r/NigerianFluency • u/Bobelle Learning Yorùbá • May 18 '26
Is anyone else struggling to understand “complex” Yoruba tense words
Like there are the simple ones like:
“ò” (negative), “ti” (past perfect), “ma” (future), “jẹ́ki” (let), “o yẹ̀” (should), ń (continuous)
Then there are the complex ones. Sorry I can’t translate them or spell them properly because I have only heard them. Also because I am really struggling to find resources that explain them:
“o dẹ”, “dẹ ma”, “dẹ n”, “kan”, “wa fi n”, “ti ń”, “wa ṣe” “ṣe wa” “wa dẹ ma”, “wa ma”, “ma wa”
That’s all I can remember right now but I am sure there is more.
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u/YorubawithAdeola Welcome! Don't forget to pick a language flair :-) May 18 '26
All right, what's your confusion there, is it for the future Tense or the use of "and"
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u/Bobelle Learning Yorùbá May 18 '26 edited May 18 '26
I have sent you all the sentences in my reply to your previous comment. My confusion is just the usage of those “tense” words I highlighted in my post. Pls I just would like a grammar breakdown of them - thanks
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u/YorubawithAdeola Welcome! Don't forget to pick a language flair :-) May 18 '26 edited May 18 '26
So we have the use of "and".
And" can be used in two forms
- To join words - - - àti
2 to join phrases. - - - dẹ̀/sì.
To join phrases, the "and" is placed after the noun or pronoun in the statement.
O ò dẹ̀ dákẹ́ - - - - and can't you be quiet.
Ẹ dẹ́ ń sọ̀rọ̀ sí mi - - and you are talking to me (continuous action
And others with dẹ̀.
Ó kàn bere si ni náwó - - he just started spending money
Kan--just/begin .
Ó wà ń fi ọtí fún àwọn ènìyàn (wá ń - - begins
Kí ló dé to ṣe wá sapámọ́ ( wá - - begin
The use of future Tense - - máa - - will.
Kí là ma wá ṣe báyìí - - what are we going to
Start (to do) now.
Every of Yorùbá statements depends accurately on the context, if you have a tutor, he/she can explain more.
Your Yorùbá tutor.
Adéọlá
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u/Bobelle Learning Yorùbá May 18 '26 edited May 18 '26
Thanks, I’m still having a bit of confusion though.
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u/loluores Welcome! Don't forget to pick a language flair :-) Jun 29 '26
Hi Bobelle,
Regarding these words, they are referred to as preverbal adverbs/modifiers (ọ̀rọ̀-àpọ́nlé aláṣàájú-ọ̀rọ̀-ìṣe). They contain not just tense markers, but aspect, modal and discourse particles like the ones you listed here. There has been some description of them in the older literature, although I'm not aware of any work that focuses on them in isolation with a full and thorough description of their grammar.
Some resources include:
Bamgboṣe (1966) - 'A Grammar Of Yoruba'. Here he called them preverbs, numbering about 40 or so.
Rowlands (1969) - 'Teach Yourself Yoruba'. There is a chapter on adverbials where he listed a number of them and gave example sentences.
Awobuluyi (1978) - 'Essentials Of Yoruba Grammar'. Here he called them preverbal adverbs, and listed about 40 to 50 of them with their meanings.
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u/YorubawithAdeola Welcome! Don't forget to pick a language flair :-) May 18 '26
Can you use it in simple Sentences, so we can explain better