Dókítà Àṣàké is a senior lecturer (olùkọ́ agba) at a university (ilé-ẹ̀kọ́ gíga). She speaks Yorùbá, English (Gẹ̀ẹ́sì), and Hausa.
- Possession: Mo ní ẹgbọ́n obìnrin kan — ní signals that the speaker has an older sister. Location: Ìyá àgbà mi wà ní Àbéòkúta — ní signals that the grandmother is located in Àbéòkúta.
Unit I Review — Apá A
- Accept any five well-formed sentences using professions from Unit I with full diacritics. Example: Mo jẹ́ dókítà. Mo jẹ́ olùkọ́. Mo jẹ́ akẹ́kọ̀ọ́. Mo jẹ́ agbẹ̀. Mo jẹ́ oníṣòwò.
- ẹ̀jọ; ẹ̀rin lé lógún; ọ̀kàndílógún; ogún; ọgbọ̀n lé márùn-ún (35); àádọ́ta (50); ọgọ́rùn-ún (100). Note: 35 and 50 use patterns introduced in Chapter 3; accept any correctly formed alternative.
- (a) Ó dàbọ̀ — leaving a meeting; (b) Ẹ ń lẹ́ — greeting someone respectfully at any time; (c) Ẹ káàárọ̀ — greeting a group in the morning; (d) Ẹ wá pẹ̀lé — parting from an elder; (e) Ẹ káalẹ̀ — seeing someone for the first time in the evening.
- Any three from: Ẹ jọ̀wọ́, tún un sọ. / Jọ̀wọ́, sọ ó di èlò. / Mi ò gbọ́. / Kí ni orúkọ rẹ̀ ní Yorùbá? / Ìdí nì? Accept with correct diacritics only.
Unit I Review — Apá B
- Accept any six well-formed sentences with correct ni / ní / wà ní usage and full diacritics. Check specifically that no sentence uses ni for possession or ní for identification.
- Mo jẹ́ akẹ́kọ̀ọ́. — Ìwé mi wà níbí. — Níbo ni ẹ ti wà? — Àwọn ọ̀rẹ́ rẹ̀ dára. — Wọ́n wà ní Ìlọrin.
- Errors in the profile: (1) ni Lagos → ní Èkó or ní Lagos — missing high tone on ní; (2) Iṣẹ mi → Iṣẹ́ mi — missing high tone on iṣẹ́; (3) dokita → dókítà — missing all tone marks; (4) ga is acceptable for "tall" but ó tó ẹsẹ mẹfà needs full marks: ó tó ẹsẹ̀ mẹ́fà; (5) ìyá dara → ìyá rẹ̀ dára — possessive pronoun rẹ̀ was omitted, and dara needs full tone marks. Accept reasonable corrections that address the clear orthographic and structural errors.
- àwọn àpótí búlúù mi — my blue bags. (àwọn first, then noun, then colour, then possessive; note that noun-phrase order can vary slightly in natural speech and further conventions will be refined in Chapter 6.)
Unit I Review — Apá C
- Correct forms: orúkọ, ìyá, bàbá, oníṣòwò, àwọn ọ̀rẹ́, kíláàsì, pẹ̀ńsù, ọ̀wọ̀.
- Accept any well-formed, fully marked sentences using Unit I vocabulary that correctly contain ẹ and ọ. Example: Ìyá mi ní pẹ̀ńsù ẹ̀fà. / Ọ̀rẹ́ mi wà ní Ìbàdàn.
- A model answer: In Yorùbá, tone is not expressive or emotional — it is part of the word's identity. The particle ni (mid tone, no accent) identifies or names something: Orúkọ mi ni Kọ́lá means "My name is Kọ́lá." The particle ní (high tone, acute accent) expresses possession or location: Mo ní ìwé means "I have a book." The two words look identical without tone marks, which is why marking every high and low tone is required in this textbook. Omitting the accent on ní makes it impossible to distinguish the two constructions.
Looking Ahead
Ohun tí o lè ṣe báyìí — What you can do now
You can conduct a short introductory conversation in Yorùbá — greeting, exchanging names and personal information, introducing another person, describing a family member, asking for clarification, and closing politely. You can write a fully marked personal profile using correct tone marks, underdots, pronoun forms, and noun-phrase order. You consistently distinguish mid-tone ni from high-tone ní. These abilities are the foundation for everything in Unit II and beyond.