The easiest way to learn Yoruba is to read lessons made for your level and look up what stops you right on the page. With Bubblegum, you tell Poppy, your AI tutor, your level and a topic you like, and she writes a Yoruba lesson for you.
Poppy writes each lesson at your level on a topic you pick, and the audio, word meanings and grammar help sit on the same page, so you do not switch between tools. When you want to work through a whole book, a textbook with audio is the better fit, and you can paste a page into the chat for Poppy to explain. For speaking with another person, book a tutor.
Bubblegum
For serious learners, Bubblegum is the best app to learn Yoruba. You learn from Yoruba you can mostly understand, which is called comprehensible input.
- Pick a topic and a level, and Poppy writes the Yoruba to match.
- Each lesson has AI audio to play while you read.
- Tap a word to see what it means, or ask Poppy to explain a whole line.
- Regenerative Review™ brings saved words back in new lessons, and you can export them to Anki as flashcards.
- Clear, expressive AI voices read every lesson aloud, with a different voice for each speaker.
- Lessons use Standard Nigerian Yoruba, so the local words your family uses may look different from the page.
- You can't turn your own Yoruba books into lessons. However, you can paste a page into the chat, and Poppy will explain it.
- Custom lessons cost us money to make, so you need Bubblegum Pro for unlimited custom lessons. Lessons Poppy wrote for other learners are free for everyone to read.
- Regenerative Review™
Mobile
Yoruba is written in Latin letters, and its new part is tone. The letters are mostly ones you already read, and the three letters with dots, , ọ and ṣ, are easy to spot on the page. To see how many hours it takes, read how long it takes to learn Yoruba.
- Letters You Already ReadMost of the letters are ones you already know. The letters , ọ and ṣ have dots, and gb counts as one letter.
- Three TonesYoruba has high, mid and low tones, written with accents. A vowel with no accent is usually mid.
- One Written StandardStandard Yoruba is based largely on the Ọyọ and Ibadan dialects, so the books, the news and the lessons share one spelling.
- Start With Thank YouBegin with a line you can use right away, like ẹ ṣeun (thank you), which you can say to one person politely or to a group.
- Ask for a Lesson About Your InterestsTell Poppy your level and a topic you care about. She writes a lesson so you can begin reading and listening.
- Listen While You ReadPlay the audio as you read, so each word's tone and spelling go together.
- Get Help While You ReadLook up a word or check the translation when a line stops you. Ask Poppy about grammar in the same lesson.
- Save a Few WordsSave only the few words you want to keep, and save each one with its accents and dots.
- Say a Line Out LoudRead a line aloud whenever it feels fun, like a thank-you you want to use with family. When you want a real reply, add a tutor or conversation partner.
Set aside 3-5 hours a week in sessions of 15-30 minutes or longer. Choose longer texts when you can follow more.
| What Feels Hard | The Easy Fix |
|---|---|
| Words that differ only in tone | ọkọ́ (hoe), ọkọ (husband), (vehicle) and ọ̀kọ̀ (spear) share their letters. Play each word before you say it, and meet it in a sentence so the meaning helps. |
| Letters with dots | The dot makes a separate letter, so (child) is not omo. Read and save words with their dots on, and let the tap-to-translate meaning confirm you read the right one. |
| Words with no accent marks | A vowel with no accent is usually mid tone, so omi (water) is two mid tones. Listen to it a few times, then hear it again later in a new lesson. |
| Yoruba text is written for Yoruba readers | Start with the free textbooks and stories below, and let Poppy write lessons at your level for the topics you like. |
Choose short, clear Yoruba about something you enjoy. Yoruba you can mostly understand is called comprehensible input.
| What | Why It's Easy | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Storybooks Nigeria | The Level 1 stories are short picture stories, such as Kíka àwọn ẹranko (Counting animals). | global-asp.github.io |
| Yorùbá Yé Mi | A free textbook that starts with audio for the alphabet, the vowels and the tones. | coerll.utexas.edu |
| Colloquial Yoruba | Dialogues and a grammar point in each unit, with free audio. | routledge.com |
| Memrise's Yoruba course | Videos show Yoruba speakers using each word. | memrise.com |
If you can't tell what's happening, pick something easier.
Should I Learn the Most Common 500 Words First?
No. Learn each word inside a short line. Read and hear the line, then save it for review.
Is Yoruba Pronunciation Hard?
Tones take practice, because a different tone gives a different word. Hear a line in the lesson before you say it. The pronunciation app iSabi Yoruba+ lets you listen to a Yoruba speaker, repeat, and compare.
Can I Learn Yoruba Just by Reading BBC News Yorùbá?
Not at the start, because the reports are written for Yoruba readers and use many words a beginner doesn't know yet. BBC News Yorùbá helps more once you can follow a simple story. Begin with a headline about something you already read in English.
Which Yoruba App Should a Beginner Choose?
If you are serious about learning Yoruba, start with Bubblegum. Poppy, your AI tutor, writes lessons at your level about things you like. For courses, textbooks and tutors, see our comparison of Yoruba apps.
Is Bubblegum Free?
Yes. Lessons Poppy wrote for other learners are free for everyone to read. Custom lessons cost us money to make, so you need Bubblegum Pro for unlimited custom lessons.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Yoruba language (three tones, accent marks, alphabet, where it is spoken)
- Yorùbá Yé Mi (COERLL, University of Texas at Austin): free textbook with audio and techniques for learning tones
- Routledge: Colloquial Yoruba, The Complete Course for Beginners
- Routledge: free audio for Colloquial Yoruba
- Storybooks Nigeria: free stories with text and audio, Yoruba among the languages
- Storybooks Nigeria: Kíka àwọn ẹranko (Level 1, Yoruba)
- SOAS Language Centre: Yorùbá Beginners Course (alphabet, syllables, tone marks, greetings)
- Memrise: Yoruba course (60+ videos)
- iSabi Yoruba+: iPhone App Store listing
- BBC News Yorùbá
- Wiktionary: ọkọ́, ọkọ, ọkọ̀ and ọ̀kọ̀ (hoe, husband, vehicle, spear)
- Wiktionary: ọmọ (child)
- Wiktionary: omi (water)
- Wiktionary: ẹ ṣeun (thank you)
