Passive Constructions (Ni...sí) in Yoruba

Ìṣe Aìníṣe (Ní...sí)

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In Brief

Yoruba normally does not change a verb into a passive form like English was built or is known. It keeps an active-looking clause and uses wọ́n (“they/people”) or a (“we/one/people”) for an unspecified doer: Wọ́n kọ ilé náà can therefore mean “The house was built.” When the affected person or thing deserves special attention, it can be placed first and focused with ni: Ilé náà ni wọ́n kọ́ (“It was the house that they built”).

Overview

In an English passive sentence, the grammatical subject is the person or thing affected: “The door was opened.” The doer may be omitted because it is unknown, obvious, or unimportant. Yoruba can communicate exactly that viewpoint, but it usually does not do so with a special verb form. In other words, there is no general Yoruba equivalent of English be + past participle (a form such as was opened or has been written).

Instead, Yoruba commonly phrases the event as something that unspecified people did. Wọ́n ṣí ilẹ̀kùn is structurally “They opened the door,” but in a suitable context it can report that “The door was opened.” A can work similarly, especially for a general practice or an impersonal statement: A ń ta oúnjẹ níbí can mean “Food is sold here.” A pronoun remains the subject (the doer in the clause), even when it does not identify real, specific people.

At B1, the practical goal is not to convert every English passive mechanically. First ask why English uses the passive: Is the doer unknown? Is it people in general? Is the affected item being contrasted? Yoruba chooses among wọ́n, a, ordinary active wording, and focus according to that communicative purpose.

How It Works

1. Use wọ́n for an unnamed or unimportant human agent

Wọ́n is the third-person plural pronoun “they.” It may refer to a known group, but context can also make it indefinite: “they,” “people,” or “someone.”

Pattern: wọ́n + tense/aspect marker + verb + object

Part	Yoruba	Function
Indefinite subject	wọ́n	unspecified people who act
Marker, if needed	ń, ti, máa, kò, etc.	ongoing, completed, habitual/future, negative meaning
Verb	kọ, rí, pè, mú, etc.	the action; it does not become passive
Object	ilé náà, Adé, ìwé náà, etc.	the person or thing affected

For example, Wọ́n ti pa ọ̀nà náà is literally “They have closed the road.” In natural English reporting, “The road has been closed” may fit better. Yoruba grammar is still active: wọ́n is the subject and ọ̀nà náà is the direct object (the person or thing directly affected by the verb).

Use this pattern mainly where a human agent is plausible. It is not a magic replacement for every English passive, especially descriptions of a state such as “The shop is closed.” A state may require a different Yoruba expression from the event “Someone closed the shop.”

2. Use a for an impersonal or general statement

A normally means “we,” but it can also have an impersonal sense close to English “one,” “people,” or passive wording. The surrounding situation tells the listener whether the speaker means a particular “we” or people in general.

Pattern: a + marker + verb + object

A ṣe iṣẹ́ náà. — “The work was done” / “We did the work.”
A kì í ṣe bẹ́ẹ̀ níbí. — “That is not done here.”
A ń kọ́ Yorùbá ní ilé ẹ̀kọ́ yìí. — “Yoruba is taught at this school.”

This ambiguity is normal. Do not expect a single Yoruba sentence to preserve every distinction made explicitly by an English passive. Context supplies who is involved and whether a includes the speaker.

3. Keep tense and aspect on the clause

The verb does not acquire a passive ending, but the usual tense/aspect markers still locate or shape the event. Aspect means how an event unfolds—for example, whether it is ongoing, completed, or habitual.

Meaning	Typical shape	Example	Natural English reading
unmarked event	wọ́n/a + verb + object	Wọ́n kọ ilé náà.	The house was built.
ongoing	wọ́n/a + ń + verb + object	Wọ́n ń tún ọ̀nà náà ṣe.	The road is being repaired.
completed	wọ́n/a + ti + verb + object	Wọ́n ti parí iṣẹ́ náà.	The work has been completed.
habitual/general	a + máa or kì í + verb + object	A máa ń wẹ ilẹ̀ yìí.	This floor is regularly washed.
negative	wọ́n/a + kò + verb + object	A kò rí i mọ́.	He or she was not seen again.

