Review materials created by Professor Adeboye Adegbenro for the first three weeks of Yoruba class at the Wayne County Community College District, Detroit Northwest campus are now accessible at IleOduduwa.com under the category of Wayne County Community College District (WCCCD) or Yoruba Language Lessons and Resources.
The class is a collaborative effort of WCCCD and the Odu’a Organization of Michigan. Please subscribe to IleOduduwa.com to receive the class notes and additional Yoruba educational resources.

REVIEW OF BEGINNING YORUBA WCCCD CLASS

YORUBA LANGUAGE COURSE
WEEK 1&2

Ẹ KÚ ÀBỌ̀ SÍ ORÍ ÈTÒ ÌKỌ́NI LÉDÈ YÍ O
WELCOME TO THIS DEVELOPMENTAL CLASS

LEARNING YORUBA

ALPHABETS & PRONUNCIATIONS

A B D E Ẹ F G GB H I J K
AHH BEE DEE HEY HEAD FEE GEE GB HE EE GEE KEY

L M N O Ọ P R S Ṣ T U W Y
LEE ME NEE O OR PEE RE SEE SHE TEA WHO WE YEE

ENGLISH ALPHABETS AND YORUBA EQUIVALENT IN PRONUNCIATION

Missing English Alphabets in Yoruba
C “F” Q X Z
Yoruba Pronunciation
SEE FEE KIU ẸSS SEE or ZEE

TRUE TRANSLATION
C = SEE
F = FEE
Q = KIU or KEYU
X = ẸKISI
Z = SEE or ZEE

PRONOUNCING DIFFICULT ALPHABETS

Ṣ = SHE
Ọ = OR
J = G
GB = LIKE RUGBY
Fill your mouth with air
Clench your teeth
Try to pronounce the word boo
You noticed that it is difficult with clenched teeth
Now pronounce the “B” with teeth clenched
It should sound like a cymbal as the air comes out

A E Ẹ I O Ọ U vowels
AH HEY HEAD HE OH OR WHO pronunciation

Adding letters to the vowels
Example Ba Be Bẹ Bi Bo Bọ Bu

YORUBA ACCENTS
DÒ MI SỌ́ how it sounds on a tri-tone drum
Not DOE RAY ME
Let’s practice the accent

PHRASE

Kò jọ mí = (do mi sọ) Does not look like me
Àwòrán = Picture
Yìí = this
Àwòrán yìí kò jọ mí
Ó ga jù (mi sọ do) It’s too tall
When you understand the accents then Yoruba becomes easy to learn

WORD USAGE

MO = I
MÒ NLỌ= I AM GOING
MO N LAW pronunciation
MO FẸ́ LỌ= I WANT TO GO
MI Ò LỌ = I AM NOT GOING
MI O FẸ LỌ = I DO NOT WANT TO GO

PRACTICAL SENTENCE

Mo fẹ lọ sí Ọjà = I want to go the market
Jẹ́ kí a pàdé ní ọjà = Let’s meet at the market place
Ṣé o mbọ̀? = Are you coming?
Ẹnh, mò nbọ̀ = Yes, I will come
Ṣé wàá wá? = Will you come?
Ẹnh, màà wá = Yes, I will come

CONVERSATION

Mo fẹ́ràn Dàshíkí yìí = I like this Dashiki
Éélòó ni? = How much is it?
₦500 naira ni = It’s ₦500
Àh, owó yẹn ti pọ̀ jù o = Ah, that price is too much or too high
Ah, kò rí bẹ́ẹ = Ah, it’s not like that
Eléyìí yàtọ niì = this one is different

Ẹ jẹ́ kín wo èyí tí ó pupa yẹn = Let me look at that red one
Ṣé ele yii = Is it this one?
Ẹnh, Bẹ́ẹ̀ni = Yes, it is
₦1000 naira ni eleyii = This one is ₦1000
Eelo ni ja’lẹ = What is your last price?
Ẹ san ₦800 naira jálẹ̀ = Pay ₦800 Naira
Ẹ ò sì gba ₦600 naira jálẹ̀
Ah, rárá o, ₦800 naira ni ní ibi gbogbo
Ah, not like that, it’s ₦800 naira everywhere
O dára, Ẹ bá mi mú pupa yẹn = Okay, please let me have the red one

Ẹ ṣeun = Thank you
Ko t’ọ́pẹ́ o = You are welcome
Láyọ̀ lẹ ó délé o = I wish you safe journey
Oo Amin = Thank you, Amen

