ẹ ṣé púpọ̀
e se pupo
To say thank you very much in Yoruba, use ẹ ṣé púpọ̀ (e se pupo).
ẹ ṣé púpọ̀ expresses strong gratitude, more than a plain thank you. Use it when someone has done you a real favor or given you a gift.
Meaning: greater gratitude than "thank you" (intj)
What does it mean word for word?
ẹ is the respectful or plural word for "you", ṣé means "do" in the sense of having done something kind and púpọ̀ means "much" or "a lot".
How does it change in a sentence?
Because ẹ is the respectful pronoun, ẹ ṣé púpọ̀ is the right form for elders, strangers and groups. Between close friends or to a younger person a different pronoun replaces ẹ.
How do you pronounce it?
The simple spelling is e se pupo. Yoruba is a tonal language, and the accent marks show the tones: ṣé has a high tone and púpọ̀ goes from high to low.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not leave out the tone marks and dots under letters in writing, since ẹ and ọ are different vowels from e and o.
When do people say it?
Respect for elders is central in Yoruba culture, so using the respectful ẹ form when thanking an older person matters.
Did you know?
- A common humble response to ẹ ṣé púpọ̀ is kò tọ́pé, which translates literally as 'it is not worth thanks', reflecting a cultural value of modesty.
- In Yoruba culture, the act of thanking an elder with ẹ ṣé púpọ̀ is often accompanied by a physical gesture, such as a slight bow or kneeling, to reinforce the respect implied by the pronoun ẹ.
- While ẹ ṣé púpọ̀ is the standard phrase for gratitude, Yoruba has many specific terms for 'thanks' depending on whether the favor was spiritual, social or material.
Examples in context
- Ẹ ṣé púpọ̀ fún oúnjẹ yìí.Thank you very much for this food.
- Ẹ ṣé púpọ̀ fún ìrànlọ́wọ́ yín.Thank you very much for your help.
- Ẹ ṣé púpọ̀ gan-an.Thank you very much indeed.
Example conversation
Femi receives a helpful book from Yejide.
- FemiYejide, ẹ ṣé púpọ̀ fún ìwé yìí.Yejide, thank you very much for this book.
- YejideKòtò, Femi. Mo nìrètí pé ó máa ràn yín lọ́wọ́.You're welcome, Femi. I hope it will help you.
- FemiÓ máa ràn mí lọ́wọ́ gan-an.It will help me a lot.
- YejideKò sí ìṣòro.No problem.
