Imperatives and Requests in Yoruba

In Brief

For a direct command to one person, Yoruba commonly begins with the verb itself: Wá! “Come!” Add jọ̀wọ́ “please” to make a request, or use ẹ before the verb when addressing more than one person or showing respect. Put má before the verb for a negative command, and use jẹ́ kí + subject + verb for “let” or “allow.”

Overview

An imperative is a verb form used to tell or ask someone to do something. English often uses the plain verb—“Come,” “Sit,” “Listen”—and Yoruba does something similar in a basic command: Wá, Jókòó, Gbọ́. The person being addressed is normally understood, so a singular “you” does not need to be stated.

At B1, the important step is not simply learning short commands. You also need to choose a form that suits the listener and the situation. Yoruba distinguishes a direct singular command from an instruction addressed to several people or respectfully to one person. The words jọ̀wọ́ “please,” ẹ “you (plural/respectful),” and suitable polite expressions help turn an order into a socially appropriate request.

This topic builds on ordinary Yoruba sentence order. In a statement, the subject normally comes before the verb: Adé ṣí ilẹ̀kùn “Ade opens the door.” In a simple singular command, that subject is omitted: Ṣí ilẹ̀kùn! “Open the door!” Tone marks remain important: they are part of Yoruba spelling and can distinguish words that otherwise look alike.

How It Works

1. A direct command: begin with the verb

For an instruction to one person in an informal or neutral setting, use the verb without an expressed subject. Any object (the person or thing affected by the action) or other information follows in its normal place.

Yoruba pattern	English	What it shows
Wá!	Come!	Verb alone
Wá síbí!	Come here!	Verb + place
Ṣí ilẹ̀kùn.	Open the door.	Verb + object
Ka ìwé náà.	Read that book.	Verb + object
Dúró níbí.	Wait here.	Verb + location

Unlike English, Yoruba does not need the word corresponding to singular “you” before this basic imperative. Inserting o as though translating “you come” word for word changes the sentence away from the normal simple command pattern.

Punctuation depends on force and context. An exclamation mark can signal urgency or emphasis, but a period is often enough for an ordinary instruction. The grammar does not depend on the punctuation.

2. Addressing several people or showing respect: ẹ + verb

Put ẹ before the verb when speaking to multiple listeners. The same ẹ is also widely used as a respectful singular form when addressing an elder, a customer, a stranger, or another person to whom deference is appropriate.

Yoruba	English	Address
Ẹ wá síbí.	Come here.	Several people, or one respected person
Ẹ jókòó.	Please sit down.	Plural or respectful
Ẹ gbọ́.	Listen.	Plural or respectful
Ẹ ṣí ilẹ̀kùn náà.	Open that door.	Plural or respectful

English “you” does not normally reveal number or respect, so this is a choice English-speaking learners must make explicitly in Yoruba. Context tells the listener whether ẹ refers to a group or respectfully to one person.

3. Making a request with jọ̀wọ́

Jọ̀wọ́ means “please.” It can come before a request, often followed by a comma in writing, or after it. Its presence softens the utterance, but tone of voice and the relationship between speakers still matter.

Yoruba	English	Position of jọ̀wọ́
Jọ̀wọ́, ṣe é.	Please, do it.	Before the request
Jọ̀wọ́, dúró díẹ̀.	Please wait a little.	Before the request
Ẹ ràn mí lọ́wọ́, jọ̀wọ́.	Please help me.	After the request

Jọ̀wọ́ and respectful ẹ do different jobs. Jọ̀wọ́ marks the utterance as a request; ẹ marks the addressee as plural or respected. They can therefore occur together: Jọ̀wọ́, ẹ jókòó “Please sit down.”

English speakers often rely on “please” alone to make any command polite. In Yoruba, choosing respectful address can be just as important as adding jọ̀wọ́. A bare command may be perfectly normal between close companions but sound too abrupt toward an elder.

4. Negative commands: má + verb

To tell one person not to do something, put má before the verb. This is the negative imperative pattern; do not use the ordinary statement negator kò in its place.

Singular pattern: Má + verb (+ object/complement).

For several listeners or respectful address, place ẹ first:

Plural/respectful pattern: Ẹ má + verb (+ object/complement).

