mi
/mĩ́/
The English pronoun 'me' is translated as mi in Yoruba.
mi is the pronoun used by a speaker to refer to themselves when they are the object of a verb or a preposition.
How does it change in a sentence?
The pronoun mi can be placed either before or after the verb it relates to, depending on the sentence structure and the emphasis you wish to convey.
How do you pronounce it?
/mĩ́/
Did you know?
- Yoruba grammar allows for 'pro-drop', meaning the pronoun mi is often omitted entirely if the context makes it clear the speaker is talking about themselves.
- The musical note 'mi' used in solfège is an exact homonym of the Yoruba pronoun mi, though they share no linguistic connection.
- In Yoruba, the pronoun mi also serves as the possessive adjective for 'my'. For example, the phrase for 'my house' is ilé mi.
Examples in context
- Wò míLook at me
- Ó fẹ́ mi.He loves me.
- Ó sọ fún mi.He told me.
Example conversation
Tunde is asking Titi for help with a bag.
- TundeTiti, jòò ràn mi lọ́wọ́.Titi, please help me.
- TitiKí ni n ó ṣe fún ẹ?What should I do for you?
- TundeGbé ẹrù yìí fún mi.Carry this load for me.
- TitiÓ dára, mo ti rí ẹ.Alright, I see you.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry mi, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries mi, CC BY-SA 4.0.
