Verbs are the engine of any sentence, and Yoruba verbs are short, simple and do not change for person or tense. The same verb works for I, you and they; small words before it show who is acting and when. This guide gives you 24 common Yoruba verbs with example sentences. If you have not met the subject words yet, start with our Yoruba pronouns and sentence structure guide.
24 common Yoruba verbs
| Yoruba | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| jẹ | eat | Mo jẹ ẹ̀bà. (I ate ẹ̀bà.) |
| mu | drink | Mo mu omi. (I drank water.) |
| lọ | go | Ó lọ sílé. (He or she went home.) |
| wá | come | Ó wá. (He or she came.) |
| sùn | sleep | Mo sùn. (I slept.) |
| rí | see | Mo rí ẹ. (I saw you.) |
| gbọ́ | hear | Mo gbọ́. (I heard.) |
| sọ | say, speak | Ó sọ òtítọ́. (He or she told the truth.) |
| kà | read, count | Mo ń kà ìwé. (I am reading a book.) |
| kọ | write | Mo kọ lẹ́tà. (I wrote a letter.) |
| rìn | walk | Ó ń rìn. (He or she is walking.) |
| sá | run | Ó sá lọ. (He or she ran away.) |
| rà | buy | Mo rà aṣọ. (I bought cloth.) |
| tà | sell | Ó ta ẹja. (He or she sold fish.) |
| mọ̀ | know | Mo mọ̀ ọ́. (I know it.) |
| fẹ́ | want, like | Mo fẹ́ omi. (I want water.) |
| dúró | stand, wait | Dúró! (Wait!) |
| jókòó | sit | Jókòó. (Sit down.) |
| ṣiṣẹ́ | work | Mo ń ṣiṣẹ́. (I am working.) |
| ṣeré | play | Àwọn ọmọ ń ṣeré. (The children are playing.) |
| kọrin | sing | Ó kọrin. (He or she sang.) |
| jó | dance | Ẹ jó! (Dance!) |
| fún | give | Ó fún mi. (He or she gave me.) |
| pè | call | Mo pè é. (I called him or her.) |
How tense works
Yoruba does not change the verb to show time. You add a small word or rely on context:
- ń shows an action in progress: Mo ń jẹun (I am eating).
- yóò or máa point to the future: Mo máa lọ (I will go).
- With no extra word the verb often refers to a completed action.
Practise
Combine these verbs with the 60 common Yoruba words and the market words to build your own sentences, then test yourself with the Yoruba language quiz.
Frequently asked questions
Do Yoruba verbs change for I, you and they? No. The verb stays the same and the subject word changes.
Why do tone marks matter? Some Yoruba words look alike but differ only in tone, so a wrong tone mark can change the meaning of a word.
Photo: Unsplash contributor, a notebook and pencil, illustrative of learning. Spellings and tone marks follow common usage; check with a native speaker for formal writing.
One Comment