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216 Grammar summary
More on the word “when”
There are different ways of saying the word “when” in Yoruba.
1 In questions, use nígbà wo. For example:
Nígbà wo ni o máa jõun?
When are you going to eat?
Nígbà wo ni eré máa bõΩrõΩ?
When will the play begin?
2 If you want to use the word “when” in a statement, use ìgbà tí or
nígbà tí. Pay close attention to the different usages of ìgbà tí and
nígbà tí. For example:
ìgbà tí
Mo mo≥ìgbà tí Josie bímo≥.
I know when Josie had her baby.
Íé o mo≥ìgbà tí ißõœ máa bõΩrõΩ?
Do you know when work will begin?
nígbà tí
Nígbà tí mo rí Kúnlé, kò jõun.
When I saw Kunle, he was not eating.
Mo wà nílé nígbà tí bàbá mi dé.
I was home when my father arrived.
Kí ni o n; ße nígbà tí ìyàwó rõ n; sun?
What were you doing when your wife was sleeping?
nígbà tí . . . bá
The phrase nígbà tí . . . bá is used for “when” in conditional
statements. For example:
Mo máa sùn nígbà tí mo bá dé ilé.
I will sleep when I get home.
The implication of the above statement is that the condition in
which the speaker will sleep is them getting home. nígbà tí . . . bá
is in the same clause that states the condition on which the other
action rests. For example: