Talking about Self, Others, and Preferences
Can Do Statement
- Student can express likes and dislikes
- Talk about preferences
- Use appropriate pronouns to talk about yourself and others, nationalities, and preferences
Vocabulary List
Click the audio icon below to play the recorded pronunciation for each word. You can also open the list below in a new tab, which can be downloaded or printed.
Practice: Interpretive Communication
Presentational Communication
Context:
Michael is talking about himself and the things he likes.
Transcript:
Orúkọ mi ni Micheal, mo jẹ́ ọmọ orílẹ̀ edè Nàijíriá ṣùgbọ́n nísisìyìí, mo wà ní il̀ú Madison, ní Wisconsin. Bí ó tilẹ̀ jẹ́ pé mò ń gbé ní Madison báyìí, ọ̀rẹ́ mi tí mo fẹ́ràn jùlọ ń gbé ní ìlú Èkó ní Nàìj́iríá. Èmi àti ọ̀rẹ́ mi fẹ́ràn láti máa kàwé, a tún fẹ́ràn láti máa gbá bọ́ọ̀lù aláfẹsẹ̀gbá. Nígbàmìíràn, èmi àti ọ̀rẹ́ mi máa ń lọ sí jiimu, sùgbọ́n n kò fẹ́ràn láti máa lọ sí jíìmù lójoojúmọ́. Inú mi dùn nítorí pé màá rí ọ̀rẹ́ mi ní ìlú Èkó ní sọ́mà tó ń bọ̀.
Practice: Presentational Communication
- Read the transcript, then say a few sentences about yourself
- After watching the monologue, make a list of words you cannot understand and revisit the dictionary to learn them.
Interpersonal Communication
Context:
Toyin and Michael are talking about their families; what they like and dislike
Tóyìn: Ṣé daadaa ni?
Michael: Daadaa ni, a dupe.
Tóyìn: Mo máa lọ si Chicago lati pàdé ẹ̀gbọ́n mi.
Michael: Èmi náà lọ pàdé Kemi ni ìlú Chicago lánàá.
Tóyìn: Ṣé kémi ni àbúrò rẹ Kejì?
Michael: Rárá o, Kẹ́mi ni àbúrò mi kíní.
Tóyìn: Ó yé mi. Ṣé o ní ẹ̀gbọ́n?
Michael: Bẹ́ẹ̀ni, mo ní ẹ̀gbọ́n kan.
Tóyìn: Èmi náà ní ẹ̀gbọ́n kan, wọ́n ń gbé ní Chicago. Mo rò pé inú Kẹ́mi máa dùn láti rí ẹ.
Michael: Bẹ́èni, inú Kẹ́mi dùn. A lọ sí Wisconsin Dell láti ṣeré níbi páàkì omi.
Tóyìn: Ṣé o fẹ́ràn láti lúwẹ̀é?
Michael: Bẹ́èni, èmi àti àbúrò mi fẹ́ràn láti lúwẹ̀ẹ́ pàápàá ní páàkì omi bii Wisconsin Dell.
Tóyìn: N kò fẹ́ràn láti lúwẹ̀ẹ́ rárá, ṣùgbọ́n mo fẹ́ràn láti ṣeré ní etí òkun.
Michael: Nígbàmíràn, mo máa lọ sí etí òkun láti ṣeré . Ṣùgbọ́n mo fẹ́ràn páàkì omi gan an ni.
Tóyìn: O yé mi. Bámi ki Kẹ́mi o.
Michael: Á gbọ́.
Practice: Interpersonal Communication
- Using the vocabulary list in the dictionary, find the words that relate to family.
- Listen to their recordings and try to say them.
Grammar Notes
Negation
Negation is a grammatical component that indicates disagreement relating to the main idea in a sentence. In Yorùbá, negation can occur in a single word or in a sentence. To negate specific words, prefixes that indicate negation are included at the beginning of such words. See notes on affixes in the preceding chapter.
Examples:
- gbọ́n ” wise” →alái +gbọn “unwise.”
Here, the negation marker is the prefix aláì “without.” Hence, aláìgbọ́n is loosely translated as “one without knowledge, a foolish person.”
2. sùn “sleep” →àì +sùn “vigil.”
Again, the negation marker is the prefix, àì “without.” Therefore, àìsùn would literarily mean without sleep, “vigil”.
However, in a complete sentence, negation can occur in two different forms using these negative markers: má “not” and kò “not.”
Má, is usually used to mark negation in imperative sentences.
Examples:
3. Jọwọ́ wá sí ayẹyẹ mi. “Please come to my celebration/event.”→Jọ̀wọ́, má wá sí ayẹyẹ mi .” Do not come to my celebration/event.”
4. Gbọ́ nǹkan tí Tolú sọ. “Listen to what Tolú said.” → Má gbọ́ nǹkan tí Tolú sọ ” Do not listen to what Tolú said.”
Kò, usually marks negation in affirmative or simple sentences, especially if such sentence is a simple sentence.
Examples:
5. Bọlá wá sí ṣọ́ọ̀ṣì. “Bólá came to church.” → Bọlá kò wá sí ṣọ́ọ̀ṣì. “Bọlá did not come to church.”
6. Olú sùn. “Olú slept.” → Olú kò sùn. “Olú did not sleep.”
7. Mo fẹ́ràn láti lúwẹ̀ẹ́. “I like to swim.” → N kò fẹ́ràn láti lúwẹ̀ẹ́. “I do not like to swim.”
When marking negation in sentences that show habitual tenses, the negative marker kìí is used.
Examples:
8. Olú máa ń sùn. “Olú usually sleeps.” → Olú kìí máa ń sùn “Olú does not usually sleep.”
9. Mo máa ń lọ sí kíláàsì Yorùbá lójoojúmọ́. “I usually go to Yorùbá class every day.”→ N kìí máa ń lọ sí kíláàsì Yorùbá lójoojúmọ. “I don’t usually go to Yoruba class every day.”
*Note: In examples 7 and 9, the singular subject pronoun “mo” changes to “n” when followed by the negation marker, “kò” or “kìí.”
In a focused sentence, negation occurs as kọ́ “not.” Remember, focused sentences are marked with focus marker ni, “is.”
Examples:
10. Èmi ni mo jẹ ìrẹsì náà. “I am the one who ate the rice.”→ Ẹmi kọ́ ni mo jẹ ìrẹsì náà. “I am not the one who ate the rice.”
11. Tolú ni akẹ́kọ̀ó tí mo rí. “Tolú was the student that I saw.” → Tolú kọ́ ni akẹkọ̀ọ́ tí mo rí. “Tolú was not the student that I saw.”