Yorùbá

Yoruba

Niger-Congo

FamilyNiger-Congo Speakers~45M ScriptLatin CountriesNigeria, Benin, Togo Official inNigeria (regional) Vitalitysafe ISO 639-3yor

Also known as: Yoruba

Yoruba (Èdè Yorùbá) is one of West Africa's major languages, with ~45M speakers — primarily in southwestern Nigeria (~40M across Lagos, Ibadan, Oyo, Osun, Ogun, Ondo, Ekiti, and Kwara States), with sizable communities in Benin (~3M) and Togo (~1M), plus a strong Atlantic diaspora through Cuban Lucumí, Brazilian Candomblé, and Trinidadian Orisha religious practice. Linguistically, it is part of the Volta-Niger subgroup (sister to Itsekiri and Igala), with 3 phonemic tones (high á / mid a / low à) and a 7-vowel inventory (i e ɛ a ɔ o u) plus 5 nasal vowels. The orthography uses Latin with sub-dot for /ɛ ɔ ʃ/ and acute/grave for tone. Yoruba is the carrier of one of Africa's most urbanized pre-colonial civilizations (the Oyo Empire, c. 14th-19th c.), and the Ifá divination corpus — over 256 odu chapters codified and memorized by babalawo priests — is recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage. The Atlantic diaspora forms helped preserve African religious philosophy in the Americas.

