All languages

Yoruba to Swahili translation

Most translation tools route Yoruba through English before they reach Swahili, which is where the meaning goes missing. SemaSoma translates the pair directly and hands back a pronunciation guide with every result.

Translate Yoruba → SwahiliTake the Swahili course

Yoruba to Swahili: everyday phrases

Phrases that appear in both the Yoruba and Swahili courses, lined up side by side with the English meaning so you can check the match.

  • Ẹ ṣéAsante
    Thank you/ah-SAN-teh/
  • Ó dàbọ̀Kwaheri
    Goodbye/kwa-HEH-ree/
  • Bẹ́ẹ̀ niNdiyo
    Yes/n-DEE-yo/
  • RáráHapana
    No/ha-PA-na/
  • Jọ̀wọ́Tafadhali
    Please/ta-fa-DHA-lee/
  • Orúkọ mi ni AmaraJina langu ni Amara
    My name is Amara/JEE-na LAN-goo nee a-MA-ra/
  • Kí ni orúkọ rẹ?Jina lako ni nani?
    What is your name?/JEE-na LA-ko nee NA-nee/
  • Ẹ káàárọ̀Habari ya asubuhi
    Good morning/ha-BA-ree ya a-soo-BOO-hee/
  • Mo wà dáadáaNiko mzuri
    I am fine/NEE-ko m-ZOO-ree/
  • OmiMaji
    Water/MA-jee/
  • OúnjẹChakula
    Food/cha-KOO-la/
  • Ọ̀rẹ́Rafiki
    Friend/ra-FEE-kee/
  • ỌjàSoko
    Market/SO-ko/
  • Ọjà wà níbo?Soko liko wapi?
    Where is the market?/SO-ko LEE-ko WA-pee/
  • Èló ni èyí?Hii ni bei gani?
    How much is this?/HEE nee bay GA-nee/
  • Mo fẹ́ omiNataka maji
    I want water/na-TA-ka MA-jee/
  • Mi ò gbọ́Sielewi
    I don't understand/see-eh-LEH-wee/
  • Ọ̀kanMoja
    One/MO-ja/
  • ÈjìMbili
    Two/m-BEE-lee/
  • Ẹ̀taTatu
    Three/TA-too/
  • ÀrúnTano
    Five/TA-no/
  • Ẹ̀fàSita
    Six/SEE-ta/
  • ÈjeSaba
    Seven/SA-ba/
  • Ẹ̀jọNane
    Eight/NA-neh/
  • Ẹ̀wáKumi
    Ten/KOO-mee/
  • Búrẹ́dìMkate
    Bread/m-KA-teh/
  • ÌrẹsìWali
    Rice/WA-lee/
  • ẸranNyama
    Meat/NYA-ma/
  • ÌyáMama
    Mother/MA-ma/
  • BàbáBaba
    Father/BA-ba/
  • ỌmọMtoto
    Child/m-TOH-toh/
  • ẸbíFamilia
    Family/fa-MEE-lee-a/
  • ÌyàwóMke
    Wife/m-KEH/
  • ỌkọMume
    Husband/MOO-meh/
  • ÒníLeo
    Today/LEH-oh/
  • Ọ̀laKesho
    Tomorrow/KEH-shoh/
  • ÀnáJana
    Yesterday/JA-na/
  • NísinsìnyíSasa
    Now/SA-sa/
  • Òwúrọ̀Asubuhi
    Morning/a-soo-BOO-hee/
  • Alẹ́Jioni
    Evening/jee-OH-nee/

What to know before you translate

About Swahili

Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, DR Congo — around 200 million, mostly as a second language. Writing system: Latin alphabet, spelled close to how it sounds.

  • Nouns fall into classes, and the class changes the start of related words — mtu (person) becomes watu (people).
  • Stress almost always lands on the second-to-last syllable, which makes reading aloud predictable.
  • Greetings are a small ritual: habari expects a reply of nzuri before anything else happens.

About Yoruba

Nigeria, Benin, Togo, and a large diaspora in Brazil, Cuba and the US — around 45 million. Writing system: Latin alphabet with tone marks and sub-dot letters (ẹ, ọ, ṣ).

How accurate is it?

Translations are produced by an AI model, so treat long or legal text as a draft and check it with a speaker. Short everyday sentences — greetings, directions, family talk — are where it is strongest, and the pronunciation guide is written for English readers. Lesson audio is AI pronunciation audio, not a recording of a native speaker.

Learn SwahiliSwahili phrasebookCompare African language apps