Knowing how to talk about time is one of the fastest ways to start making real sentences in Yoruba. This guide covers the everyday words for today, tomorrow, yesterday, the parts of the day and the calendar, with a few short phrases you can reuse.
Today, tomorrow and yesterday
| English | Yoruba |
|---|---|
| Today | Òní |
| Tomorrow | Ọ̀la |
| Yesterday | Àná |
| Now | Ìsinsìnyí |
| Always | Nígbà gbogbo |
Parts of the day
| English | Yoruba |
|---|---|
| Morning | Àárọ̀ |
| Afternoon | Ọ̀sán |
| Evening | Ìrọ̀lẹ́ |
| Night | Òru |
Week, month and year
| English | Yoruba |
|---|---|
| Week | Ọ̀sẹ̀ |
| Month | Oṣù |
| Year | Ọdún |
| Hour | Wákàtí |
| Minute | Ìṣẹ́jú |
Go further with the names of the days of the week and the months of the year. For a month greeting, read our Happy New Month guide.
Putting it together
- Ó dàárọ̀ means ‘good morning’ in the sense of greeting the morning; see our Yoruba greetings for the full set.
- Practise by naming one thing you will do òní and one thing you will do ọ̀la.
- Pair these words with common Yoruba verbs.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say tomorrow in Yoruba? Ọ̀la.
How do you say today in Yoruba? Òní.
Photo: Unsplash contributor, a weekly planner, illustrative. Spellings and tone marks follow common usage; check with a native speaker for formal writing.
