Yoruba grammar is simpler than many learners expect: verbs do not change for person or tense, and there is no grammatical gender. This beginner’s guide to Yoruba pronouns and sentence structure explains the key rules with examples you can use straight away. Tone matters in Yoruba, so pay attention to the tone marks, which can change meaning.
Yoruba Word Order
Yoruba sentences usually follow the order subject, verb, object, like English. For example, Mo jẹ ìrẹsì means “I ate rice”. The verb stays the same whether the subject is “I”, “you” or “they”.
Subject Pronouns
- Mo: I
- O: you (one person, low tone)
- Ó: he, she or it (high tone; Yoruba has no gender)
- A: we
- Ẹ: you (plural, or one person to show respect)
- Wọ́n: they
Note that o and ó differ only in tone, which is why tone marks matter. The emphatic forms are èmi (I), ìwọ (you), òun (he/she/it), àwa (we), ẹ̀yin (you plural) and àwọn (they).
Possessives
Possessives follow the noun: ilé mi (my house), ilé rẹ (your house), ilé rẹ̀ (his or her house), ilé wa (our house), ilé yín (your house, plural or respectful) and ilé wọn (their house).
Simple Sentences
- Mo jẹun. I eat or I ate.
- Ó wá. He or she came.
- A sùn. We slept.
- Ẹ jókòó. Please sit down (to a group or an elder).
Questions, Negatives and the Continuous
- Questions: add ṣé at the start, as in Ṣé o jẹun? (Did you eat?).
- Negatives: use ò, as in Mi ò jẹun (I did not eat).
- Continuous: use ń before the verb, as in Mo ń jẹun (I am eating).
Practice Tips
- Practise one pronoun at a time with a short verb such as wá (come) or lọ (go).
- Check spellings and sounds in the Yoruba alphabet guide.
- Learn nouns and verbs from common Yoruba words.
Keep Learning
Build on this with how to learn Yoruba, essential Yoruba phrases and Yoruba numbers. For linguistic background, see Wikipedia’s Yoruba language page.
Yoruba Grammar FAQs
Does Yoruba have gender in pronouns?
No. The pronoun ó means he, she or it.
Do Yoruba verbs change for tense?
No. Verbs stay the same, and tense is shown with small words and context.
What is the Yoruba word order?
Subject, verb, object, as in English.
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