Language/Yoruba/Grammar/Basic-Sentence-Structure

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YorubaGrammar0 to A1 Course → Introduction to Yoruba Language → Basic Sentence Structure

As a Yoruba language teacher with 20 years of experience, I am honored to be part of your language learning journey. In this lesson, we will dive into the basic sentence structure of Yoruba, which is essential in helping you construct simple sentences that will be useful in everyday conversation.

Yoruba is a tonal language spoken mainly in Western Nigeria and some parts of West Africa. The language has a rich cultural history with various dialects depending on the region. Understanding its basic sentence structure is crucial in building your Yoruba language foundation.

Let's start with understanding the three main components of a sentence in Yoruba:

1. The Subject (Onka)

2. The Verb (Irọ́)

3. The Object (Iṣẹ́)

Subject (Onka)[edit | edit source]

The subject is the person, animal, or thing that performs the action of a verb in a sentence. In simple terms, the subject is what or who the sentence is about. In Yoruba language, the subject comes before the verb.

For instance, take a look at the sentence below:

I am happy.

To translate this sentence to Yoruba, you will first have to identify the subject, which is 'I'. In Yoruba, 'I' is translated as 'Mo'. The verb in this sentence is 'happy', which in Yoruba translates to 'alafia'. The structure of the sentence in Yoruba is as follows:

Mo ni alafia.

   Mo  | ni | alafia
   ----|----|------
   I   | am | happy

Notice that in Yoruba, the subject comes before the verb.

Verb (Irọ́)[edit | edit source]

A verb is an action word or a doing word that shows the action performed by the subject of a sentence. In Yoruba language, as mentioned earlier, the verb always follows the subject in a sentence.

Let's continue with the previous sentence, 'I am happy.' Now we know that the subject is 'mo' which means 'I', and the verb is 'alafia', which means 'happy'.

In Yoruba, verbs are not conjugated based on the subject or tense. Instead, you add auxiliary words to indicate tense or person.

For example:


- Mo ni alafia. (I am happy).

- O ni alafia. (He/She is happy).

- A ti ni alafia. (We were happy).


Notice how the verbs did not change but auxiliaries like 'ni' (am, is, are) or 'ti' (were) were used to indicate tense or person in the sentence.

Object (Iṣẹ́)[edit | edit source]

The object refers to the person, animal, or thing that receives the action of the verb in a sentence.

For example:

She ate rice.

In this sentence, 'She' is the subject, 'ate' is the verb, and 'rice' is the object of the verb.

To translate this sentence to Yoruba, you will first have to identify the subject which is 'she', in Yoruba 'o'. The verb in the sentence is 'ate', which in Yoruba translates to 'jeun'. The object in the sentence is 'rice', which in Yoruba is 'ofada'. The structure of the sentence in Yoruba is as follows:

   O  |  jeun  |  ofada.
   ---|--------|-------
   She | ate | rice. 

Notice that the object follows the verb in Yoruba.

Word order (Active vs Passive voice)[edit | edit source]

In Yoruba language, the sentence structure remains the same regardless of whether it’s in active or passive voice.

For example:

She loves the dog.

This is an active voice sentence, and the structure of the sentence in Yoruba is as follows:

   O  |  nifẹ  |   aja.
   ---|--------|-------
   She | loves |  the dog.

Notice how the sentence follows the subject-verb-object structure in active voice.

The dog is loved by her.

This is a passive voice sentence, and the structure of the sentence in Yoruba is as follows:

   Aja | ti | nifẹ | ẹ.
   ---|----|------|----
   The dog | be | loved | by her.

Notice that the object of the verb (the dog) is now the subject of the sentence, with the verb being in the past participle form, and the subject of the active voice sentence becomes the object of the preposition 'by'.

Using adjectives in Yoruba[edit | edit source]

Adjectives describe or modify nouns or pronouns. In Yoruba language, adjectives follow the noun they are modifying.

For instance, let's take a look at a simple sentence:

The boy is tall.

In Yoruba, ‘the boy’’ translates to ‘ọkọ’, while ‘is tall’ translates to ‘ni igbega’. When you put the adjectives in, the structure becomes:

Ọkọ ni igbega.

   Ọkọ  | ni  | igbega.
   ----|----|------
   The boy | is | tall. 

Notice that the adjective used (tall; igbega in Yoruba) follows the noun that it modifies.

Using prepositions in Yoruba[edit | edit source]

A preposition is a word that shows the relationship between a noun or a pronoun and other words in a sentence. In Yoruba language, prepositions follow similar patterns as adjectives. The prepositions are placed after the noun they modify.

For instance, let's take a look at a simple sentence:

He is going to school.

In Yoruba, ‘he’’ translates to ‘o’, while ‘going to school’ translates to ‘nlo si ile-iwe’. When you put the prepositions in, the structure becomes:

O nlo si ile-iwe.

   O | nlo | si | ile-iwe.
   --|----|----|--------
   He | is going | to | school.

Notice that the preposition used (to; si in Yoruba) follows the noun (school; ile-iwe in Yoruba).

Conclusion:[edit | edit source]

Understanding the basics of sentence structure in Yoruba language helps in building a solid foundation for learning the language. In this lesson, we’ve looked at the subject, verb, and object in sentences, active vs. passive voice, using adjectives and prepositions. Practice constructing simple sentences by applying what you have learned in this lesson. As you continue learning, you’ll gradually become more comfortable with Yoruba language construction and understand the language more fully.

Remember to keep practicing and eventually, you’ll become an expert in utilizing the Yoruba language!


Table of Contents - Yoruba Course - 0 to A1[edit source]


Introduction to Yoruba Language


Greetings and Introductions


Everyday Life and Traditions


Numbers and Time


Colors and Shapes


Yoruba Festivals and Celebrations


Nouns and Pronouns


Daily Activities


Yoruba Music and Dance


Verbs and Tenses


Food and Drink


Yoruba Proverbs and Folktales

Other Lessons[edit | edit source]

Sources[edit | edit source]


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