Yoruba	English	Form
Má lọ.	Don’t go.	Singular
Má ṣe bẹ́ẹ̀.	Don’t do that.	Singular
Má fọwọ́ kan án.	Don’t touch it.	Singular
Ẹ má lọ.	Don’t go.	Plural or respectful
Ẹ má ṣe bẹ́ẹ̀.	Don’t do that.	Plural or respectful

Keep má directly before the verbal expression it negates. In Má ṣe bẹ́ẹ̀, ṣe means “do,” so the expression is literally organized as “do not do so.”

5. “Let” and “allow”: jẹ́ kí

Use jẹ́ kí before a clause to express “let,” “allow,” or “make it possible for.” A clause is a small sentence-like unit containing its own subject and action. The structure is:

Jẹ́ kí + subject + verb phrase.

Yoruba	English	Subject after jẹ́ kí
Jẹ́ kí a lọ.	Let us go.	a “we”
Jẹ́ kí n lọ.	Let me go.	n “I” in this construction
Jẹ́ kí ó wọlé.	Let him/her come in.	ó “he/she”
Jẹ́ kí wọ́n sọ̀rọ̀.	Let them speak.	wọ́n “they”

Notice that the person who performs the second action must be stated. English sometimes leaves that relationship vague, but Yoruba jẹ́ kí introduces a complete following clause. The fixed first-person form in Jẹ́ kí n ... is especially worth memorizing as a chunk.

To address several people or one person respectfully, the request itself may begin with ẹ: Ẹ jẹ́ kí n kọjá “Please let me pass.” Here the first ẹ addresses the people being asked; n identifies the person who is to pass.

Examples in Context

The following sentences bring the main patterns together in realistic exchanges and instructions.

Yoruba	English	Note
Wá síbí!	Come here!	Direct singular command
Gbé àpò náà sí orí tábìlì.	Put that bag on the table.	Command with object and destination
Dúró díẹ̀.	Wait a little.	Short everyday instruction
Jọ̀wọ́, ṣe é.	Please, do it.	é refers to “it”
Jọ̀wọ́, sọ ọ́ lẹ́ẹ̀kan sí i.	Please say it one more time.	Polite request for repetition
Ẹ wọlé.	Come in.	Plural or respectful address
Jọ̀wọ́, ẹ jókòó níbí.	Please sit here.	jọ̀wọ́ plus respectful/plural ẹ
Ẹ ràn mí lọ́wọ́, jọ̀wọ́.	Please help me.	jọ̀wọ́ at the end
Má ṣe bẹ́ẹ̀.	Don’t do that.	Negative singular command
Má ṣí fèrèsé náà.	Don’t open that window.	má before the verb
Ẹ má pariwo.	Don’t shout.	Negative plural/respectful command
Jẹ́ kí a lọ.	Let’s go.	Inclusive suggestion with a
Jẹ́ kí n rí i.	Let me see it.	First-person n after kí
Ẹ jẹ́ kí wọ́n wọlé.	Let them come in.	Respectful/plural request to permit others
Jẹ́ kí ó sinmi díẹ̀.	Let him/her rest a little.	Third-person subject in the following clause

Object pronouns can affect the sound and spelling around them, as in ṣe é “do it,” sọ ọ́ “say it,” and rí i “see it.” Learn these phrases from audio as complete units rather than deleting the repeated-looking vowels: they represent real grammatical material, not typographical duplication.

Common Mistakes

Adding singular o before every command

• Wrong: O wá síbí! (intended as a basic command)
• Right: Wá síbí!
• Why: A direct command to one person normally begins with the verb. Do not translate English “you” into every imperative.

Using kò for “don’t”

• Wrong: Kò lọ! (intended: “Don’t go!”)
• Right: Má lọ!
• Why: Kò negates ordinary statements, while prohibitions use imperative má.

Forgetting respectful or plural ẹ

• Less appropriate: Jókòó! (to an elder in a respectful setting)
• Better: Ẹ jókòó.
• Why: Bare singular commands can sound abrupt when respect is expected. Ẹ also makes clear that an instruction is for several listeners.

Treating jọ̀wọ́ as a replacement for respectful address

• Awkward in a deferential context: Jọ̀wọ́, jókòó.
• Better: Jọ̀wọ́, ẹ jókòó.
• Why: Jọ̀wọ́ adds “please,” but ẹ separately marks plural or respectful address. Depending on the relationship, both may be suitable.

