Months of the Year in Yoruba

Yoruba has traditional names for the twelve months. The word for month is oṣù.

The months

Month	Yoruba
January	Ṣẹ́ẹ́rẹ́
February	Èrèlé
March	Ẹrẹ̀nà
April	Igbe
May	Èbibi
June	Òkúdù
July	Agẹmọ
August	Ògún
September	Owewe
October	Ọ̀wàrà
November	Bélú
December	Ọ̀pẹ̀

Spelling and tone marks can vary between sources, so check a dictionary.

Using them

• Oṣù Kínní is also used for January in everyday speech, counting months by number.
• Many people use the English month names in daily life.
• The traditional names appear in cultural and literary contexts.

Seasons

Southwest Nigeria has two main seasons:

• Ìgbà òjò, the rainy season
• Ìgbà ẹ̀rùn, the dry season

Useful words

• Oṣù (month)
• Ọdún (year)
• Ọjọ́ (day)
• Ọjọ́ ìbí (birthday)

Dates

To say a date, use Ọjọ́ and the number:

• Ọjọ́ kẹ́wàá (the tenth day)

Festivals and months

Many traditional festivals are tied to the farming year and the seasons. Dates for some events follow local calendars, so check with local sources.

Tips

1. Learn the traditional names for culture.
2. Use the international names for daily life.
3. Use the dictionary to check spellings.

Look up any Yoruba word with English Yoruba Dictionary →