What Was That Sound? Yorùbá Words for Sounds Around the Home

A home is filled with familiar sounds. Someone knocks on the door, a phone rings, an alarm goes off, and something breaks.

Here are some useful Yorùbá expressions for talking about sounds around the home.

1. Kan ilẹ̀kùn: To knock on the door

Kan ilẹ̀kùn means “to knock on the door.”

• Ẹnìkan ń kan ilẹ̀kùn.
  Someone is knocking on the door.
• Ta ló ń kan ilẹ̀kùn?
  Who is knocking on the door?
• Mo gbọ́ tí ẹnìkan kan ilẹ̀kùn.
  I heard someone knock on the door.
• Jọ̀wọ́, lọ wo ẹni tó ń kan ilẹ̀kùn.
  Please go and see who is knocking on the door.

Short conversation

A: Ta ló ń kan ilẹ̀kùn?
B: Mi ò mọ̀. Jẹ́ kí n lọ wò ó.

A: Who is knocking on the door?
B: I don’t know. Let me go and check.

2. Dún: To ring or make a sound

Yorùbá commonly uses dún when a bell, telephone or alarm rings.

• Agogo ń dún.
  The bell is ringing.
• Fóònù rẹ ń dún.
  Your phone is ringing.
• Aago ìjí ń dún.
  The alarm is ringing.
• Mo gbọ́ tí agogo dún.
  I heard the bell ring.

The meaning of dún depends on what is producing the sound.

3. Ṣí ilẹ̀kùn: To open the door

Ṣí ilẹ̀kùn means “to open the door.”

• Ẹnìkan ṣí ilẹ̀kùn.
  Someone opened the door.
• Jọ̀wọ́, ṣí ilẹ̀kùn.
  Please open the door.
• Ilẹ̀kùn ṣí.
  The door opened.

4. Ti ilẹ̀kùn: To close the door

Ti ilẹ̀kùn means “to close the door.”

• Jọ̀wọ́, ti ilẹ̀kùn.
  Please close the door.
• Ilẹ̀kùn ti.
  The door closed.
• Ó ti ilẹ̀kùn mọ́lẹ̀.
  He or she slammed the door shut.

5. Fọ́: To break or shatter

Fọ́ means “to break,” “crack” or “shatter.”

• Ife náà fọ́.
  The cup broke.
• Dígí náà fọ́.
  The glass or mirror shattered.
• Mo gbọ́ tí nǹkan kan fọ́.
  I heard something break.
• Ta ló fọ́ ife náà?
  Who broke the cup?

Short conversation

A: Kí ni mo gbọ́?
B: Ife kan fọ́.

A: What did I hear?
B: A cup broke.

Talking about what you hear

The word gbọ́ means “to hear.”

Yorùbá	English
Mo gbọ́ ariwo.	I heard a noise.
Mo gbọ́ ohùn kan.	I heard a voice.
Ṣé o gbọ́ ìyẹn?	Did you hear that?
Kí ni o gbọ́?	What did you hear?
Mi ò gbọ́ nǹkan kan.	I didn’t hear anything.

Quick review

Yorùbá	English
Kan ilẹ̀kùn	Knock on the door
Dún	Ring or make a sound
Ṣí ilẹ̀kùn	Open the door
Ti ilẹ̀kùn	Close the door
Fọ́	Break or shatter
Gbọ́	Hear
Ìró	Sound
Ohùn	Voice or sound
Ariwo	Noise

Quick practice

Complete the sentences using these words:

kan, dún, fọ́, gbọ́

1. Ẹnìkan ń __________ ilẹ̀kùn.
   Someone is knocking on the door.
2. Fóònù rẹ ń __________.
   Your phone is ringing.
3. Ife náà __________.
   The cup broke.
4. Mo __________ ariwo.
   I heard a noise.

Answers

1. kan
2. dún
3. fọ́
4. gbọ́

Final takeaway

These expressions can help you describe familiar sounds at home:

• Ta ló ń kan ilẹ̀kùn?
• Fóònù rẹ ń dún.
• Jọ̀wọ́, ti ilẹ̀kùn.
• Mo gbọ́ tí nǹkan kan fọ́.
• Kí ni o gbọ́?

The next time you hear something at home, try describing it in Yorùbá.