GREETING CONVERSATION IN YORUBA



GREETING CONVERSATIONS IN YORUBA

By the end of this lesson you should:
Know how to greet people in Yoruba language
Know the Yoruba verbs
Know the use of Yoruba negation ‘kò’
Know the Yoruba pronouns
Be able to use Yoruba interrogatives ‘Kíni? ’ and ‘é ? ‘

Àwn ọ̀rọ̀ (Vocabulary)
Nouns
àgbàdo
corn
a

clothing
bàbá
father
bọ́ọ̀
ball
eré
play
mu
palm wine
yin
egg
Ìbàdàn
A city in Nigeria
ilé
house
ìr
rice
kóòkì
Coke
mọ́ín mọ́ín
Beans Cake
ọ̀gbẹ́ni
Mr.
olùkọ́
teacher
m
child
orúk
name
Owó
money
bẹ̀
stew
jọ́
Day
ìbí
Birth
àbúrò
Younger one
órẹ̀
Friend


YORUBA PRONOUNS

In Yoruba Language, Pronouns are either expressed as a Subject or as an Object
There are two types of subject pronouns in Yoruba: emphatic and regular.

Pers.
Subj. Pronoun(Emphatic)
Subj. Pronoun(Regular)
Pronouns (Objects)
Singular
Plural
Singular
Plural
Singular
Plural
1st :
Èmi
I
Àwa
we
Mo
I
A
We
mi
me
wa
we
2nd :
Ìw
You
Ẹ̀yin
You
O
You
You
ẹ/ ọ
you
yin
you
3rd :
Òun
She/he
Àwn
They
Ó
They
Wọ́n
They
-
wọn
they

Note that the vowels in the 3rd Person singular and 3rd Person plural take a high tone.
Note that in each of the emphatic pronouns, the first vowel is marked with a low tone.
Yoruba, however, has a second set of pronouns referred to as the emphatic pronouns:
 Emphatic and regular pronouns can be used interchangeably in many situations, though not in all situations. For example, the following are used interchangeably when using the progressive marker ń (-ing):
Èmi ń l / Mò ń l    →        I am going
Àwa ń jun/À ń jun         We are eating
Ẹ̀yin ń sùn / Ẹ̀ ń sùn         You (pl.) are sleeping
Òun ń eré/Ó ń eré         She/he/it is playing
The expressions in column A below are grammatically correct, while the expressions in column B are incorrect:

Correct
Incorrect
Èmi ńkọ́?
How about me?
Mo ńkọ́
Ìw tàbí èmi
You or I
O tàbí ìw
Àwn àti ẹ̀yin
They and you (pl.)
Wọ́n àti ẹ̀yin



Noun Phrases
aagoo yín
your clock/watch
a dúpẹ́
thank you
aṣọ ẹ
your clothes
bàbáa Fúnmi
Fúnmi’s father
iléè rẹ̀
his/her house
ìwéè mi
my book
O é

thank you
ó tì
No
owóo wn
their money
jọ́  ìbí
Birthday
ọkọ̀ọ wa
our vehicle

THE HONOURIFIC PRONOUN [ẹ]

Respect for elders is highly appreciated and strongly encouraged in Yoruba culture. In fact, it is an integral part of the culture. As a result, when you greet an elderly person, you use the regular pronoun of respect ‘’ followed by the greeting:


káàbọ̀:
A greeting to welcome someone older than you
kúulé:
A response to ‘káàbọ̀’. It is said to someone (older than you) that one finds at home when one returns home.


THE HONOURIFIC PRONOUN IN YORUBA [wọ́n]

Wọ́n is another regular pronoun of respect in Yorùba. For example, when you are asked how your mother or father is doing, you respond ‘wọ́n wà’ (he/she is doing fine), even though wọ́n is a 3rd person plural subject pronoun.

A: Awn àbúrò r ńkọ́?
How are your Younger ones?
B: Wọ́n wà.    
They are fine.
A: Bàbáà r ńkọ́?
How is your father?
B: Wọ́n wà.
He is fine.
                                                                                         
 THE PROGRESSIVE MARKER [ń]
The progressive marker 'ñ' is used to express a continuous or an on-going action. It is similar in use to the English -ing. However, in Yoruba, it occurs before the verb. If it is omitted following the noun or pronoun subject, that verb then indicates ‘past.’

