4 Common Yorùbá Words and Their Opposites

Learning words in pairs can make them easier to understand and remember. When you learn a new Yorùbá word, learning its opposite also helps you describe people, objects, places, and actions more clearly.

In Yorùbá, ìdàkejì ọ̀rọ̀ means an opposite word.

Here are four useful Yorùbá word pairs to learn.

Yorùbá opposite words

English word	Yorùbá	Opposite in Yorùbá	English opposite
Hot	Gbóná	Tútù	Cold
Light or bright	Mọ́lẹ̀	Ṣókùnkùn	Dark
Big	Ńlá	Kékeré	Small
Hard	Le	Rọ̀	Soft

1. Gbóná and tutù

Gbóná means “hot,” while tutù means “cold” or “cool.”

You can use these words when talking about food, drinks, or objects.

Examples:

Omi náà gbóná.
The water is hot.

Omi náà tutù.
The water is cold.

2. Mọ́lẹ̀ and ṣókùnkùn

Mọ́lẹ̀ describes a place that is bright or has light. Ṣókùnkùn describes a place that is dark.

Examples:

Yàrá náà mọ́lẹ̀.
The room is bright.

Yàrá náà ṣókùnkùn.
The room is dark.

Look around you. Is the room mọ́lẹ̀ or ṣókùnkùn?

3. Ńlá and kékeré

Ńlá means “big,” while kékeré means “small.”

These describing words usually come after the noun.

Examples:

Èyí jẹ́ ilé ńlá.
This is a big house.

Èyí jẹ́ ilé kékeré.
This is a small house.

You can also say:

• ajá ńlá: a big dog
• ajá kékeré: a small dog
• àpótí ńlá: a big box
• àpótí kékeré: a small box

4. Le and rọ̀

Le means “hard,” while rọ̀ means “soft.”

You can use these words to describe furniture, food and other objects.

Examples:

Àga náà le.
The chair is hard.

Irọ̀rí náà rọ̀.
The pillow is soft.

Try touching two objects near you. Which one is le, and which one is rọ̀?

Practise with objects around you

Complete each sentence using a word from this lesson:

1. Omi náà __________.
2. Yàrá náà __________.
3. Àpótí náà __________.
4. Irọ̀rí náà __________.

Quick challenge

What is the opposite of each word?

1. Gbóná
2. Mọ́lẹ̀
3. Ńlá
4. Le

Practise each pair in a complete sentence. This will help you remember the words and use them naturally.