Adjectives in Yoruba
In today’s lesson you will learn several different adjectives in Yoruba to help spice up your Yoruba speech.
You can’t just be saying ‘this is a boy’ or ‘that is a girl’, you need to add some words to make your speech more colourful, such as ‘that is a tall muscular boy’ and ‘that is a short plump woman’.
The following Yoruba adjectives are sure to impress your Aunties at your next Owambe.
Yoruba Adjectives
| Yoruba | English |
| Arúgbó | Old |
| Dúdú | Dark |
| Pupa | Fair (skinned) |
| Gíga | Tall |
| Kúkúrú | Short |
| Tẹ́ẹ́rẹ́ | Slim |
| Títóbi | Big |
| Ọ̀pọ̀lọpọ̀ | Several |
| Wọ̀nyí | These |
| Wọ́pọ̀ | Common |
| Yàtọ̀ | Different |
| Ọlọ́ràá | Fat |
| Kékeré | Small |
| Gígùn | Long |
| Dáradára | Good |
| Búburú | Bad |
| White (colour) | Funfun |
| Black (colour) | Dúdú |
| Red | Pupa |
| Pink | Píńkí / àwọ̀ pupa fẹ́ẹ́rẹ́ |
| Purple | Pọ́pù |
| Yellow | Yẹ́lò / àwọ̀ èsè |
| Green | Gínrìn / àwọ̀ ewé |
| Brown | Búrun / àwọ̀ ara |
| Blue | Búlúù / àwọ̀ aró |
Confused about all the dots and accents? See our explainer lessons
Now that you know the above adjectives in Yoruba, below you will be shown a variety of sentences to help you see how to use the adjectives in Yoruba.
Adjectives in Yoruba differ from adjectives in English, to use an adjective in English you put the adjective before the noun e.g. small girl or big boy.
Adjective + Noun
In Yoruba it is usually the other way round, adjectives are put after the noun in a sentence e.g. Obìnrin gíga or Ọkùnrin pupa .
Noun + Adjective
For example
Obìnrin gíga = Tall woman
Ọkùnrin pupa = Fair skinned man
Example sentences with Adjectives
| Yoruba | English |
| Ọkùnrin gíga | Tall man |
| Ọkùnrin dúdú | Dark skinned man |
| Obìnrin gíga | Tall woman |
| Obìnrin dúdú | Dark skinned woman |
| Ọkùnrin pupa | Fair skinned man |
| Ọkùnrin kúkúrú | Short man |
| Obìnrin tẹ́ẹ́rẹ́ | Slim woman |
| Baba arúgbó | Old man |
| Ilé títóbi | A big house |
| Ọ̀rọ̀ wọ̀nyí | These words |
| Ilé alámọ̀ wọ́pọ̀ | Several mud houses |
| Ènìyàn dúdú | A black person |
| Ìwé funfun | White book |
| Àga kékeré | Small chair |
