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You don’t need to memorize every rule to speak Yoruba well—but you do need a solid foundation in Yoruba grammar. Unlike English, Yoruba has a different sentence flow, simpler verb forms, and a musical tone system that influences meaning.
In this guide, we’ll cover:
- Yoruba sentence structure
- Common verbs and how to use them
- How Yoruba handles tenses and negation
- Real examples and drills from Odurinde’s live Yoruba grammar course
- Bonus exercises for daily mastery
Yoruba Sentence Structure: Subject + Verb + Object
Yoruba follows a SVO (Subject-Verb-Object) pattern, like English. But the structure is often more compact, with fewer auxiliary verbs and no gendered pronouns.
Example:
- Mo ra iwe. – I bought a book.
- Wọ́n jẹun. – They ate food.
- Ọmọ náà ń sun. – The child is sleeping.
Each sentence has:
- Mo / Wọ́n / Ọmọ náà (subject)
- ra / jẹ / ń sun (verb or verb phrase)
- iwe / ẹ̀jẹ̀un / — (object, when present)
Odurinde’s Yoruba grammar lessons walk you through hundreds of real-life sentence examples, building fluency naturally.
Yoruba Pronouns: Simple and Gender-Neutral
Yoruba pronouns are not gendered, which makes it easier to learn.
| English | Yoruba |
|---|---|
| I / Me | Mo / Mi |
| You (sing.) | O / Ẹ (formal) |
| He / She | Ó |
| We | A |
| They | Wọ́n |
Examples:
- Ó lọ sí ile. – He/She went home.
- A fẹ̀ jẹun. – We want to eat.
With interactive grammar drills, you’ll get instant feedback on pronoun use in context.
Yoruba Verbs: Root + Context = Meaning
Yoruba verbs are not conjugated by tense the way English verbs are. Instead, auxiliary words and tone are used to indicate time and intention.
Common Verbs:
| Yoruba Verb | Meaning |
|---|---|
| jẹ | Eat |
| lọ | Go |
| sọ | Say |
| fọ̀ | Wash |
| ra | Buy |
| fẹ́ | Want/Love |
Verb Tenses in Yoruba
Tenses are expressed using particle words before the verb.
Present Continuous:
- Mo ń jẹun. – I am eating.
- Ó ń lọ. – He/She is going.
Past:
- Mo ti lọ. – I have gone.
- Wọ́n ti ra aṣọ. – They have bought clothes.
Future:
- Mo máa lọ. – I will go.
- Ó máa jẹun. – He/She will eat.
Odurinde’s Yoruba grammar bootcamp trains students to spot these patterns and speak fluently across tenses.
Questions in Yoruba Grammar
Questions are asked by tone or inversion, not special “do/does” verbs.
Examples:
- Ṣé o fẹ́un? – Do you want food?
- Ta ni yóò lọ? – Who will go?
- Kí ló ṣẹlẹ̀? – What happened?
These question formats are drilled in Odurinde’s dialogue-based modules for real-life fluency.
Negation in Yoruba
Negating a verb is simple—just add “kò” or “kì í” before the verb.
Examples:
- Mo kò fẹ́. – I don’t want (it).
- Ó kì í jẹ ẹran. – He/She doesn’t eat meat.
Tone matters: “kò” has a low tone and is vital to correct meaning.
Word Order & Emphasis
Unlike English, Yoruba places emphasis at the beginning of the sentence or uses repetition.
Examples:
- Ọjọ́ yìí la fẹ́ lọ. – Today is the day we want to go.
- Ìwé ni mo ra, kì í ṣe aṣọ. – It’s a book I bought, not clothes.
Odurinde’s sentence building workshops help learners internalize rhythm and emphasis the way natives speak.
Practice Exercise
Translate the following to Yoruba:
- I want to go – Mo fẹ́ lọ
- They are eating – Wọ́n ń jẹun
- She has gone – Ó ti lọ
- I do not want – Mo kò fẹ́
Get more practice sheets inside Odurinde’s student portal.
Final Thought: Yoruba Grammar Builds Your Speaking Core
You don’t need to learn endless rules to become fluent in Yoruba. But you do need to practice sentence patterns, verb flow, and tone. Once you master the grammar core, everything else clicks.
At Odurinde, our step-by-step grammar curriculum helps you speak Yoruba clearly, correctly, and confidently from Day One.