Hence:


Whereas:
Èmi ń l

ń l
I am going

I am going
Èmí  l

Mo  l
I went
I went











Interrogatives
Kí ni?
what?
Kí ni nkan?
how are things?
Báwo
How?
Báwo ni?
How is it?
Báwo ni nkan?
how are things?
ṣé
Is? / has? / hope ?/ would?
Ṣé àlàáfíà ni?
Hope it is well?
Ṣé dáadáa ni?
Hope it is alright?
é nnkan  ń lọ
Hope things is moving?
Ṣé wà á jókòó?
Would you have a sit?
ńkọ́
What of / what about

Other Expression
àlàáfíà ni
It is fine/ it is Peaceful
dáadáa ni
It is alright
káàbọ̀  o
Welcome oo
kí wn
greet them
mo kàn sáré wá kí ni
I just quickly came to greet you
órẹ̀ mí díẹ̀
I am a little tired


Interrogative [‘ Kíni? ’ and ‘é ? ’]
‘Kíni’ (what) and ‘ é ’ (do/does) are two forms of Yoruba interrogatives. They are used in the following Questions and Replies samples:


Q:         Kí ni o fẹ́?
What do you (sing.) want?
R:         Mo fẹ́ owó.
I want money.
Q:         Kí ni orúkọọ̀ r?
What is your (sg.) name?
R:         Orúkọọ̀ mi ni Bádé Adéléké.
My name is Bádé Adélékè.
Q:         é wọ́n fẹ́ owó?
Do they want money?
R:         Bẹ́ẹ̀ ni, wọ́n fẹ́ owó.  
Yes, they want money.
Q:         é o fẹ́ jun?
Do you want to eat?
R:         Bẹ́ẹ̀ ni, mo fẹ́ jun.
Yes. I want to eat






Conjunctions
úgbọ́n
but
Tàbí
Or
atí
and
pẹ̀lú
With, together
                         
Verbs
There are different types of verbs in Standard Yoruba. The simple structure of the following Yoruba verbs is monosyllabic:


Ve r b s
gbá
kick
f ẹ́
want
gbé
live
jẹun
eat
kàwé
read a book
mu
drink
have


Verbs
j
eat
kà
read
ṣe
do
fẹ́
want
ní
have
wá
come
l
go
sùn
sleep
jó
dance
fò
jump
rà
buy
tà
sell
mu
drink
Sè
cook
gbé
carry
rìn
walk
Olú ń jẹ iṣu
Olu is eating yam
Bàbá ń sù
Father is sleeping
Mò ń lọ
I am leaving/going
Adẹ́ ń mu omi
Adé is drinking water

However, there are verb-nominal combinations that behave like verbs. Some can be split without affecting the meaning.

Examples of splittable verb-nominals include:

Rín + ẹ̀rín
rẹ́rìn
Laugh
Sun + ẹkún
sunkún
Cry
Ja + ogun
jagun
Fight war
sá + eré
sáré
Run a race
Gé +  igi
gégi
Cut a tree
Pọn + omi
pọnmi
Fetch water
kọ́ + ilé
kọ́lé
Build a house
Gbá + ìlẹ̀
gbálẹ̀
Sweep the floor
S + ọ̀rọ̀
sọ̀rọ̀
Say a word
kọ + orin
kọrin
Sing a song



Not all verb-nominals are splittable. The examples below in column B are ungrammatical:

incorrect
correct

tọ́  ojú
t
take care of
dì   ìde
Dìde
to stand
dú  aró
Dúró
stop wait
jó   ìkó
Jókòó
sit

A verb can be followed by another verb. An example of this is fẹ́ ‘want’ or ‘wish’.

À  fẹ́ j yin.               We want to eat eggs.
Ẹ̀  fẹ́ f                                    You want to wash clothes.

Fẹ́ can also be used in an interrogative sentence.
For example
Ṣé ìwọ fẹ́ fọ a?                  Do you want to wash clothes?
Bẹ́ẹ̀ ni, èmi fẹ́ fọ a              Yes, I want to wash clothes.

Ṣé Kóyè fẹ́ sùn?                     Does Kóyè want to sleep?
Bẹ́ẹ̀ ni, Kóyè fẹ́ sùn.               Yes, Kóyè wants to sleep.


The verb fẹ́ràn ‘like’, ‘love’

Mo fẹ́ràn ajá              I like dogs.
Olú fẹ́ràn  ọmọdé      Olú loves children.


Negation of Verbs [using ‘kò’]
One way to negate a verb in Yoruba sentence is to precede the verb with the negator ‘kò’.


Olú ń j iyán
Olú kò j iyán
Olú is eating pounded yam
Olú is not eating pounded yam
Wálé ń rẹ́rìnín
Wálé kò rẹ́rìnín
Wálé is laughing
Wálé is not laughing
Mo fẹ́ j búrẹ́di
N kò fẹ́ j búrẹ́di
I want to eat bread
I do not want to eat bread
Bọ́ń mu omi
Bọ́lá kò mu omi
Bọ́lá is drinking water
Bọ́lá is not drinking water
Jọ̀kẹ́ ń di irunun Dúpẹ́
Jọ̀kẹ́ kò di irunun Dúpẹ́
Jọ̀kẹ́ is weaving Dúpẹ́’s hair
Jọ̀kẹ́ is not weaving Dúpẹ́’s hair
                

TIMES OF THE DAY, WEATHER AND CIRCUMSTANCE
The middle of the night is referred to as òru but there is no greeting with the word òru in Standard Yoruba.  Therefore, Yoruba people do not greet by saying ‘òru’ unless something is going on at that time of night! Besides, who walks around in the middle of the night?
It customary that the period between 12.01 am and 3 am to 4 am is usually considered òru because people are still sleeping. After 4 am, the greeting káàárọ̀ or káàárọ̀ is used.