English tense in a translation is not selected by a hidden passive form. Time words, discourse context, and Yoruba markers determine the interpretation.

4. Focus the affected item with ni

Yoruba ni marks focus: it identifies or contrasts the element that matters most. A focused object moves to the front, while the following clause still contains an overt subject such as wọ́n or a.

Pattern: focused object + ni + wọ́n/a + verb

Ilé náà ni wọ́n kọ́. — “It was the house that they built.”
Iṣẹ́ náà ni a ṣe. — “It was the work that was done.”
Adé ni wọ́n pè. — “It was Adé who was called.”

This construction can support a passive-like English translation because attention falls on the affected item. However, ni is a focus marker, not a passive auxiliary equivalent to English be. Its basic contribution is contrast or identification: this house, this work, or this person—not another.

The spelling ní with a high tone is also a common preposition or verb form in other contexts, while focus ni is conventionally written without the tone mark. Do not infer passive meaning whenever you see ní. Likewise, there is no general fixed “ni...sí” passive template that can simply be wrapped around any verb; sí has its own uses, commonly as a preposition meaning “to/at/into,” according to the verb and sentence.

5. Keep an important agent explicit

English can add an agent in a by-phrase: “The song was written by Fẹlá.” Yoruba will often prefer a straightforward active sentence when the doer matters:

Fẹlá kọ orin náà. — “Fẹlá wrote the song.”

Replacing a clear agent with indefinite wọ́n and then trying to add a literal equivalent of English by usually makes the sentence less natural. Yoruba is not required to copy the information order of the English passive. If contrast is needed, focus the relevant element using ordinary focus grammar.

Examples in Context

Yoruba	English	Note
Wọ́n kọ ilé náà ní ọdún 1990.	The house was built in 1990.	Wọ́n leaves the builders unspecified.
A ṣe iṣẹ́ náà.	The work was done.	A may mean “we” or impersonal “one/people.”
Wọ́n fi ẹ̀sùn kàn án.	He/She was accused.	Literally, “They placed an accusation against him/her.”
A kò rí i mọ́.	He/She was not seen again.	kò negates the event; mọ́ means “any longer/again” here.
Wọ́n ti ṣí ilé ìtajà náà.	The shop has been opened.	ti presents the opening as completed.
Wọ́n ń tún afárá náà ṣe.	The bridge is being repaired.	ń marks an ongoing action.
A ń ta búrẹ́dì níbí.	Bread is sold here.	A general practice, not a particular “we.”
A kì í wọ bàtà sínú ilé.	Shoes are not worn inside the house.	kì í expresses a general rule or habit.
Wọ́n pè mí sí ọ́fíìsì.	I was called to the office.	Active Yoruba with an indefinite subject and object mí.
Wọ́n mú olè náà lánàá.	The thief was caught yesterday.	The people who caught the thief are not the point.
Ìwé náà ni wọ́n tẹ̀ jáde.	It was that book that was published.	Object focus adds contrast.
Adé ni wọ́n yàn.	Adé was the one selected.	ni focuses the selected person.
Iṣẹ́ náà ni a ti parí.	It is the work that has been completed.	Focus plus completed ti.
Dókítà náà ṣàyẹ̀wò aláìsàn náà.	The doctor examined the patient.	When the agent matters, a plain active clause is clearest.

Common Mistakes

Building a word-for-word “be + participle” passive

Wrong approach: searching for separate Yoruba words corresponding to was + built in “The house was built.”
Right: Wọ́n kọ ilé náà.
Why: Yoruba normally expresses the event with an ordinary verb and an indefinite subject; the verb does not need a passive participle.

Omitting the subject entirely

Wrong: Kọ ilé náà ní ọdún 1990. (intended as “The house was built in 1990.”)
Right: Wọ́n kọ ilé náà ní ọdún 1990.
Why: A normal declarative clause needs its structure. Bare kọ may be interpreted differently, including as a command in a suitable context.

