Language and culture notes – greetings

Greetings are a mayor aspect of Yoruba culture. It is extremely important that you know how to greet people in order to fit in with Yoruba society. People who do not know how to greet in  Yorubaland are regarded as rude, lacking proper manners. Young men prostrate themselves (i.e. lie flat on the floor with face down) to greet older people, while young women usually kneel down to greet older people.

It is also very important to use the honorific pronoun E while greeting older people. The honorific pronoun is not usually used among peers or when older people greet younger people.

When greeting older people or people in authority, use the following greetings:

E káàárò Good morning                   (5:00 am to 11:59 am)

E káàsán Good afternoon              (noon to 4:00 pm)

E kúùròlé Good evening               (4:00 pm to 7:00 pm)

E káalé Good (late) evening      (7:00 pm to 11:00 pm)

When greeting your peer or someone younger than yourself, use the following:

Káàárò Good morning

Káàsán Good afternoon

Kúùròlé Good evening

Káalé Good (late) evening