Learn Yoruba online.
Free Yoruba speaking practice.
Build your Yoruba vocabulary with smart flashcards and make friends across the globe to practice with.
Yoruba for free
Why learn Yoruba?
Yoruba is one of the 67 languages you can learn on Lingocard with frequency-ranked flashcards, spaced repetition, and live speaking partners. Build vocabulary and pronunciation at your own pace, on web and mobile.
Yoruba is written in the Latin script. In the US Foreign Service Institute ranking, Yoruba is a Category III language - about 1100 class hours to professional working proficiency for English speakers. Yoruba belongs to the Niger-Congo family - if you enjoy it, a natural next step is Igbo or Hausa.
50 essential Yoruba words
Start with the words you will actually meet: learn these and you will recognize something in almost every Yoruba sentence.
| # | Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | èmi | eh-mee | I |
| 2 | ìwọ | ee-waw | you |
| 3 | òun | oh-oon | he |
| 4 | àwa | ah-wah | we |
| 5 | wọ́n | wawn | they |
| 6 | èyí | eh-yee | this |
| 7 | ìyẹn | ee-yen | that |
| 8 | kíni | kee-nee | what |
| 9 | tani | tah-nee | who |
| 10 | rárá | rah-rah | no |
| 11 | àti | ah-tee | and |
| 12 | tàbí | tah-bee | or |
| 13 | ṣùgbọ́n | shoog-bawn | but |
| 14 | nínú | nee-noo | in |
| 15 | pẹ̀lú | peh-loo | with |
| 16 | ọ̀kan | aw-kahn | one |
| 17 | méjì | meh-jee | two |
| 18 | ńlá | nlah | big |
| 19 | kékeré | keh-keh-reh | small |
| 20 | dára | dah-rah | good |
| 21 | tuntun | toon-toon | new |
| 22 | ènìyàn | eh-nee-yahn | person |
| 23 | omi | oh-mee | water |
| 24 | ọjọ́ | aw-jaw | day |
| 25 | ọdún | aw-doon | year |
| 26 | àkókò | ah-koh-koh | time |
| 27 | ilé | ee-leh | house |
| 28 | iṣẹ́ | ee-sheh | work |
| 29 | ayé | ah-yeh | world |
| 30 | ọ̀rọ̀ | aw-raw | word |
| 31 | jẹ́ | jeh | be |
| 32 | ní | nee | at |
| 33 | ṣe | sheh | do |
| 34 | sọ | saw | say |
| 35 | mọ̀ | maw | know |
| 36 | rí | ree | see |
| 37 | lọ | law | go |
| 38 | wá | wah | come |
| 39 | fún | foon | give |
| 40 | gbà | gbah | take |
| 41 | fẹ́ | feh | want |
| 42 | jẹun | jeh-oon | eat |
| 43 | mu | moo | to drink |
| 44 | báyìí | bah-yee | now |
| 45 | níbí | nee-bee | here |
| 46 | níbẹ̀ | nee-beh | there |
| 47 | níbo | nee-boh | where |
| 48 | kílódé | kee-loh-deh | why |
| 49 | gbogbo | gboh-gboh | all |
| 50 | púpọ̀ | poo-paw | many |
Useful phrases in Yoruba
- Ẹ nlẹ́ · eh n-LEH · Hello / Good day
- Báwo ni? · BAH-woh nee · How are you?
- Ẹ ṣé · eh SHEH · Thank you
- Jọ̀wọ́ · JAW-waw · Please
- Orúkọ mi ni... · oh-ROO-kaw mee nee · My name is...
- Níbo ni... wà? · NEE-boh nee ... wah · Where is...?
- Ó dàbọ̀ · oh dah-BAW · Goodbye
- Ẹ jọ̀wọ́ · eh JAW-waw · Excuse me
- Kò yé mi · koh YEH mee · I don't understand
- Ṣé o lè ràn mí lọ́wọ́? · sheh oh leh rahn mee LAW-waw · Can you help me?
- Élòó ni? · EH-loh-OH nee · How much is it?
- A ó rí ara wa lọ́la! · ah oh REE ah-rah wah LAW-lah · See you tomorrow!
Learn Yoruba with comprehensive language resources
- Pronunciation
- Numbers
- Verbs and adjectives
- Frequency dictionaries
- Basic sentences
- Thematic dictionaries
- Politeness
- Idioms
Learn Yoruba, wherever you are
- AI-powered spaced repetition learning system on the go
- Audio processing for pronunciation
- Creation of visual language flash cards with images
- Search for speaking practice partners
- Frequency and thematic dictionaries for any language
- Alert system with exercise reminders
- Live video and messaging to facilitate learning
Join our global Yoruba learning community
Collaborate with native Yoruba speakers and fellow learners: exchange messages, correct each other's cards, and practice real conversation.
Send friend requests to the speakers you click with and build your own friends list - many practice partners become real friends.
Are you an educator? Teach Yoruba online · Create an online Yoruba school · Build a Yoruba curriculum
Frequently asked questions about learning Yoruba
How difficult is it to learn Yoruba?
How difficult Yoruba is depends on your background, but every language becomes manageable with consistent daily practice. Focusing on the most frequent words first means you can understand and say a lot early on. In the US Foreign Service Institute ranking, Yoruba is a Category III language - about 1100 class hours to professional working proficiency for English speakers.
What should I learn first to reach a basic level in Yoruba?
Start with the 100-500 most frequent words (free in our apps) and the thematic dictionaries most relevant to your daily life. Set clear goals and practise a few minutes every day - consistency is what produces results. Then connect with other learners to build confidence at your new basic level.
How long does it take to learn Yoruba?
Most learners reach a comfortable conversational level in Yoruba within 8-18 months of consistent daily study. Practising vocabulary with spaced repetition and speaking regularly speeds this up considerably. About 45 million people across 1 countries speak Yoruba, so you will never run short of practice partners.
How do I improve my Yoruba vocabulary?
Use the spaced-repetition and flashcard systems in the app. You can set daily, weekly, or yearly goals in our mobile apps and steadily reach the vocabulary size you’re aiming for.
Is Yoruba pronunciation hard?
Every language has a few sounds that take practice, but Yoruba pronunciation becomes consistent with regular listening and speaking. Hearing the language often matters more than memorising rules.
How do I get Free Yoruba speaking practice?
Open the Practice or Friends page in the app, send practice requests, and start real conversations with other learners - don’t be shy! You can also mention that you want speaking practice when you create your account, and the platform will help match you with suitable partners.
Do I need to learn the Yoruba alphabet first?
If Yoruba uses a different script, learning it early unlocks reading - and it's usually faster than people expect. On Lingocard you'll find every alphabet, with example words, free.