Leaving out the subject after jẹ́ kí

• Incomplete: Jẹ́ kí lọ.
• Right: Jẹ́ kí a lọ. / Jẹ́ kí n lọ.
• Why: Jẹ́ kí is followed by a clause. State who is to perform the action.

Ignoring tone marks

• Unreliable: Ma se bee.
• Right: Má ṣe bẹ́ẹ̀.
• Why: Tone marks and underdots are part of standard Yoruba spelling. Omitting them hides pronunciation and can obscure distinctions that learners need.

Usage Notes

Direct does not always mean rude

A bare imperative is not automatically impolite. It is natural in urgent warnings, instructions, and many interactions between people who are close. Social setting, age, status, facial expression, and intonation all affect how it is heard. Nevertheless, ẹ and jọ̀wọ́ are safer choices when a request should clearly sound respectful.

Ẹ expresses both number and respect

There is no single English equivalent that captures both uses of ẹ. In “Come in,” English leaves both number and formality unstated. Yoruba can mark them through Ẹ wọlé. Because the same form serves two functions, only the situation reveals whether one respected person or several people are being addressed.

Requests need not sound like orders

The forms in this article are grammatically imperative, but speakers can also frame requests through questions or other indirect expressions. As in English, an indirect request may feel gentler than an order with “please.” The best choice depends on familiarity, urgency, and how large the favor is. At B1, master jọ̀wọ́, respectful ẹ, and a considerate tone before trying to make every request structurally elaborate.

Keep the written distinctions visible

In casual digital writing, native speakers may omit some diacritics, but learners should practice full spelling: ẹ is not the same written form as e, and má should not be reduced to unmarked ma in careful learning materials. Accurate marks make pronunciation and grammar easier to recover.

Beyond the Basics / Advanced Use

Jẹ́ kí can express permission, a proposal, or a desired outcome

The English translation of jẹ́ kí changes with context. Jẹ́ kí n lọ can be a request for permission (“Let me go”), while Jẹ́ kí a lọ often functions as a joint proposal (“Let’s go”). With a third-person subject, Jẹ́ kí ó sinmi, the speaker may be granting permission, asking someone else not to interfere, or recommending an outcome: “Let him/her rest.” Do not expect one English verb to cover every use.

The person addressed and the person acting may differ

In Ẹ jẹ́ kí wọ́n wọlé, ẹ identifies the respected or plural addressee—the person or people being asked—while wọ́n is the subject of “come in.” Keeping these roles separate helps with longer requests:

Yoruba	English	Roles
Ẹ jẹ́ kí n sọ̀rọ̀.	Let me speak.	ẹ = addressee; n = speaker who will act
Ẹ jẹ́ kí àwọn ọmọ náà ṣeré.	Let those children play.	ẹ = addressee; àwọn ọmọ náà = actors

Negative meaning inside a let-construction

When what is being allowed or requested is non-action, má can appear in the following clause: Jẹ́ kí ó má lọ means “Let him/her not go” or, according to context, “Make sure he/she does not go.” This is structurally different from directly commanding the listener Má lọ! “Don’t go!” The first discusses another clause’s outcome; the second is a prohibition addressed straight to the listener.

Commands can contain more than one action

Yoruba frequently places verbs in sequence when actions form one event or a natural series. An instruction can therefore contain several verbs without repeating the command marker before each one: Lọ mú omi wá “Go and bring water.” For learners, the safest approach is to identify the intended chain of actions and learn common sequences as whole expressions rather than forcing an English “and” between every verb.

Practice Tips

1. Build four versions of one instruction. Start with Wá síbí; then make Ẹ wá síbí, Má wá síbí, and Jọ̀wọ́, ẹ wá síbí. Repeat with five common verbs so number, respect, politeness, and negation become separate choices.
2. Practice role pairs with jẹ́ kí. Say who is being asked and who will act: Ẹ jẹ́ kí n..., Ẹ jẹ́ kí ó..., Ẹ jẹ́ kí wọ́n.... This prevents you from dropping the second subject.
3. Listen for tone and copy whole phrases. Record or shadow short forms such as Má ṣe bẹ́ẹ̀, Ẹ jókòó, and Jẹ́ kí n rí i. Check not only the consonants and vowels but also the tone marks in your written version.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Basic Sentence Structure (SVO) — helps you understand what changes when the addressed subject is omitted in a command.