jẹ́ kí

Letting Something Happen

Level 2

Jẹ́ kí + subject + predicate: let someone act.

How It Works

Use jẹ́ kí followed by the subject and predicate of the event to be allowed. The embedded subject performs the action. The addressee is asked to allow or accept it, so addressee and actor need not be identical. The following verb has no person or number ending.

Compare Jẹ́ kí n ṣàlàyé, “Let me explain,” with Jẹ́ kí Bísí ṣàlàyé, “Let Bísí explain.” Changing the embedded subject changes the actor. First-person singular uses n after kí; third-person ó remains possible here.

The construction requests an opportunity, permits action or invites participation; it does not report completed permission. This use differs from classificatory jẹ́. UD's description of kí as redundant is an annotation analysis, not evidence for a general omission rule.

Examples (3)

  1. Jẹ́ kí n ṣàlàyé.

    Let me explain.

    The speaker requests an opportunity to act.

  2. Jẹ́ kí Bísí yan àwọ̀ náà.

    Let Bísí choose the color.

    Bísí is the actor of the allowed event.

  3. Jẹ́ kí àwọn ọmọ wọlé.

    Let the children come inside.

    The children are the embedded actors.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

jẹ́ kíLevel 2Letting Something Happen

Learn This First

Follow jẹ́ kí with the participant and action to be allowed.