BASIC YORUBA GREETINGS
GREETINGS -ÌKÍNI
Vocabularies
day – ọjọ́
morning – àárọ̀
afternoon – ọ̀sán
evening – alẹ́
sunset – ìrọ̀lẹ́
return – àbọ̀
work/job – iṣẹ́
tomorrow – ọ̀la
today – òní
yesterday – àná
be watchful/sorry/take heart – pẹ̀lẹ́
week – ọ̀ṣẹ̀
month – oṣù
year – ọdún
time – àsìkò, àkókò
period/season – ìgbà
To Greet:
‘Good’ is taken to be ‘Ẹ kú’
Therefore:
Good + morning = Ẹ kú + àárọ̀
Similarly,
Thanks [for] + yesterday = Ẹ ṣé + àná
And so;
Good morning – Ẹ kú àárọ̀
Good afternoon – Ẹ kú ọ̀sán
Good return – Ẹ kú àbọ̀ [i.e. Welcome]
Good afternoon – Ẹ kú ọ̀sán
To Bid someone ‘Till Morning’, ‘Afternoon’ etc
‘Till’ is translated as ‘Ó dà ..…’
So,
Till + tomorrow – Ó dà + ọ̀la
Till tomorrow – Ó dà ọ̀la
Till + afternoon = Ó dà + ọ̀sán
Till afternoon = Ó dà ọ̀sán
Hence,
Till tomorrow – Ó dà ọ̀la
Till sunset – Ó dà ìrọ̀lẹ́
Till morning – Ó dà àárọ̀ [i.e. Good night]
Till you return – Ó dà àbọ̀. [i.e. Good bye]
Other Greetings are:
Sorry/ It is a pity - Pẹ̀lẹ́
Thank you - O ṣé
Thanks [for] yesterday - O ṣé àná
It’s quite a long time – Ẹ kú ọjọ́ mẹ́ta [Literally, this means, ‘it’s been some three days’]
BRAINWORK
1 Good evening - -------------------------------
2 Good return (Welcome) - ---------------------------
2 Good job (Well-done) -------------------------------
3 --------------------------------- - Ò dà ọ̀sán.
4 ---------------------------------- - Ẹ kú ọjọ́ mẹ́ta
5 ---------------------------------- - Ò dà alẹ́
6 Thanks - -----------------
7 ------------------------------- - Ọdún mẹ́fà
8 One week - -------------------------------
9 The fourth month - ------------------------------
More on Greetings:
How is it? - Báwo ni / Ṣé dáradára ni?
How is work? = Báwo ni iṣẹ́?
Some Greetings and How to Respond to them:
NOTE – Àkíyèsí:
For greetings referring to times of the day, you will respond to
‘Ẹ kú’ and ‘Ó dà’ forms of greetings by saying back the greetings that is said to you.
For instance;
Greetings – Ìkíni Response – Ìdáhùn
Ẹ kú àárọ̀ – Good morning Ẹ kú àárọ̀ – Good morning
Ó dà ọ̀la – Till tomorrow Ó dà ọ̀la – Till tomorrow
Also,
‘Ẹ kú ilé’ is the response to ‘Ẹ kú àbọ̀’
But for those of ‘How is……?’ – ‘Báwo ni’; ‘A dúpẹ́’ is the ideal response.
For instance;
Ìkíni Ìdáhùn
How is it? - Bawo ni/Ṣe dáradára ni? A dúpẹ́
How is work? = Báwo ni iṣẹ́? A dúpẹ́
ETC
DAYS OF THE WEEK – ÀWỌN ỌJỌ́ Ọ̀ṢẸ̀
Sunday – Ọjọ́-Ìsinmi
Monday – Ọjọ́-Ajé
Tuesday – Ọjọ́-Ìṣẹ́gun
Wednesday – Ọjọ́-Rú
Thursday – Ọjọ́-Bọ
Friday – Ọjọ́-Ẹtì
Saturday – Ọjọ́-Àbámẹ́ta
MONTHS OF THE YEAR – ÀWỌN OṢÙ INÚ ỌDÚN
January – Sẹẹrẹ
February – Èrèlé
March – Ẹrẹ́nà
April – Igbe
May – Èbìbí
June – Òkúdù
July – Agẹmọ
August – Ògún
September – Owewe
October – Ọ̀wàrà
November – Bélú
December – Ọ̀pẹ