Time Expressions and Temporal Words in Yoruba

In Brief

Yoruba time expressions usually come after the verb or at the beginning of a sentence: Mo máa lọ lọ́la means “I will go tomorrow,” while Lánàá, ó wá means “Yesterday, he or she came.” Learn the tones and underdots as part of each word: lónìí “today,” lọ́la “tomorrow,” lánàá “yesterday,” and nísisìnyí “now.” For longer relationships, use expressions such as lẹ́yìn náà “after that,” ṣáájú “before,” and nígbà tí “when.”

Overview

Time words let you place an event on a timeline, say how long it lasts, and put several events in order. At A2, the most useful goal is simple: combine a familiar sentence with a word such as lónìí, lọ́la, or lánàá. Yoruba verbs do not change their endings to show past or future. Instead, context, time expressions, and aspect markers (small words that show whether an action is ongoing, completed, habitual, or expected) do much of the work.

This differs from English. English often changes the verb—“come,” “came”—and may require “will” for the future. Yoruba can use the same verb form wá “come” in different time settings: Ó wá lánàá “He/She came yesterday” and Ó máa wá lọ́la “He/She will come tomorrow.” The temporal word gives the date; a marker such as máa or ti gives an additional viewpoint on the event.

Written tone marks matter. The acute accent marks a high tone, the grave accent a low tone, and an unmarked vowel normally has a mid tone. Yoruba also distinguishes e/ẹ and o/ọ. Do not treat these marks as optional decoration when learning forms: store and practise the whole spelling, such as lọ́la, not just “lola.”

How It Works

Core time words

Yoruba	Meaning	Typical use
lónìí	today	the current day
lọ́la / ọ̀la	tomorrow	the next day; lọ́la is common in a sentence
lánàá	yesterday	the previous day
nísisìnyí	now, at present	the present moment or present situation
nígbà náà	then, at that time	a previously mentioned time
lẹ́yìn náà	after that, afterwards	the next event in a sequence
ṣáájú	before, earlier	a point or event that comes first
nígbà tí	when	introduces a time clause
títí	until; as far as	marks an endpoint
láti	from, since	marks a starting point

The words for today, tomorrow, and yesterday often follow the verb phrase:

• Subject + marker + verb + time: Mo máa lọ lọ́la. — “I will go tomorrow.”
• Subject + verb + time: Ó wá lánàá. — “He/She came yesterday.”
• Subject + progressive + verb + now: Mo ń ṣiṣẹ́ nísisìnyí. — “I am working now.”

A time expression can also be moved to the front to establish the setting:

• Lónìí, a máa sinmi. — “Today, we will rest.”
• Lánàá, wọ́n lọ sí ọjà. — “Yesterday, they went to the market.”

This fronting is useful for contrast or for organizing a story. It does not require the inversion that English uses in some formal styles: the normal subject still comes before the verb in the main clause.

Days and parts of the day

Yoruba	English
ọjọ́	day
ọ̀sẹ̀	week
oṣù	month
ọdún	year
àárọ̀	morning
ọ̀sán	afternoon / daytime
ìrọ́lẹ́	evening
alẹ́	night

The seven day names are:

Yoruba	English
Ọjọ́ Àìkú	Sunday
Ọjọ́ Ajé	Monday
Ọjọ́ Ìṣẹ́gun	Tuesday
Ọjọ́rú	Wednesday
Ọjọ́bọ̀	Thursday
Ọjọ́ Ẹtì	Friday
Ọjọ́ Àbámẹ́ta	Saturday

Use ní for “at/on/in” with many stated times and periods: ní àárọ̀ “in the morning,” ní alẹ́ “at night,” and ní Ọjọ́ Ajé “on Monday.” Before some vowel-initial words, ní appears in a contracted written form: ní + àárọ̀ gives ní àárọ̀, while familiar lexicalized forms include lónìí and lánàá. As a beginner, it is safer to learn these frequent words whole rather than trying to rebuild them each time.

To ask the day, use Ọjọ́ kín ni lónìí? “What day is it today?” Here kín asks which day, and ni is the linking or focus word used in this identification question.

Clock time

Aago means “clock, watch, or o’clock,” while wákàtí means “hour.” A straightforward clock-time pattern is:

• aago + number: aago mẹ́ta — “three o’clock”
• ní aago + number: ní aago mẹ́ta — “at three o’clock”
• Aago mélòó ni? — “What time is it?”

The concept example Kí ni wákàtí? also asks “What time is it?” Literally, it asks what the hour is. In everyday speech, you may hear more than one formulation, so learn to recognize both aago and wákàtí rather than forcing every English use of “time” into one Yoruba noun.

