Yoruba to English examples

Mo fẹ́ kọ́ èdè Gẹ̀ẹ́sì yára.

→ I want to learn English quickly.

Yoruba SVO structure maps well to English here. The verb tones in Yoruba carry grammatical meaning that English handles through word form changes instead.

Mo ti ń kọ́ Gẹ̀ẹ́sì fún ọdún mẹ́ta.

→ I have been studying English for three years.

Yoruba uses 'ti ń' as an aspect marker for ongoing past actions. English uses the present perfect continuous — the verb form itself signals the ongoing duration.

Jọ̀ọ́, sọ̀rọ̀ díẹ̀díẹ̀.

→ Please speak more slowly.

'Jọ̀ọ́' is the Yoruba equivalent of 'please'. The structure is similar to English — polite marker followed by the request.

Tí mo bá ti kẹ́kọ̀ọ́ jù, ìdánwò yóò pé.

→ If I had studied more, I would have passed the exam.

Yoruba uses 'tí... bá ti' for past counterfactual conditions. English uses past perfect in the condition and 'would have' in the result.

Gẹ̀ẹ́sì jẹ́ èdè tó ṣe pàtàkì gan-an.

→ English is a very important language.

Yoruba uses 'jẹ́' as the linking verb here. English uses 'is' and adds the article 'a' before 'language' — Yoruba has no direct equivalent for this article.