TELLING TIME IN YORÙBÁ

 

HOW TO TELL TIME IN YORUBA IS PROVIDED HERE IN FOUR PARTS:

 

I.          QUESTIONS FOR INQUIRING ABOUT THE TIME:

What time is it?          KÍ NI AAGO WÍ?                 tàbí      KÍ NI AAGO SO?

AAGO MÉLÒÓ NI Ó LÙ?   tàbí      AAGO MÉLÒÓ LÓ LÙ?

 

II.        KNOWLEDGE NEEDED TO TELL TIME:

a.         Numbers 1-29 in their cardinal forms:        kan; méjì; mcta; m}rin, márùn-ún, m}fà, méje, m}jv, m}sàn-án, m}wàá àti b}| b}| lv (etc.)

 

b.         Key words:                            

            aago / agogo:       watch/time                        ìx}jú:                    minute

          kvjá:                     past / after the hour             wákàtí:        hour

kù:                        remains / before the hour       wí / sv:        to say

          ààbz:                    half (In telling time, ààbz refers to half past the hour).

 

c.         Division of the hour in Yoruba:

You should take every hour of the clock as divided into two equal parts in Yoruba with a median:                      

1 to 29 minutes past the hour           half hour        1 to 29 minutes to the hour

                                  KVJÁ          ààbz                             KU    

 

d.         Periods of the day in Yoruba:

àárz                morning                      zsán               afternoon      

ìrzl}                evening                      al}                   night              

<òru                during the night

 

III.       FORMAT FOR TELLING TIME IN YORUBA:

- on the hour:     the hour       period of the day

- past the hour:  the hour       period of the day        past         number of minutes

- half past the hour:  the hour           half                  period of the day

- before the hour:      the hour           period of the day        before    number of minutes

           

IV.       EXAMPLES:

ÌBÉÈRÈ:         KÍ NI AAGO WÍ?                 tàbí      KÍ NI AAGO SO?

AAGO MÉLÒÓ NI Ó LÙ?   tàbí      AAGO MÉLÒÓ LÓ LÙ?

ÌDÁHÙN:

1:00 pm:                    Aago kan zsán           

1:10pm:                      Aago kan kvjá ìx}jú m}wàá zsán

1:20pm:                      Aago kan òsán kvjá ogun ìx}jú

1:25pm:                      Aago kan òsán kvjá ix}jú márùndínlógún

1:30pm:                aago kan ààbò zsán*

1:40pm:                      Aago méjì òsán ku ogun ìx}jú

1:50pm:                      Aago méjì òsán ku ix}jú mewa

1:55pm:                      Aago méjì òsán ku ix}jú marun-un

2:00pm:                      Aago méjì zsán

Notes:  - The period of the day might not always be overtly stated.

*It is also possible to have the period of the day at the end

 

IX{ XÍXE /PRACTICE EXERCISE:

            KÍ NI AAGO WÍ?    

1.         8:34 am:                                              2.         6:26 pm:

3.         10:13 pm:                                            4.         5.37 am:

5.         3:40 pm:                                              6.         12noon:

 

AAGO MÉLÒÓ NI O MAA N (USUALLY) ..........

1.         Sùn ní al}                                           2.         Jcun ní àárz

3.         Kàwe lójoojúm<  (everyday)           4.         Wo tclifíxvnnnù ni ìrzl}