bawo
The English phrase hello in nigerian google translate is translated into Yoruba as bawo.
A common greeting used to say hello to someone.
Which one should you use?
Ẹ káàbọ̀ is a formal greeting equivalent to 'Hello' or 'Welcome' in English.
Did you know?
- While bawo is common, Yoruba is a tonal language where the pitch used to say the syllables can change the meaning of words entirely.
- In Yoruba culture, skipping the follow-up questions after saying bawo can be perceived as abrupt or even rude. A proper greeting is an interactive ritual that must touch upon one's family, work, or even recent activities.
- The construction of bawo relies on the combination of bá, a verbal element meaning 'to happen to do something', and èwo, which means 'which'. This reveals the phrase is essentially asking 'which is the way it happened'.
Example conversation
Two friends meet on the street.
- YejideTunde, bawo ni?Tunde, hello!
- TundeYejide, mo wa dare.Yejide, I am fine.
- YejideSe daylight ni?Is it a bright day?
- TundeBeeni, o dara gan.Yes, it is very good.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bawo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
