Learn Yoruba for Beginners – Lesson 1 : How to say the verb “to be”
Brief explanation
if you want to say, someone is at a particular location, use the following template:
[person] wà ni [location]
The opposite would look like :
[person] kò sí ni [location]
On the other hand, if the person is going to another location, use:
[person] lọ sí [location]
Similarly, the opposite take this format :
[person] kò lọ sí [location]
Yes, ni is identical to “at” or “in” in English, while sí is used comparably to “to” .
Examples
Kevin is at home
Kevin wà ń’lé
Kevin is not at home
Kevin kò sí ń’lé
Temi goes to work
Temi lọ sí iṣẹ́
Temi is not going to work
Temi kò lọ sí iṣẹ́
Funmi’s friend is in church
Ọ̀rẹ́ Funmi wà ń’le Ọlọrun
Funmi’s friend is not in church
Ọ̀rẹ́ Funmi kò sí ń’le Ọlọrun
References
Book Recommendations
- Colloquial Yoruba: The Complete Course for Beginners ( UNIT 1, pg 3 )
Please keep in mind that I am also learning Yoruba. Meaning I am going to make unintentional mistakes, so do provide your corrections and suggestions. I look forward to your feedback.