Yoruba for Beginners: The Complete 30-Day Step-by-Step Roadmap
Starting your Yoruba journey from scratch? While Yoruba has unique tones and diacritics, its grammar is simpler than English or French — there are no gendered nouns, no irregular verb endings, and sentence structure is intuitive. Follow this 30-day roadmap to speak your first full sentences with confidence.
Before memorizing endless vocabulary lists, internalize these four core principles:
Yoruba has High (Mí ˊ), Mid (Re [unmarked]), and Low (Dọ ˋ). The syllable "ọkọ" means "husband" on Low-Mid tones, "spear" on High-Low tones, and "vehicle" on Low-Low tones. Always listen before speaking!
The letter 'e' is like "hay", but 'ẹ' is "bet". The letter 'o' is "go", but 'ọ' is "caught". The letter 'ṣ' is pronounced "sh". Sub-dots change the vowel entirely.
In Yoruba culture, politeness comes first. When speaking to anyone older than you or to a group, prefix greetings with 'Ẹ' (e.g. "Ẹ n lẹ́", "Ẹ káàárọ̀").
No masculine/feminine articles (no "le" or "la"). Verbs stay identical regardless of whether you say "I eat" (Mo jẹ) or "They eat" (Wọ́n jẹ).
Your first week is dedicated to tuning your ear to pitch. Learn the 25 letters of the Yoruba Alphabet (Álífábẹ́ẹ̀tì) and the co-articulated consonant "Gb".
Practice A, E, Ẹ, I, O, Ọ, U out loud. Contrast 'E' (may) with 'Ẹ' (get), and 'O' (so) with 'Ọ' (raw).
Sing the pitches: Dọ (low pitch ˋ), Re (mid pitch), Mí (high pitch ˊ). Practice with simple words like "Bàbá" (Dọ-Mí).
Master the simultaneous labial-velar stops: "Gb" and "P" (pronounced [kp]). Listen to audio demonstrations.
Greetings are the cornerstone of Yoruba society. Explore our Complete Yoruba Greetings Guide and master conversational openings.
Master "Ẹ káàárọ̀" (Good morning), "Ẹ káàsán" (Good afternoon), and "Ẹ kúalẹ́" (Good evening).
Say "Báwo ni?" (How are you?) and reply with "Àlàáfíà ni" (All is well) or "Mo wà dáadáa" (I am doing fine).
Learn Kinship terms: Bàbá (Father), Ìyá (Mother), Ẹ̀gbọ́n (Older sibling), Àbúrò (Younger sibling).
Practice practical survival phrases for ordering food at a Nigerian restaurant or shopping at the market.
Count from Oókan (1) to Ogún (20) with our Yoruba Numbers Guide.
Order iconic Yoruba Foods: Àmàlà, Jollof, Àkàrà. Learn to say "Mo fẹ́ jẹun" (I want to eat).
Ask "Èló ni?" (How much is this?) and negotiate with vendors politely.
Put the pieces together! Build sentences using pronouns and essential verbs.
Mo (I), O (You singular), Ó (He/She), A (We), Ẹ (You formal/plural), Wọ́n (They/Elder).
Lọ (Go), Wá (Come), Fẹ́ (Want/Love), Mọ̀ (Know), Rí (See), Sọ (Speak). Example: "Mo fẹ́ kọ́ Yorùbá" (I want to learn Yoruba).
Book your first Live Class to hold your very first 15-minute conversation with a native tutor!