Where it is spoken

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87 core words in Yoruba

Water

omi

omi

Fire

iná

iná

Sun

oòrùn

oòɾũ̀

Moon

òṣùpá

òʃùkpá

Star

ìràwọ̀

ìràwɔ̀

Night

alẹ́

alɛ́

Rain

òjò

ɔ̀dʒɔ̀

Snow

yìnyín

jĩ̀jĩ́

Wind

afẹ́fẹ́

afɛ̃fɛ̃

Earth

ilẹ̀

ilɛ̀

Stone

òkúta

òkúta

Mountain

òkè

òkè

Sea

òkun

òkũ

Mother

ìyá

ìjá

Father

bàbá

bàbá

Daughter

ọmọbìnrin

ɔmɔbĩrĩ

I

èmi

èmi

You

ìwọ

ìwɔ

We

àwa

àwa

Name

orúkọ

orúkɔ

Person

ènìyàn

ènìjã̀

Head

orí

orí

Eye

ojú

odʒú

Ear

etí

etí

Nose

imú

imú

Mouth

ẹnu

ɛnu

Tooth

eyín

ejĩ́

Tongue

ahọ́n

ahɔ́n

Hand

ọwọ́

ɔwɔ́

Foot

ẹsẹ̀

ɛsɛ̀

Heart

ọkàn

ɔkã̀

Bone

egungun

eɡũɡũ

Blood

ẹ̀jẹ̀

ɛ̀dʒɛ̀

Poop

igbe

iɡbɛ

Love

ìfẹ́

ìfɛ́

Tree

igi

iɡi

Dog

ajá

adʒá

Cat

ológbò

olóɡbò

Fish

ẹja

ɛdʒa

Bird

ẹyẹ

ɛjɛ

Butterfly

labalábá

labalábá

Egg

ẹyin

ɛjĩ

Bear

beari

beaɾi

Horse

ẹṣin

ɛʃĩ

House

ilé

ilé

Milk

wàrà

wàrà

Honey

oyin

ojĩ

Salt

iyọ̀

ijɔ

Wine

wáìnì

wáìnì

Rice

ìrẹsì

ìɾɛsì

Chocolate

ṣokoléètì

ʃokoléètì

Iron

irin

irĩ

Wheel

táyà

tájà

Silk

ṣẹ́dà

ʃɛ́dà

Book

ìwé

ìwé

Eat

jẹ

dʒɛ

Drink

mu

mu

Sleep

sùn

sũ̀

One

ọ̀kan

ɔ̀kã

Two

eéjì

eédʒì

Three

ẹẹ́ta

ɛːta

Four

ẹẹ́rin

ɛːrĩ

Five

àrún

aːɾṹ

Hundred

ọgọ́rùn-ún

ɔɡɔ́ɾṹṹ

Hello

ẹ kú

ɛ kú

Thank you

ẹ ṣé

ɛ ʃé

Good

dára

dáɾa

New

tuntun

tũtũ

Red

pupa

pupa

White

funfun

fũfũ

Black

dúdú

dúdú

Green

àwọ̀ ewé

àwɔ̀ ewé

Blue

dúdú

dúdú

Computer

kọ̀ǹpútà

kɔ̀ŋ̀kpútà

Sushi

sushi

suʃi

Tea

tíì

tíì

Coffee

kọfí

kɔfí

Sugar

ṣúgà

ʃúɡà

Orange

ọsan

ɔsã

Ninety-nine

ọ̀kàndínlọ́gọ́rùn-ún

ɔ̀kãdĩ́lɔ́ɡɔ́ɾṹṹ

Sources

Words compared

Compared with languages in the same classification: Niger-Congo

Meaning YorubaEdoFonIziiUrhoboDegemaBassa
Water omi /omi/ amẹ /amɛ̃/ sin /sĩ/ mini /mini/ ame /ame/ amin /amin/ ní /ní/
Fire iná /iná/ erhẹn /eɾɛ̃/ zo /zo/ oku /oku/ erhanre /eɾanɾe/ itany /itaɲ/ nyɛ /ɲɛ/
Sun oòrùn /oòɾũ̀/ ovẹn /oʋɛ̃/ hwe /ɦʷe/ anwu /aŋwu/ uvo /uvo/ uvuwo /uvuwo/ plɔ /plɔ/
Moon òṣùpá /òʃùkpá/ uki /uki/ sun /sũ/ onwa /oŋwa/ emeranvwe /emeɾanβwe/ obaam /obəəm/ hwɔɖɔ /hʷɔɖɔ/
Star ìràwọ̀ /ìràwɔ̀/ orhọnmwẹ /oɾɔ̃mwɛ̃/ sunví /sṹví/ kpokpode /kpokpode/ isio /isio/ ụsemese /ʊsɛmɛsɛ/ kùɖù /kùɖù/
Night alẹ́ /alɛ́/ asọn /asɔ̃/ zàn /zã̀/ enyashi /eɲaʃi/ aso /aso/ ạsu /asʊ/ ma /mã/
Rain òjò /ɔ̀dʒɔ̀/ — jì /dʒì/ — osio /osio/ ọkpar /ɔkpaɾ/ —
Snow yìnyín /jĩ̀jĩ́/ isonorhọ /isonoɾɔ/ — aka-mini-sunoo /aka mini sunoː/ — — —
Page 1/10

Word order compared

Compare with major world languages

Yoruba
Mo fẹ́ dán aṣọ tí mo rí nínú ṣọ́ọ̀bù ní iwájú ilé ìsinmi
I want to try on a suit I saw ‌in a shop across from the hotel
Ich möchte einen Anzug anprobieren den ich in einem Geschäft gegenüber vom Hotel gesehen habe
मैं होटल के सामने एक दुकान में देखा सूट को पहनकर देखना चाहता हूँ
私は ホテルの 向かいの お店 で 見た スーツを 試着 したいです
我 想 试穿 酒店 对面的 商店 里 看到的 那套西装
أنا أريد أن أجرب بدلة رأيتها في محل مقابل الفندق
Я хочу примерить костюм который я увидел в магазине напротив отеля

Compare with languages in the same classification

Achọrọ m ịnwale uwe nke m hụrụ n' ụlọ ahịa n'iru ụlọ nkwari
Yoruba
Mo fẹ́ dán aṣọ tí mo rí nínú ṣọ́ọ̀bù ní iwájú ilé ìsinmi

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