Language/Yoruba/Grammar/Telling-Time
As a Yoruba language teacher with more than 20 years of experience, I am excited to guide you through the next lesson of the "Complete 0 to A1 Yoruba Course". In this lesson, we will focus on telling time in Yoruba. Time is a crucial aspect of everyday life and being able to tell time is an essential skill to have. In Yoruba culture, time is a significant cultural element and a means for cultural expression. Therefore, learning how to tell time in Yoruba is an excellent way to learn more about the language and culture.
Numbers and Time
Before we dive into telling time, let's briefly review counting in Yoruba. In the "Counting in Yoruba" lesson, we learned how to count from 1 to 100 in Yoruba, as well as the number system's ordinal and cardinal numbers. In addition, we learned how to form composite numbers and how to use numbers correctly in various situations. Therefore, if you haven't reviewed this lesson, I suggest you do so before proceeding with this lesson.
In Yoruba, telling time revolves around the same principles as counting. When telling time in Yoruba, you have to consider the hour, minute, and type of day (a.m. or p.m.). For example, in English, we say "6:30 a.m." or "6:30 in the morning." In Yoruba, we would say "Ago kan loru" or "Itan kan loru," which means "It's half past six in the morning."
Let's explore more about telling time in Yoruba.
Yoruba Time System
Yoruba time system is quite different from Western time systems. In Yoruba culture, a day is divided into two parts: a day from sunrise to sunset called "Owuro" and a night from sunset to sunrise called "Ale." Each of these periods is divided into twelve hours, starting from twelve o'clock. Therefore, the calculation of a particular hour depends on whether it's "Owuro" or "Ale."
Here's a table showing how the Yoruba time system works:
| Time Period | Yoruba Name | Time Span |
|---|---|---|
| Morning | Owuro | 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. |
| Afternoon | Irinisi | 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. |
| Midday | Alewonje | 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. |
| Evening | Ale | 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. |
As shown in the table, the Yoruba time system divides a day into four periods, with each period broken into three segments. Notice how the Yoruba time system has different names for different times of the day. For example, the word "Owuro" means "Morning" in Yoruba, but it's used to refer to the period between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m.
Telling Time in Yoruba
When telling time in Yoruba, we normally use the formula:
HOUR + "elewe" + MINUTE + "atannije" + "Owuro"/"Ale"
where "elewe" means "and," "atannije" means "minutes past," and "Owuro/Ale" means "Morning/Evening."
For instance, "Ago kan loru" translates to "It's half past six in the morning."
Here's a table showing different ways to tell time in Yoruba:
| Time in English | Time in Yoruba |
|---|---|
| It's one o'clock | Ojo kan lona |
| It's two o'clock | Meji kan lona |
| It's twenty minutes past two o'clock | Meji alewonje, igba meji atannije |
| It's quarter to three in the afternoon | Meiji irinisi, ayokaadi mokanla |
| It's half past four in the evening | Asoji ale, merin kan loru |
| It's midnight | Aro meta kan alewonje |
Although the examples may seem complicated, with practice, telling time in Yoruba will feel natural to you.
Exercises
Here are some exercises to reinforce what you have learned in this lesson:
1. Translate the following sentences to Yoruba:
- It's three thirty-five in the afternoon.
- It's six forty-five in the evening.
- It's two fifteen in the morning.
2. Write the Yoruba time for the following English sentences:
- It's half past eight in the morning.
- It's ten minutes to four in the afternoon.
- It's quarter past five in the evening.
Conclusion
In this lesson, you learned the basics of telling time in Yoruba, including hours, minutes, and various expressions related to time. You also discovered the fundamental principles of Yoruba time system and how it differs from Western time systems. With practice, you will master telling time in Yoruba and develop a deeper understanding of the Yoruba language and culture.
Don't forget to review this lesson and try out the exercises to reinforce your knowledge. In the next lesson, we will delve into another essential aspect of the Yoruba language.
Videos
Itumo Alo Ni Ede Yoruba - story telling in the Yoruba culture - YouTube
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