The purpose of this list is to give a rough idea of the Yoruba language. The words listed below are not the most common words, but a broad sampling of words. See the Word Lists page for more details.
| English | Yoruba |
| I | émi, mo |
| you (singular) | ìwọ, ọ (informal); ẹ̀yín (formal) |
| he | ó, òun |
| we | àwa, a |
| you (plural) | ẹ̀yin |
| they | àwọn |
| this | eléyí, èyí |
| that | èyí, èyítí, ohun tí |
| here | ibí, níhàyín |
| there | lọhun, nibẹ |
| who | tani, ẹnití |
| what | kíni, kínlá, èwo |
| where | ibo, níbo, níbití |
| when | ìgbàtí |
| how | bí, báwo |
| not | kò, kì |
| all | gbogbo, olúkúlùkú |
| many | púpọ̀, pọ̀, ọ̀pọ̀lọpọ̀ |
| some | díẹ, kan, àwọn kan |
| few | díẹ |
| other | òmíràn, míràn |
| one | mení, ọ̀kan |
| two | méjì |
| three | mẹta |
| four | mẹrin |
| five | màrún |
| big | nlá, tóbi, gbórin |
| long | jìnnà, gùn, pẹ́ |
| wide | gbòrò, jìnnà |
| thick | nípọn |
| heavy | wúwo |
| small | kéré, diẹ |
| short | kúrú |
| narrow | tóró, híhá, há |
| thin | tínrín, tẹ́rẹ́ (?) |
| woman | obìnrin |
| man (adult male) | ọkùnrin |
| man (human being) | ènìyàn |
| child (a youth) | èwe, ọmọ, ọmọdé |
| wife | ìyàwó, aya |
| husband | ọkọ |
| mother | ìyá, abiyamọ |
| father | bàbá |
| animal | ẹran |
| fish | ẹja |
| bird | ẹiyẹ, ẹyẹ abìyẹ́ (?) |
| dog | ajá |
| louse | iná |
| snake | ejọ́ |
| worm | ekòló, kòkòròìdinaràn |
| tree | igi |
| forest | igbó, ẹgàn |
| stick (of wood) | kùmọ, ọgọ (?) |
| fruit | éso, ọmọ |
| seed | irúgbìn, irúmọ |
| leaf | ewé |
| root | gbòngbò, ìpilẹ̀sẹ̀ |
| bark (of tree) | èpo igi |
| flower | òdòdó |
| grass | koríko |
| rope | okùn |
| skin (of a person) | ara |
| meat (as in flesh) | ẹran jíjẹ |
| blood | ẹ̀jẹ |
| bone | egungun |
| fat (noun) | ọ̀rá |
| egg | ẹyin |
| horn | ìwo |
| tail | ìrú |
| feather (rather not down) | ìyẹ́ ẹyẹ |
| hair | irun |
| head | orí |
| ear | etí |
| eye | ojú |
| nose | imú |
| mouth | ẹnu |
| tooth (rather not molar) | ehín |
| tongue | ahọ́n |
| fingernail | èékánná ìka ọwọ́ (?) |
| foot | ẹsẹ̀ |
| leg | ẹsẹ̀ |
| knee | orúkún, ekún |
| hand | ọwọ |
| wing | ìyẹ́ apá |
| belly | inú, ikùn |
| guts | ìfun |
| neck | ọrùn, ẹ̀mí |
| back | ẹ̀hìn |
| breast | ọmú, ọyọ̀n |
| heart | ọkàn |
| liver | ẹ́dọ |
| to drink | mu |
| to eat | jẹ, jẹun |
| to bite | gé jẹ, bù jẹ |
| to suck | mu ọmú, fi ẹnu fà mu |
| to spit | tutọ́ |
| to vomit | bì, pọ̀ jade |
| to blow (as wind) | mí kíkanfẹ́ (?) |
| to breathe | mí |
| to laugh | rẹrin |
| to see | rí, fojú rí, ríran |
| to hear | gbọ, tẹtí sí |
| to know (a fact) | mọ̀ |
| to think | rò, ronú, wòye |
| to smell (sense odor) | gbórùn |
| to fear | ẹ̀rù, ìfòyà (?) |
