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"Mo fẹ́ lọ sí office lónìí, but mi ò tíì ready." (I want to go to the office today, but I'm not ready yet.)
If that sounds like you, you're in good company. Mixing Yorùbá and English is everywhere: at home, on the radio, in Yorùbá films and all over Lagos. But if you're trying to speak Yorùbá with confidence, you've probably wondered whether the mixing is a problem. Here's the honest answer.
What is code-switching?
Code-switching is moving between two languages, or two varieties of a language, in the same conversation, sometimes in the same sentence. You'll also hear it called code-mixing. Some linguists use the two terms for slightly different things, but in everyday use they mean the same: speaking a blend of two languages.
In Yorùbá-English speech, it usually looks like one of these:
- An English word dropped into a Yorùbá sentence: Ṣé o ti send message náà? (Have you sent the message?)
- Switching language mid-sentence: Mo fẹ́ rí i, but I don't have time.
- Yorùbá for warmth, English for detail: greeting and joking in Yorùbá, then switching to English for anything about work, money or technology.
Is mixing Yorùbá and English bad?
No. Since the 1980s, most linguists have treated code-switching as a normal, natural part of speaking two languages, not a sign that someone speaks either one badly. Many people who are completely fluent in Yorùbá mix in English all the time, especially in cities.
Yorùbá itself has also absorbed English words that are now simply Yorùbá: fóònù (phone), mọ́tò (car) and búrẹ́dì (bread) are everyday examples. Languages borrow; that's how they stay alive.
So if you mix, you're not "failing" at Yorùbá. You're speaking the way many real Yorùbá speakers speak.
When mixing does hold you back
The question isn't whether you mix, but why. There are two very different kinds of mixing:
| Detail | Mixing by choice | Mixing to fill a gap |
|---|---|---|
| What's happening | You know the Yorùbá word but the English one fits the moment | You don't know the Yorùbá word, so English rescues you |
| Example | Saying "office" when you know ọ́fíisì or ibi iṣẹ́ | Switching to English every time you need "because", "actually" or a number |
| Does it hold you back? | No | Yes, if it happens all the time |
Gap-filling becomes a problem when:
- you can't finish a Yorùbá sentence without English;
- the same everyday words (like "but", "because" and "maybe") always come out in English;
- you're speaking to an elder or at a formal event, where heavy mixing can come across as careless;
- you're trying to help a child learn Yorùbá, and they're mostly hearing English from you.
The good news: the gaps are usually the same few dozen words. Fill those and your Yorùbá sentences start running much further before English steps in.
Yorùbá words for the English you reach for most
These are the small words that most often slip out in English. Learn them and you'll be surprised how much longer your Yorùbá sentences get.
| English | Yorùbá | Example |
|---|---|---|
| but | ṣùgbọ́n | Mo fẹ́ lọ, ṣùgbọ́n ó ti pẹ́ (I want to go, but it's late) |
| because | nítorí pé | Mi ò wá, nítorí pé mo ṣàìsàn (I didn't come because I was ill) |
| so, therefore | nítorí náà | Nítorí náà, ẹ jẹ́ ká lọ (So, let's go) |
| maybe | bóyá | Bóyá ó máa wá lọ́la (Maybe he'll come tomorrow) |
| really, truly | ní tòótọ́ | Ní tòótọ́, ó dáa (Really, it's good) |
| now | nísinsìnyí | Ẹ jẹ́ ká lọ nísinsìnyí (Let's go now) |
| today | òní / lónìí | Mo ń ṣiṣẹ́ lónìí (I'm working today) |
| tomorrow | ọ̀la / lọ́la | A ó rí ara wa lọ́la (We'll see each other tomorrow) |
| yesterday | àná / lánàá | Mo rí i lánàá (I saw it yesterday) |
| always | nígbà gbogbo | Ó máa ń wá nígbà gbogbo (She always comes) |
| sometimes | nígbà mìíràn | Nígbà mìíràn, mo máa ń gbàgbé (Sometimes I forget) |
| again | lẹ́ẹ̀kan sí i | Ẹ sọ ọ́ lẹ́ẹ̀kan sí i (Say it again) |
| please | ẹ jọ̀ọ́ / jọ̀ọ́ | Respectful / casual |
| sorry | ẹ má bínú / má bínú | Respectful / casual |
| OK, fine | ó dáa | Ó dáa, màá wá (OK, I'll come) |
Days of the week are another common gap:
| English | Yorùbá |
|---|---|
| Monday | Ọjọ́ Ajé |
| Tuesday | Ọjọ́ Ìṣẹ́gun |
| Wednesday | Ọjọ́rú |
| Thursday | Ọjọ́bọ̀ |
| Friday | Ọjọ́ Ẹtì |
| Saturday | Ọjọ́ Àbámẹ́ta |
| Sunday | Ọjọ́ Àìkú |
A simple swap plan: three words a week
You don't need to stop mixing overnight. Shrink the gaps a few words at a time.
- Notice. For one week, after each Yorùbá conversation, write down the English words you used.
- Pick three. Choose the three that came up most often.
- Learn them in a sentence, not on their own. Use the examples above, or ask someone: Báwo ni a ṣe ń sọ "…" ní Yorùbá?
- Use them on purpose in your next few conversations, even if it slows you down.
- Repeat next week with three more.
After a couple of months, you'll have replaced the words that cause most of your switches, without ever stopping a conversation to study.
When to aim for Yorùbá only
Mixing is fine in everyday chat. Aim for Yorùbá-only stretches when:
- you're greeting or speaking with elders;
- you're at a formal or traditional event;
- you're practising, because every English word is a missed chance to train a Yorùbá one;
- you're speaking to a child you want to grow up speaking Yorùbá.
Where Soro fits
At Soro, mixing is expected, especially at the start. Your Atọ́nísọ̀nà (guide) helps you swap English words for Yorùbá ones as you go, without stopping the conversation. You practise for one hour a week in a live group of three people at your level, so your Yorùbá sentences get longer, week by week.
Questions people ask
Is code-switching bad?
No. Linguists see code-switching as a normal part of bilingual speech. It only becomes a problem if English is filling gaps because you don't know the Yorùbá words.
What's the difference between code-switching and code-mixing?
In everyday use they mean the same thing: blending two languages in one conversation. Some linguists use "code-mixing" for switching inside a single sentence.
Will mixing English stop me from becoming fluent in Yorùbá?
Not if you keep shrinking the gaps. Use mixing as a bridge that keeps you talking, then swap in a few Yorùbá words each week.
Do fluent Yorùbá speakers mix in English?
Many do, especially in cities and when talking about work, money or technology. The difference is that they can switch back to full Yorùbá when the situation calls for it.
How do I stop mixing English when I speak Yorùbá?
Notice which English words you use most, learn their Yorùbá versions in example sentences, and use them on purpose. Three words a week adds up quickly.
Can I join a Yorùbá class if I mix a lot of English?
Yes. At Soro, most people mix when they start, and your guide helps you replace English words as you go.
Ready to start speaking?
One live class with two others at your level, led by an Atọ́nísọ̀nà.