Yoruba for Beginners

Yoruba for Beginners is a Breni path for heritage learners and anyone curious about the language, and Breni is one of few app-based ways to learn Yoruba. Its 7 courses cover sounds and tones, greetings and respect, everyday phrases, two grammar courses, conversation, and Yoruba culture. Tones get their own course because a change in pitch changes the word. Learners finish able to read tone marks, greet elders properly, bargain at a market and talk about past and future. Tones open the path, and each later course unlocks in turn.

  • 7 courses
  • 12 learning objectives
  • Level: beginner
  • Language: English
  • Price: Subscription, free trial

What you will be able to do

  • Hear and say the high, mid and low tones and read tone marks
  • Pronounce gb, kp and nasal vowels
  • Greet elders and peers correctly for the time of day
  • Bargain, count and ask prices at a market
  • Build sentences in the present, past and future
  • Use a few common proverbs and explain what they mean

Full curriculum

Part 1 · Sounds and tones

1. Yoruba Sounds and Tones: Pronunciation Basics

Pronounce Yoruba vowels and consonants and hear the three tones. Units, in order: The Yoruba alphabet; Oral and nasal vowels; Sounds such as gb, kp and ṣ; High, mid and low tones; Tone marks and how they change meaning; Practising tone with word pairs.

  • — The Yoruba Alphabet
    Learn the twenty five letters of standard Yoruba.
    • Alphabet Overview
    • Consonants and Vowels
  • — Oral and Nasal Vowels
    Master standard oral vowels and distinct nasal vowel sounds.
    • Seven Oral Vowels
    • Nasal Vowels
  • — Unique Consonants
    Tackle unique Yoruba sounds such as gb and ṣ.
    • The Ṣ Sound
    • The Gb Sound
  • — High, Mid, and Low Tones
    Hear and identify the three musical pitch tones.
    • Low and Mid Tones
    • The High Tone
  • — Tone Marks and Meaning
    Understand how tone marks change the word meaning.
    • Tone Marks
    • Changing Meanings
  • — Word Pairs Practice
    Practice tone distinctions using minimal word pairs.
    • Minimal Word Pairs
    • Tone Drill Practice

Part 2 · Basics

2. Yoruba Greetings and Respect

Greet people correctly for the time of day and their age. Units, in order: Ẹ káàárọ̀ and greetings by time of day; Greeting elders with respect; Ẹ and o: polite and familiar you; Introducing yourself; Greetings for work, events and condolences.

3. Everyday Yoruba Phrases

Handle numbers, the market, food and directions in Yoruba. Units, in order: Numbers and counting; Shopping and prices at the market; Food and ordering; Family words; Asking for directions; Days of the week and telling the time.

Part 3 · Core grammar

4. Yoruba Grammar Basics

Build simple Yoruba sentences about now and the past. Units, in order: Subject, verb, object word order; Pronouns; Ongoing actions with ń; Past and completed actions; Asking questions.

5. More Yoruba Grammar

Talk about the future, say no and describe things. Units, in order: The future with yóò and máa; Negation with kò; Showing possession; Describing people and things; Linking sentences.

Part 4 · Real use

6. Conversations in Yoruba

Hold simple conversations in everyday situations. Units, in order: Small talk; At the market; Visiting family; Making plans; Asking someone to repeat.

7. Yoruba in Culture and Daily Life

Use Yoruba with names, proverbs and media in mind. Units, in order: Yoruba names and their meanings; Proverbs in conversation; Yoruba music and media; Writing a short message with tone marks; Yoruba across Nigeria, Benin and the diaspora.

Sample: Yoruba Sounds and Tones: Pronunciation Basics

The opening tier, (The Yoruba Alphabet). Learn the twenty five letters of standard Yoruba.

Alphabet Overview

Identify the twenty five letters of the Yoruba alphabet.

Consonants and Vowels

Separate standard vowels and consonants in simple words.

Questions about Yoruba for Beginners

Is Yoruba a tonal language?

Yes. Yoruba has high, mid and low tones, and changing the tone can change the meaning of a word. Yoruba for Beginners on Breni teaches tones in the very first course.

Is there an app to learn Yoruba?

There are only a few, and Breni is one of them. It teaches Yoruba in lessons of about three minutes, with immediate feedback.

Why are greetings so important in Yoruba?

Greetings show respect, especially to elders, and change with the time of day and the occasion. The second course covers them in detail.

Can I learn Yoruba if my parents speak it but I do not?

Yes. The path starts from zero, which suits heritage learners who understand a little but have never been taught.

Is Breni an alternative to Duolingo for Yoruba?

Breni offers Yoruba as a full path of 7 courses, from tones to conversation, with a certificate of completion at the end.

Related learning paths

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