GREETINGS IN YORUBA

Ẹ kú àárọ̀ = Good morning
Ẹ ku àsán = Good afternoon
Ẹ kú ìrọ̀lẹ́ = Good early evening
Ẹ kú alẹ́ = Good evening
Ó di àárọ̀ = See you in the morning
Ó di àárọ̀ = Good night
Ẹ ku ìjókòó = I greet you sitting down
Ẹ ku ìdìde = I greet you for visiting me
Ẹ ku ìdìde = I greet you for coming here

FAMILY AND AGE CATEGORIES

ÌYÁ = MOTHER
BÀBÁ = FATHER
ỌMỌ = CHILD
ÀWỌN ỌMỌ = CHILDREN
ỌMỌ OKÙNRIN = MALE CHILD
ỌMỌ OBÌNRIN = FEMALE CHILD
Ọ̀DỌ́ = YOUTH
ÌKÓKÓ = INFANT
Ọ̀DỌ́MỌDÉ = VERY YOUNG CHILD

GREETINGS IN YORUBA

Ẹ kú orí ire náa = Congratulations
Ẹ kú ara fẹ́ ra kù = My condolences for your loss
Ẹ kú ìnáwó = Thanks for your hospitality
Ẹ kúu ìpalẹ̀mọ́ ọdùn o = Compliments of the seasons
Ìròyìn kò tó àfojúbà = Seeing is believing
Ṣé ajé nwá? = Hope you made good sales

GROUP WORK

We will now split up into groups (elementary/ intermediate/ advanced)
Interaction using what we learned
Call and response/ communication
Yoruba non verbal communication
Hand gestures and signals

COMMUNICATION 1

Nibo lo nlọ? = Where are you going?
Mo fẹ sáré dé ibẹ̀ yẹn = I want to go to that place
Níbo ni ibẹ̀? = Where is the place?
Ní apá ọtun yẹn ni = It’s on the right side there.
O dara o, àlọ ‘re, àbọ̀ ire o = Okay, I wish you safe journey and safe return.

COMMUNICATION WORDS BREAKDOWN

Nlọ= going
Sáré= to run or walk hastily
Ibẹ̀= somewhere
Ibẹ̀ yẹn= that place
Apá= hand or branch
Ó dára = it is well; it’s good
COMMUNICATION 2

Nibo lo nlọ? = Where are you going?
Mo fẹ sáré dé Walmart = I want to go to Walmart
Ki lo fẹ ra bọ ibẹ̀? = What are you going to buy?
Mo fẹ lọ ra aṣọ wíwọ̀ = I want to go and buy some comfortable wears.
O dara o, ẹ ra nkan ìpanu bọ̀ o= Okay, buy me some snacks on your way back.

COMMUNICATION 3 (GROUP WORK)

Ẹ wo ọkùrin t’ó nlọ yẹn = Look at that man going over there
Ewo? Ṣe eyi ti o wọ aṣọ alawọ ewe yẹn = Which one? Is he the man that wears a green shirt
Bẹẹni, òhun ni. Abi ẹ ko ríi bi o tin tiro rìn? = Yes, that’s him. Don’t you see how he’s limping while walking?
Bẹẹ̀ ẹsẹ̀ kò dùún rárá o = Though it doesn’t seem as if he has problem with his legs

Aṣa ni eleyii jọ loju mi = This looks like a style of walking to me
Aṣàkaṣa ni iyẹn o = That’s such a foolish style
Bẹ́ẹ̀ni, ó jọ alákọ ènìyàn = Yes, he seems like a haughty person
O jọ wipe ọ̀gá rẹ̀ ló mbọ̀ ní òdìkeji ní iwájú yẹn = It looks like his boss is coming from the opposite direction

Ọkùrin naa nkí ọ̀gáa rẹ = The man is greeting his boss
Bẹ́ẹ̀ni ó si tun tẹriba pelu = Yes indeed, he even bowed too
Ọ̀gá rẹ kíi daradara = His boss greets him well
Ẹ wo ọkùrin náà, ó ti nrìn lọ = Look at the man, he is walking away
Paga! Irin ẹsẹ rẹ ti yatọ bayii = Wow! His walk has changed now
Bẹ́ẹ̀ni, ọkùrin náa kò tiro mọ = Yes, the man is not limping any more

Eyí fi dá wa lójú wípé akọ ni ọkùrin yìí fi ìri’ n l rẹ̀ ṣe
Hahahahaha ẹ̀rín kèékèé – two ladies laughing