For an A2 learner, whole hours are the best starting point. Exact clock expressions can vary in phrasing and may involve number forms that deserve separate practice. Always verify appointments by repeating the complete time: ní aago mẹ́ta “at three o’clock.”

Duration, starting points, and frequency

A duration is the amount of time an activity continues. Fún “for” can introduce a stated span:

• Mo dúró fún ọjọ́ méjì. — “I stayed for two days.”
• Ó ṣiṣẹ́ níbẹ̀ fún ọdún kan. — “He/She worked there for one year.”

Use láti for a starting point, with the rest of the sentence making the time relationship clear:

• Mo ti wà níbí láti lánàá. — “I have been here since yesterday.”
• Láti àárọ̀ ni wọ́n ti ń ṣiṣẹ́. — “They have been working since morning.”

To ask how many units, put the time noun before mélòó “how many”:

• Ọjọ́ mélòó? — “How many days?”
• Oṣù mélòó ni o ti wà níbí? — “How many months have you been here?”

Do not confuse duration with frequency. Frequency tells how often something happens. Máa ń marks a usual or repeated action:

• Mo máa ń kàwé ní alẹ́. — “I usually study at night.”
• A máa ń lọ sí ọjà ní Ọjọ́ Àbámẹ́ta. — “We usually go to the market on Saturdays.”

Time words and aspect markers

Yoruba relies heavily on aspect rather than verb endings. The time expression and aspect marker should support the meaning you intend:

Meaning	Pattern	Example
happening now	subject + ń + verb + nísisìnyí	Ó ń jẹun nísisìnyí.
completed by now	subject + ti + verb	Ó ti dé.
expected later	subject + máa/yóò + verb + future time	Ó máa dé lọ́la.
regular event	subject + máa ń + verb + period	Ó máa ń ṣiṣẹ́ ní àárọ̀.

A past-time word can be enough to locate a simple event: Ó wá lánàá. There is no separate past-tense ending on wá. Conversely, ti is not merely an English-style past marker; it presents an action as completed or already achieved. That is why a word-for-word substitution strategy often gives the wrong result.

Sequencing events

For two separate sentences or clauses, lẹ́yìn náà is an easy connector:

• A jẹun. Lẹ́yìn náà, a lọ. — “We ate. After that, we left.”

Ṣáájú marks an earlier position in time. With a following event clause, fuller patterns are used, especially ṣáájú kí ... tó ... “before …”:

• Ṣáájú kí o tó lọ, jẹun. — “Before you go, eat.”

Nígbà tí introduces a subordinate clause (a clause that depends on the main part of the sentence):

• Nígbà tí mo dé, ó ti lọ. — “When I arrived, he/she had already left.”

For A2 production, use lẹ́yìn náà between complete events and learn nígbà tí as a fixed connector. The fuller clause patterns belong to later study and are revisited below.

Examples in Context

Yoruba	English	Note
Mo máa lọ lọ́la.	I will go tomorrow.	Future marker plus lọ́la
Ó wá lánàá.	He/She came yesterday.	Past time is supplied by lánàá
Lónìí ni Ọjọ́ Ajé.	Today is Monday.	Identifies the current day
Mo ń ṣiṣẹ́ nísisìnyí.	I am working now.	Ongoing action with ń
A máa pàdé ní aago mẹ́ta.	We will meet at three o’clock.	ní introduces the clock time
Kí ni wákàtí?	What time is it?	Literally asks what the hour is
Oṣù mélòó ni o ti wà níbí?	How many months have you been here?	Asks about duration
Mo dúró níbẹ̀ fún ọjọ́ méjì.	I stayed there for two days.	fún marks a span
Mo ti wà níbí láti lánàá.	I have been here since yesterday.	láti marks the starting point
Ó máa ń jí ní àárọ̀ kùtùkùtù.	He/She usually wakes up early in the morning.	Habitual action
Àwọn ọmọ máa ń ṣeré ní ọ̀sán.	The children usually play in the afternoon.	Repeated event in a time period
A jẹun; lẹ́yìn náà, a lọ sí ọjà.	We ate; after that, we went to the market.	Sequence of two events
Nígbà tí mo dé, wọ́n ń jẹun.	When I arrived, they were eating.	Time clause plus an ongoing event
Dúró títí mo fi padà.	Wait until I return.	Advanced endpoint construction

Common Mistakes

Dropping the tone marks and underdots

• Wrong: Mo maa lo lola.
• Right: Mo máa lọ lọ́la.
• Why: Tone marks and the distinction between o and ọ are part of Yoruba spelling and can distinguish words or grammatical forms. Learn the marked form even if informal digital writing sometimes omits marks.

