How to Create Questions in Yoruba

How to Create Questions in Yoruba

Questions are the bread and butter of any language, they help you to get to know other people better and to develop friendships, to learn about new things and to ask why things are the way they are.

In today’s lesson you will learn how to create sentences in Yoruba.

Most questions in English start with what, where, when, how, why or who, and the same goes for Yoruba. The translations for theses words can be found in the table below.

Questions in Yoruba

English	Yoruba
What	Kí ni
Where	Níbo
When	Nígbà wo
How	Báwo
Why	Kí ló dé
Who	Ta ni

NB: Sometimes in Yoruba the word ni can change if it is followed by a word beginning with o to l’o or ló. Therefore, Kí ni is sometimes expressed as ki l’o (if kí ni is followed by a word beginning with o).

For example
Kí ni orúkọ rẹ? (What is your name?)
Kí l’orúkọ rẹ? (What is your name?)

Example sentences

Kí ni

Yoruba	English
Kí ni yẹn?	What is that?
Kí ni o fẹ́?	What do you want?
Kí ni ó mu?	What did he drink?
Kí ni o mú?	What did you take?
Kí ni wọ́n ń kà?	What are they reading?
Kí ni a fẹ́ jẹ?	What would we like to eat?
Kí ni ó wí	What does he say?

Níbo

Yoruba	English
Níbo ni ó wà?	Where is he (located) ?
Níbo ni tábìlì wà?	Where is the table (located) ?
Níbo ni àga wà?	Where is the table (located) ?
Níbo ni pẹ́ńsùlù rẹ wà?	Where is your pencil (located) ?
Níbo lò ń gbé?	Where do you live?
Níbo lo ti ń ṣiṣẹ́?	Where are you working?

Nígbà wo

Yoruba	English
Nígbà wo ni wà á lọ sí ilé?	When are you going home?
Nígbà wo ni wà á lọ sí ilé-ìwé?	When are you going to school?
Nígbà wo ni o máa jó?	When will you dance?
Nígbà wo ni o máa ń jẹ?	When do you normally eat
Nígbà wo ni ọjọ́-ìbíì rẹ?	When is your birthday?
Nígbà wo ni àwọn ènìyàn máa ń wọ bàtà?	When are those people going to wear their shoes?

Báwo ni

Yoruba	English
Báwo ni?	How are you?
Báwo ni àwọn olùkọ́?	How are your teachers?
Báwo ni àwọn obìnrin Yorùbá?	How are Yoruba Women?
Báwo ni ènìyàn ṣe lè di dókítà?	How can one become a doctor?
Báwo ni o ṣe máa dé ilé-ìwé?	How will you get to school?
Báwo ni o ṣe máa dé oko?	How will you get to the farm?

Kí ló dé

Yoruba	English
Kí ló dé tí ò ń sunkún?	Why are you crying?
Kí ló dé tí ò ń jó?	Why are you dancing?
Kí ló dé tí o fi fẹ́ràn rẹ̀?	Why do you like him?
Kí ló dé tí o fi kórìíra rẹ̀?	Why do you hate him?
Kí ló dé tí o fi sọ bẹ́ẹ̀?	Why do you say so?

Ta ni

Yoruba	English
Ta ni yẹn?	Who is that?
Ta ni Kóyè?	Who is Koye?
Ta ni ọ̀rẹ́ẹ̀ rẹ?	Who is your friend?
Ta ni Bàbá Adé?	Who is Ade’s father?
Ta ló sofún ọ?	Who told you?
Ta ló nà ẹ́?	Who beat you?
Ta ló n fún ni ní káàdi?	Who is giving this card?

Now you have learnt the words, what, where, when, how, why and who in Yoruba to help you create many questions in Yoruba.