Treating wọ́n as always referring to known people

Misleading translation: Wọ́n mú olè náà must always mean “Those particular people caught the thief.”
Better interpretation in context: “The thief was caught” or “They caught the thief.”
Why: wọ́n may be specific or indefinite. The surrounding conversation decides.

Treating a as an unambiguous passive marker

Wrong assumption: A ṣe iṣẹ́ náà can only mean “The work was done.”
Right: It can also mean “We did the work.”
Why: a is first-person plural “we”; its impersonal reading depends on context and genre.

Using ni as though it meant “is/was”

Wrong analysis: Ilé náà ni wọ́n kọ́ is formed by putting a passive “was” after ilé náà.
Right analysis: ni focuses ilé náà; wọ́n kọ́ remains an active clause, “they built.”
Why: Focus and passive are different grammatical ideas, even when an English translation uses a passive.

Forcing an English “by”-phrase

Awkward strategy: first hiding the agent with wọ́n, then translating “by Fẹlá” word for word.
Right: Fẹlá kọ orin náà.
Why: If the named doer is important, Yoruba commonly states that person directly as the subject.

Usage Notes

Translation depends on discourse, not form alone

The same Yoruba clause can receive an active or passive English translation. Wọ́n ti pa ọ̀nà náà may be “They have closed the road” when the conversation concerns the authorities, or “The road has been closed” when drivers only need to know the result. Neither translation changes the Yoruba grammar.

Human indefinites are especially natural

Both wọ́n and impersonal a suggest human participation. Use them naturally for building, calling, selecting, accusing, teaching, selling, and similar actions carried out by people. An English passive with a nonhuman cause may be better recast with the actual cause as subject rather than automatically using wọ́n.

Event and state are not identical

“The door was closed at eight” may describe an action performed at eight, while “The door is closed” may simply describe its present condition. English uses a passive-looking form in both. Yoruba wording should reflect the intended event or state; do not assume that wọ́n + verb is right merely because English contains is or was plus a participle.

Pronunciation and tone still matter

Passive-like interpretation does not relax Yoruba tone and pronoun rules. In Wọ́n fi ẹ̀sùn kàn án, the final án is an object pronoun referring to “him/her,” and the written spacing and tones represent the actual construction. Learn the full phrase fi ẹ̀sùn kàn (“accuse”), not a word-for-word English mapping.

Beyond the Basics / Advanced Use

Focus lets a speaker manage contrast more precisely than an ordinary indefinite-agent clause. Compare:

Wọ́n kọ ilé náà. — reports the event; depending on context, “They built the house” or “The house was built.”
Ilé náà ni wọ́n kọ́. — corrects or contrasts the object: “It was the house that they built.”
Wọ́n ni wọ́n kọ ilé náà. — focuses the doers: “They were the ones who built the house.”

These are not interchangeable. Fronting an affected noun with ni is useful only when focus is communicatively justified. If no contrast is intended, the ordinary wọ́n/a + verb + object order is usually simpler.

Advanced reading also requires tolerance for undertranslation and restructuring. News reports, instructions, public notices, and descriptions of customary practice may use indefinite-human wording where polished English strongly prefers a passive. Conversely, an English passive may become an active Yoruba clause with a named subject. Good translation preserves what is foregrounded—event, result, affected participant, or agent—rather than preserving the English grammatical shape.

Finally, lexical choice matters. Some English passives are conventional phrases (“be born,” “be interested,” “be located”) rather than freely formed reports about an unnamed doer. They should be learned through their normal Yoruba expressions, not generated by placing wọ́n before a literal translation of the English verb.

Practice Tips

Reverse the English passive. Take five sentences such as “The road is being repaired” and first identify the hidden human doer: “people are repairing the road.” Then build wọ́n/a + marker + verb + object.
Compare neutral and focused pairs. Say Wọ́n yàn Adé, then Adé ni wọ́n yàn. Ask whether you are merely reporting the selection or correcting who was selected.
Listen for interpretation. When you hear wọ́n or a, note whether it means a known group, inclusive “we,” or people in general. Translate only after using the wider context.