Language/Yoruba/Grammar/Gender

Yoruba Grammar - Gender

Hi Yoruba learners! 😊
In this lesson, we are going to learn about gender in Yoruba. Gender is an important aspect of any language, and understanding it can help you to communicate more effectively in Yoruba. Don't be afraid to make mistakes, and remember that practice makes perfect! 💪

Introduction

In Yoruba, there are two main genders: masculine and feminine. Nouns are assigned a gender based on their meaning, and this gender determines the forms of adjectives and pronouns that are used with them.

One of the most interesting things about gender in Yoruba is that it is not always based on biological sex. For example, the word "oko" (meaning "husband") is masculine, while the word "iya" (meaning "mother") is feminine. This is because gender in Yoruba is often based on social roles and relationships, rather than on physical attributes.

In this lesson, we will look at the basic rules for gender in Yoruba, as well as some common exceptions and special cases. We will also provide examples and exercises to help you practice what you have learned. By the end of this lesson, you should have a good understanding of how gender works in Yoruba, and be able to use it in your own conversations.

Consider exploring these related pages after completing this lesson: Future Tense & Give your Opinion.

Masculine Gender

Let's start by looking at masculine gender in Yoruba. Masculine nouns are those that refer to male beings, as well as certain other things that are considered masculine in Yoruba culture. Some examples of masculine nouns in Yoruba are:

Yoruba	Pronunciation	English
aga	/aɣà/	father
oko	/òkò/	husband
ọkunrin	/ɔ̀kùnrìn/	man
aso	/àsó/	cloth

As you can see from these examples, masculine nouns in Yoruba often end in "rin" or "ko". They also take masculine forms of adjectives and pronouns, which we will look at in more detail later in the lesson.

Feminine Gender

Next, let's look at feminine gender in Yoruba. Feminine nouns are those that refer to female beings, as well as certain other things that are considered feminine in Yoruba culture. Some examples of feminine nouns in Yoruba are:

Yoruba	Pronunciation	English
ọmọbinrin	/ɔ̀mɔ́bìnrín/	girl
iya	/ìyá/	mother
obinrin	/òbìnrín/	woman
baba	/bàbá/	father (when used as a title of respect for an elderly woman)

Feminine nouns in Yoruba often end in "rin" or "binrin". They take feminine forms of adjectives and pronouns, which we will discuss later in the lesson.

Special Cases

Not all nouns in Yoruba are so easily classified as masculine or feminine. There are some nouns that don't fit neatly into either category, and there are also some words that can change gender depending on the context in which they are used.

One example of a gender-neutral noun in Yoruba is "owo" (meaning "money"). This noun takes the same forms of adjectives and pronouns regardless of whether it is being used to refer to a male or female person.

Another example of a special case in Yoruba is the word "ọkọ" (meaning "penis"). This word can be either masculine or feminine, depending on the context in which it is used. If it is being used in reference to a male person, it takes masculine forms of adjectives and pronouns. If it is being used in reference to a female person (for example, in the context of female anatomy), it takes feminine forms of adjectives and pronouns.

Adjectives and Pronouns

In Yoruba, the forms of adjectives and pronouns that are used with a noun depend on the gender of that noun. Masculine nouns take masculine forms of adjectives and pronouns, while feminine nouns take feminine forms. For example:

• "Agbalagba ọkùnrin" (meaning "old man") uses the masculine form of the adjective "agbalagba" and the masculine form of the noun "ọkunrin".

• "Agbalagba obinrin" (meaning "old woman") uses the feminine form of the adjective "agbalagba" and the feminine form of the noun "obinrin".

• "Wọn ni ọkọ tó bá wá dílẹ" (meaning "they have a penis that is too big") uses the masculine form of the adjective "tó" and the masculine form of the pronoun "wọn", because the word "ọkọ" is being used in reference to a male person.

• "Mọ pe ọkọ rẹ ti dà bí kíní" (meaning "I know that her penis is new") uses the feminine form of the adjective "bí" and the feminine form of the pronoun "rẹ", because the word "ọkọ" is being used in reference to a female person.

Exercise

Try to classify the following nouns as either masculine or feminine:

1. alárìn 2. iyawó 3. agbalagba 4. obìnrin

Answers:

1. Masculine 2. Feminine 3. Masculine 4. Feminine

Dialogue

Here is a dialogue between two people, using some of the concepts we have discussed in this lesson:

• Person 1: Báwo ni iyá rẹ? (/báwó nì ìyá rè/ - "How is your mother?")
• Person 2: Ọre mi ni. Ọmọbinrin rẹ ni? (/ɔ́ré mì ní. ɔ̀mɔ́bìnrin rè nì?/ - "She is my friend. Is she a girl?")
• Person 1: O fẹ dúró lẹ́nu ibi mo n ta igbó (/ó fè dúrò lènú íbì mò ń tà ìgbú/ - "She wants to wait for me where I buy vegetables")
• Person 2: Báwo ni ẹsẹ̀? (/báwó ni è̃sè/ - "How is your leg?")
• Person 1: Ọla ni. Kò sí ìdájọ rán mi o. (/ɔ́là nì - kò sí ìdájo̩̩ rán mì o̩̩/ - "It's fine. There is no problem bothering me")

Conclusion

In this lesson, we have learned about gender in Yoruba. We have looked at the basic rules for masculine and feminine nouns, as well as some common exceptions and special cases. We have also discussed the forms of adjectives and pronouns that are used with each gender, and have provided examples and exercises to help you practice what you have learned.

To improve your Yoruba Grammar, you can also use the Polyglot Club website. Find native speakers and ask them any questions!

Sources

• Yoruba

Congratulations on finishing this lesson! Explore these related pages to keep learning: Nouns & Negation.

Other Lessons

• Give your Opinion
• Future Tense
• Nouns
• Adjectives
• How to Use Be
• Negation
• Conditional Mood
• Oro asopo (Conjunctions)
• Onka Yoruba (Counting and Numbers in Yoruba)