BASIC YORUBA GREETINGS

GREETINGS IN YORUBA LANGUAGE -ÌKÍNI Ní èdè yorùbá

Vocabularies

day – ọjọ́

morning – àárọ̀

afternoon – ọ̀sán

evening – alẹ́

More Vocabularies on Greetings

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 - ------------------------------