ọ̀sán
The English word "afternoon" is translated to Yoruba as ọ̀sán.
ọ̀sán refers to the part of the day between noon and evening. It can also be used to mean "midday".
Meaning: part of the day between noon and evening (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
To specify "this afternoon", you place the demonstrative pronoun yìí immediately after the noun to form the phrase ọ̀sán yìí.
Did you know?
- A person might use 'ọ̀sán' to refer not just to the time, but to the 'strength' or 'intensity' of the sunlight during that period.
- In Yoruba culture, the ọ̀sán period is traditionally associated with the heat of the sun and is often a time for quiet indoor activity or napping to avoid the intense midday glare.
- The word ọ̀sán is a tonal word, and changing the pitch of the vowel can completely change the meaning or make the word unrecognizable to a native speaker.
Examples in context
- Ọ̀sán náà dára.The afternoon is nice.
- Ǹjẹ́ o lè rí mi ní ọ̀sán?Can you see me in the afternoon?
Example conversation
Folake and Femi are discussing their meeting time.
- FolakeNí ìgbà wo ni a máa pàdé?What time will we meet?
- FemiA máa pàdé ní ọ̀sán.We will meet in the afternoon.
- FolakeÓ dára, Femi.That is fine, Femi.
- FemiÓ dára, Folake.That is fine, Folake.
