SVO word order — Subject, Verb, Object
Like English, Yorùbá follows a Subject–Verb–Object (SVO) word order. This makes the basic sentence structure intuitive for English speakers.
| Yorùbá | Gloss | English |
|---|---|---|
| Emí jẹun | I eat-food | I am eating / I eat |
| Ológun pa ẹran | Hunter kill animal | The hunter killed an animal |
| Tòmás ràn mí lọ́wọ́ | Thomas help me in-hand | Thomas helped me |
Verbs — no conjugation for person or number
Yorùbá verbs do not change form to agree with the subject. The same verb form is used for I, you, he, she, we, they. Tense, aspect, and modality are expressed through auxiliary preverbal markers or context.
| Marker | Function | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| ń | Progressive / habitual (present) | Mo ń lọ | I am going / I go (habitually) |
| ti | Perfect (completed action) | Mo ti jẹun | I have eaten |
| yóò / á | Future | Mo á lọ | I will go |
| máa ń | Habitual past | Mo máa ń wá | I used to come |
Nouns — no grammatical gender, no articles
Yorùbá has no grammatical gender — there is no masculine/feminine distinction on nouns or pronouns. There are also no definite or indefinite articles (no "the" or "a"). Definiteness is inferred from context or marked by demonstratives.
Ọmọ = child / the child / a child (context determines which). This is a significant simplification compared to English and most European languages.
Negation
The primary negation marker in Yorùbá is kò (or ko), placed after the subject and before the verb (or after a preverbal aspect marker).
| Positive | Negative | Meaning (negative) |
|---|---|---|
| Mo lọ | Mi ò lọ | I did not go |
| Ó wà níbẹ̀ | Kò wà níbẹ̀ | He/she is not there |
Pronouns
| Yorùbá | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Èmi / mo / n | I / me | Full form / subject / short form |
| Ìwọ / o / ẹ | You (singular) | Full / informal / polite |
| Òun / ó | He / she / it | Gender-neutral third person |
| Àwa / a | We | Inclusive first-person plural |
| Ẹ̀yin / ẹ | You (plural) | Also used as formal singular |
| Wọn | They / them | Third person plural |
Grammar in the context of Ifá and oral tradition
Odù verse language often uses archaic grammatical structures, poetic inversions, and elevated register that can differ significantly from modern colloquial Yorùbá. The Level 1 curriculum builds modern spoken grammar first; the Odù Ifá Studies track introduces sacred-register forms as a second layer.