Translating English tense endings directly

• Wrong idea: Yoruba needs a special past form of wá to say “came.”
• Right: Ó wá lánàá.
• Why: The verb does not conjugate for past tense. Lánàá places the event yesterday; aspect markers may add completion or another viewpoint when needed.

Using ń for every present-time sentence

• Wrong: Mo ń máa kàwé ní alẹ́ when you mean “I usually study at night.”
• Right: Mo máa ń kàwé ní alẹ́.
• Why: Ń alone marks an action in progress. Máa ń is the usual pattern for a habit or repeated action.

Confusing “for” and “since”

• Wrong: Mo ti wà níbí láti ọjọ́ méjì when you mean “for two days.”
• Right: Mo ti wà níbí fún ọjọ́ méjì.
• Why: Fún introduces the length of the span; láti introduces its starting point, as in láti lánàá “since yesterday.”

Using the wrong time noun

• Wrong: using wákàtí for every English occurrence of “time.”
• Right: use wákàtí for an hour, aago for clock time, and àkókò for time more generally.
• Why: English “time” covers several meanings that Yoruba commonly expresses with different nouns.

Treating a time clause like a single adverb

• Wrong: Ṣáájú o lọ, jẹun.
• Right: Ṣáájú kí o tó lọ, jẹun.
• Why: “Before you go” is a clause with its own subject and verb, so Yoruba uses a fuller connector pattern. Beginners can avoid this difficulty by first using two sentences and lẹ́yìn náà.

Usage Notes

Time expressions are flexible in position. Sentence-final placement is neutral and easy: Wọ́n dé lónìí “They arrived today.” Initial placement highlights the time or contrasts it with another period: Lónìí, wọ́n dé “Today, they arrived.” In careful writing, a comma can help readers after a longer initial expression.

Everyday speech does not always display the full tone-marked spelling you see in learning materials, especially in text messages. That does not make tones unimportant: speakers still pronounce tonal contrasts, and unmarked writing can be ambiguous. Keep the marks in your own study notes and formal writing.

Some English translations hide useful differences. Nígbà náà points to “that time” or “then,” whereas lẹ́yìn náà explicitly moves the sequence forward: “after that.” Likewise, English “when” can ask a question or join clauses. Use nígbà wo? for “when?” as a question, but nígbà tí to connect an event: “when I arrived.”

Beyond the Basics / Advanced Use

You do not need to master the following patterns at A2, but you will meet them in stories and more connected speech. Yoruba time clauses often combine connectors with aspectual elements. This gives a more exact relationship than a single English word such as “when,” “before,” or “until.”

Relationship	Yoruba pattern	Example	Meaning
when	nígbà tí + clause	Nígbà tí mo dé, ó ti lọ.	When I arrived, he/she had left.
before	ṣáájú kí + subject + tó + verb	Ṣáájú kí o tó lọ, jẹun.	Before you go, eat.
after	lẹ́yìn tí + clause	Lẹ́yìn tí wọ́n ti jẹun, wọ́n lọ.	After they had eaten, they left.
until	títí + subject + fi + verb	Dúró títí mo fi padà.	Wait until I return.

Here tó and fi are parts of established clause patterns; translating either one separately will not explain the whole construction. Learn each frame with a complete sentence. Notice too that ti inside lẹ́yìn tí wọ́n ti jẹun marks the eating as completed before the departure.

More advanced narration also contrasts ń with ti: Nígbà tí mo dé, wọ́n ń jẹun means the eating was in progress when the speaker arrived, while Nígbà tí mo dé, wọ́n ti jẹun means they had already eaten. The connector supplies the relationship between clauses; the aspect marker shows how each event is viewed.

Practice Tips

1. Build a seven-day diary. Each day, write three short lines beginning with lánàá, lónìí, and lọ́la. Use ti for something completed, ń for something happening now, and máa for a plan.
2. Practise time in pairs. Match a point (láti lánàá, “since yesterday”) with a span (fún ọjọ́ méjì, “for two days”). Saying both prevents the common English-based confusion between “since” and “for.”
3. Tell a two-step story. Start with two complete sentences joined by lẹ́yìn náà. Once that feels automatic, retell the same story with nígbà tí or one of the advanced clause frames.

Related Concepts

• Foundation: Time and Days of the Week — reviews day names, parts of the day, and basic clock vocabulary.
• Useful with this topic: Perfect Aspect (Ti) — shows that an event is already completed.
• Useful with this topic: Future Aspect (Máa/Yóò) — combines naturally with future times such as lọ́la.
• Useful with this topic: Habitual Aspect (Máa Ń) — expresses repeated actions in periods such as mornings or Mondays.
• Next step: Temporal Clauses and Sequencing — develops nígbà tí, ṣáájú kí, lẹ́yìn tí, and títí in full clauses.