ìgbà
Period, Season
akoko
Time,
àárọ̀
Morning
ọ̀sán
Afternoon
ìrọ̀lẹ́
Evening
alẹ́
Night
òtútù
Cold
ọyẹ́
Harmattan
òjò
Rain
ìgbà òjò
Rainy Season
ìsinmi 
Rest, Break, Holiday
ìjókòó
Sitting, Conference, Seat




Greetings in Yoruba Language
Greeting people is an important aspect of Yoruba culture. ‘Kú’ is an expression used for greetings by Yoruba people regardless of the time of day. However, in order to express good night, Yoruba people will rather say ‘ó dààárö.’ Some examples are found below:


A.       Kú + time of the day:
kú + àárọ̀
káàrọ̀ 
good morning
kú + ọ̀sán      
káàsán           
good afternoon
kú + ìrọ̀lẹ́
kúùrọ̀lẹ́
good early evening
kú + alẹ́
káalẹ́
good evening
B.       Kú + weather:
kú + òtútù
kú òtútù
when the weather is cold
kú + ọyẹ́
ọyẹ́
during Harmattan Season
kú + òjò
kú òjò
during the rainy season
C.       Kú can also be used in other circumstances:
kú + iẹ́
kúuẹ́ 
said to a Worker
kú + ìjókòó
kúùjókòó
to someone seated
kú + ìsinmi
kúùsinmi
to someone resting or holiday
D.      ‘Kú’ is also used in greeting during festivities
kú + ọdún     
ọdún
said to someone during festivities

When one is greeting an older person such as a father, mother, sister, brother, aunt, uncle, teacher or any other people that is older, one makes use of the honorific pronoun ‘Ẹ’ to show respect. For example, to greet one’s father or mother in the morning, one will say káàárọ̀ o bàbá’ or Ẹ káàárọ̀ o màmá.  The response will be káàárọ̀ o. A girl kneels down, while a boy prostrates to greet the older ones. For a friend or a younger sibling, the response will also be káàárọ̀ o. Women address their husbands by using the name of one of their children. If a child’s name is Jídé, the mother will address her husband as Bàb áa Jídé.  The same principle applies when Jídé’s mother will be addressed as Màmáa Jídé.

ÌSỌ̀RỌ̀NGBÈSÌ   (CONVERSATION)



1.

- káàárọ̀ o, bàbá.

- Káàárọ̀ o, Tádé. é o sùn dáadáa?

- Bẹ́ẹ̀ ni, mo sùn dáadáa. é.

2.

- káàbọ̀ o, Màmá

- Kúulé O, Lọlá. é àlàáfíà ni?

- Àlàáfíà ni.

- Ẹ̀gbọ́n r ńkọ́?

- Wọ́n wà nílé.

- Ó dáa o. Dìde.


3.

- káàárọ̀ mà.

- káàárọ̀ o. é dáadáa ni o?

- Dáadáa ni mà.
- é sùn dáadáa?
- Bẹ́ẹ̀ ni mà

4.

- Káàsán o, Fúnmi.

- Káàsán o, adé.  é dáadáa ni?

- A dúpẹ́.   Ìw náà ñkô?

- A dúpẹ́ o.

5.

- Kí ni orúkọọ̀ rẹ?

- Orúkọọ̀ mi ni Olúfẹ́mi.

- Kí ni orúkọ bàbáà rẹ́?

- Orúkọ bàbáà mi ni Kúnlé Akínlàjà.



- Bá mi kí àwn òbí ì r tí o bá délé,

- Mo gbọ́ sà.

- Ó dàbọ̀ o, Olúfẹ́mi.

- Ó dàbọ̀ sà.




6.

- káàsán o, Màmáa Fúnmi.

- káàsán o, Màmáa adé. Gbogbo ilé ńkô?

- Dáadáa ni o. Bàbáa Fúnmi ñkô?

- Wọ́n wà. é o. Ó dàbọ̀ o
- Ó dàbọ̀ o.



7.

- káalẹ́ mà.

- Káalẹ́ o, Títí. é àlàáfíà ni?

- A dúpê mà.   é adé wà nílé?

- Rárá o. Ó ti jáde.

- Ó dàárö mà.

- Ó dàárọ̀ o, Títí. Kílé o.


GREETING CONVERSATION IN YORUBA

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