Airport & Customs

1. Ẹ jọ̀ọ́, ẹ fi pásìpọ̀ọ̀tù yín hàn

   Ẹ jọ̀-ọ́, ẹ fi pá-sì-pọ̀-ọ̀-tù yín hàn

   Please show your passport

   Usage

   Standard phrase used by immigration officers

   Grammar Note

   "Ẹ jọ̀ọ́" = please. ẹ is the polite/plural you, so the possessive is yín, not the familiar rẹ; fi … hàn = to show something

2. Kí ni ìdí ìbẹ̀wò yín?

   Kí ni ì-dí ì-bẹ̀-wò yín?

   What is the purpose of your visit?

   Usage

   Standard immigration question

   Grammar Note

   "Kí ni" = what is. ìbẹ̀wò (visit) is the same form used in the Visa & Immigration category

3. Òru mélòó ni ẹ gbèrò láti dúró?

   Ò-ru mé-lòó ni ẹ gbè-rò lá-ti dú-ró?

   How many nights are you planning to stay?

   Usage

   Commonly asked at immigration

   Grammar Note

   mélòó asks "how many" and follows the noun (òru mélòó). ẹlòó asks a price, so it is not used for a number of nights

4. Ṣé ẹ ní ohunkóhun láti kéde?

   Ṣé ẹ ní o-hun-kó-hun lá-ti ké-de?

   Do you have anything to declare?

   Usage

   Asked at customs

   Grammar Note

   "Ṣé" introduces a yes/no question; it is written with the subdotted ṣ, not plain s

5. Ẹrù mi kò tíì dé

   Ẹ-rù mi kò tíì dé

   My luggage hasn't arrived

   Usage

   Tell baggage claim staff

   Grammar Note

   "kò tíì" = has not yet. Luggage is ẹrù; aṣọ means cloth or clothing and cannot mean baggage

6. Èyí ni ẹrù ọwọ́

   È-yí ni ẹ-rù ọ-wọ́

   This is carry-on luggage

   Usage

   Tell airline staff at check-in or boarding gate

   Grammar Note

   "ọwọ́" = hand, so "ẹrù ọwọ́" = hand luggage. Without the subdots owo is a different word (owó = money), so the subdots are required

7. Mo kàn ń kọjá lọ ni

   Mo kàn ń kọ-já lọ ni

   I'm in transit

   Usage

   Used at transit counters or immigration

   Grammar Note

   "kàn ń … ni" = to be merely doing something. Yoruba has no settled word for "transit", so this is phrased with kọjá lọ (to pass through)

8. Níbo ni ẹnu-bodè wà?

   Ní-bo ni ẹ-nu-bo-dè wà?

   Where is the gate?

   Usage

   Ask when looking for your boarding gate

   Grammar Note

   "Níbo … wà?" = where is …? bodè is the word for a town or border gate and is used for a boarding gate too, though the signage itself is in English

9. Ìgbà wo ni wíwọlé bẹ̀rẹ̀?

   Ì-gbà wo ni wí-wọ-lé bẹ̀-rẹ̀?

   When does boarding begin?

   Usage

   Ask while waiting at the boarding gate

   Grammar Note

   "Ìgbà wo" = when. wíwọlé is the reduplicated gerund of the verb wọlé (to go in)

10. Níbo ni ilé ìtajà tí kò ní owó-orí wà?

    Ní-bo ni i-lé ì-ta-jà tí kò ní o-wó-o-rí wà?

    Where is the duty-free shop?

    Usage

    Ask after clearing security

    Grammar Note

    "owó-orí" = tax (owó "money" + orí "head", from the old poll tax). ilé ìtajà is the same form used in the Shopping category

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