| to sleep | sùn, simi |
| to live | wà láyé |
| to die | kú, ṣaláìsí |
| to kill | pa, gbẹ̀mí |
| to fight | ìjà, jagun (?) |
| to hunt (transitive) | dẹ, lé, ṣọdẹ |
| to hit | gbá, nà, lù |
| to cut | gé, ké, ṣá, yún |
| to split | là, pín, là wẹ́wẹ́ |
| to stab (or stick) | gún lọ́bẹ, fi ohun mímún gún (?) |
| to scratch (an itch) | họ, ya, yún, ya ni nkan |
| to dig | walẹ̀, wà nílẹ̀, wáàdí |
| to swim | lúwẹ̀, wẹ̀ |
| to fly | fò, fò-lọ |
| to walk | rìn, fi ẹsẹ̀ rìn |
| to come | wá |
| to lie (as on one's side) | dùbúlê, nà gbôôrô (?) |
| to sit | jókó |
| to stand | dúró, dìde, nàró |
| to turn (change direction) | yípadà |
| to fall (as in drop) | ṣubú, wó (?) |
| to give | fi fún, fi bùn, jìn |
| to hold (in one's hand) | dìmú, gbámú |
| to squeeze | fún pọ̀, há láyè |
| to rub | gbo, pa, fi ra, fi pa |
| to wash | wẹ̀, fọ̀ bọ́ |
| to wipe | nù, nùkúrò |
| to pull | fà |
| to push | tì, tari |
| to throw | sọ, jù, fi sọ̀kò |
| to tie | dì, so, se kókó |
| to sew | rán-ṣọkósọ (?) |
| to count | kà, rò, ṣírò |
| to say | wí, sọ |
| to sing | kọrin |
| to play | ṣiré |
| to float | lefó, fó lójú omi |
| to flow | ṣàn |
| to freeze | dì |
| to swell | wú |
| sun | òrùn |
| moon | oṣù, òṣùpá |
| star | ìràwọ̀ |
| water | omi |
| rain | òjò |
| river | odò |
| lake | adágún |
| sea (as in ocean) | òkun omi-iyọ́ |
| salt | iyọ̀ |
| stone | òkúta |
| sand | yanrìn |
| dust | eruku |
| earth (as in soil) | ilẹ̀, erùpẹ̀ |
| cloud | gùdẹ (?) |
| fog | ìkùúkùù, kùrukùru |
| sky | ọ̀run, ojú ọ̀run |
| wind (as in breeze) | afẹ́fẹ́, ẹ̀fúfú |
| snow | ìrì dídìòjò dídì (?) yìnyín ti ohun jábọ́ lójú ọ̀run (?) |
| ice | yìnyín, omi dídì |
| smoke | éfí |
| fire | iná |
| ash | eérú |
| to burn (intransitive) | sún, jóná, mú gbóná |
| road | ọ̀nà |
| mountain | òkè gíga |
| red | pọ́n, pupa (?) |
| green | aláwọ̀ ewé |
| yellow | pupa rúsúrúsú bí àwọ ìyeyè (?) |
| white | funfun |
| black | aláwọ̀ dúdú, ṣú |
| night | òru |
| day (daytime) | ọjọ́, ọ̀sán |
| year | ọdún |
| warm (as in weather) | gbóná diẹ, lílọ́ wọ́rọ́ |
| cold (as in weather) | tutù |
| full | kún |
| new | [titun]], àkọtun |
| old | ìdarúgbó, ìdàgbà, gbó, ìhewú |
| good | rere, suwọ̀n, dára |
| bad | burú, burúkú, búburú |
| rotten (as, a log) | dìbàjẹ́, rà |
| dirty | léèrí, lẹgbin, àìmọ́, lọ́bùn |
| straight | tàrà, tọ, láìwọ |
| round | òbìrìkìtì (?) |
| sharp (as a knife) | mímú, yára se kan |
| dull (as a knife) | kúnú, àìmú, lọ́ra, kújú, yòpe |
| smooth | tẹ́jú, tẹ́rẹrẹ, ọ̀bọ̀rọ́ |
| wet | rin, tutu |
| dry (adjective) | gbígbẹ, gbẹ, gbẹrẹfu, láìlómi |
| right (correct) | títọ́, tó yẹ, dára |
| near | nítòsí, súnmọ́ra |
| far | jìnà, jijina |
| right (side) | ọ̀tún |