Yoruba interpreters and translators for maternity services, GP practices, solicitors, tribunals and local authorities anywhere in the UK. Choose face-to-face, telephone or video interpreting, or certified translation between Yoruba and English, with bookings taken 24 hours a day and help with clients from Benin and Togo as well as Nigeria.
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Yoruba interpreting services
In Nigeria Yoruba is the everyday language of Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ondo and Ekiti states and of parts of Kwara and Kogi. Standard Yoruba grew mainly out of the Oyo dialect, and a speaker from Ijebu, Egba, Ijesa or Ondo may use words and sounds an Oyo listener has to think about. Itsekiri and Igala are relatives rather than dialects, and a Yoruba interpreter will not cover them.
Respect runs through the grammar. Elders are addressed with a plural form, never by first name, and an interpreter who gets that wrong with an older client starts badly. Consecutive interpreting suits clinics, statements and hearings, and a telephone interpreter is enough for a quick question about a prescription.
Face-to-face interpreting
The interpreter comes to you: a hospital ward, a courtroom, a council office, a home visit or a business meeting. It is the best choice when people need to read expressions as well as words, or when the conversation is long or sensitive.
Telephone interpreting
The quickest option to set up. It works well for short calls, triage, appointment reminders and quick checks with a client.
Video interpreting
A Yoruba interpreter joins by video for remote hearings, consultations and meetings, which helps when there is no interpreter near you.
We also provide medical interpreting and conference interpreting.
Certified Yoruba translation
Nigerian certificates are nearly always issued in English, while those from Benin and Togo are in French, which we can translate too. What people bring us in Yoruba is usually personal: letters, family agreements, voice notes and message threads a solicitor wants in evidence. Each of our translators works into their native language, so Yoruba going into English is translated by a native English speaker.
Names take thought. A Yoruba child often receives several names, some chosen by parents and grandparents and some tied to the circumstances of birth, and different documents may use different ones. Passports and bank cards drop the tone marks and underdots, so Ọlájùmọ̀kẹ́ becomes Olajumoke. We follow the passport and list any other names that appear, so a certified translation lines up with the rest of the file.
- Certified translation of birth, marriage and death certificates, passports, driving licences, degree certificates and bank statements, for the Home Office, courts, universities and employers.
- Legal translation: witness statements, court bundles, contracts and immigration papers.
- Document translation of medical reports, letters, leaflets and patient information.
- Urgent translation when a deadline is close.
- Transcription of Yoruba audio and video recordings, with an English translation if you need one.
English to Yoruba translation
For printed material we write standard Yoruba with every tone mark and underdot in place, since that is what a careful reader expects and it removes guesswork. Check first whether the reader is more at home reading Yoruba or English: many Nigerians in Britain were schooled in English. Clients from Benin may read French more easily than either, and a French version can sit alongside the Yoruba.
Yoruba court and police interpreters
Yoruba interpreting in UK legal work ranges from police interviews and criminal trials to family hearings and immigration appeals. We look for Yoruba interpreters who have worked in legal settings and, where interpreters holding them exist for Yoruba, the Diploma in Public Service Interpreting (Law) or registration with the National Register of Public Service Interpreters (NRPSI). A client from Benin may prefer to hear legal terms in French, the language of the courts there, so ask them before the hearing.
How to book a Yoruba interpreter
- Tell us about the assignment: the date, time and address, or that you need telephone or video; how long it should last; and what it is for, such as a hospital appointment, a hearing or a business meeting.
- Tell us about the speaker: their country or region and, if you know it, their dialect. Mention any preference for a male or female interpreter.
- Get your quote. We email you a quote, with no obligation to book.
Call 0800 2425 125, email info@uklinguisticservices.co.uk or request a quote online.
About the Yoruba language
Yoruba is a Volta-Niger language of the Niger-Congo family, spoken mainly in south-western Nigeria, and Benin and Togo.
Yoruba is written in the Latin alphabet, with tone marks and dots under some letters.
At the 2021 Census, 9,942 usual residents of England and Wales aged three or over gave Yoruba as their main language. The local authorities with the most were the London borough of Southwark (725 people), the Royal Borough of Greenwich (703) and Manchester (457). Source: Office for National Statistics.
Before you book: Yoruba is tonal, so written Yoruba relies on accents and underdots that are often dropped in informal typing. Tell us if a document must keep the full marks.
| Name in Yoruba | Èdè Yorùbá |
|---|---|
| Language family | Volta-Niger language of the Niger-Congo family |
| Where it is spoken | South-western Nigeria, and Benin and Togo |
| Writing system | Latin alphabet, with tone marks and dots under some letters |
| Language code | yo |
| Main language in England and Wales (Census 2021) | 9,942 people |
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Yoruba interpreters near you
We send Yoruba interpreters to appointments across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and telephone and video interpreting work wherever you are. Choose a town for its local page.
Yoruba interpreter and translator FAQs
How quickly can I book a Yoruba interpreter?
We take bookings 24 hours a day, every day of the year. Telephone and video interpreting are usually the quickest to arrange. For a face-to-face appointment, give us as much notice as you can: same-day cover is often possible, but it depends on where you are and how many Yoruba interpreters work nearby.
How much does a Yoruba interpreter cost?
The price depends on the type of interpreting (face-to-face, telephone or video), how long the appointment lasts, where it is and how much notice you give. We quote before anything is booked, and quotes are free: call 0800 2425 125 or use our online quote form.
Can you certify Yoruba translations for a UK visa or immigration application?
Yes. We translate and certify documents such as birth and marriage certificates, passports and police certificates for visa, settlement and citizenship applications. UK Visas and Immigration asks for each translation to confirm that it is accurate and to show the date and the translator's full name, signature and contact details, so tell us when you order that the document is for an immigration application.
Do you provide Yoruba interpreters for courts, tribunals and police interviews?
Yes. Tell us the setting when you book, for example a Crown Court trial, an immigration tribunal hearing or a police interview under caution, so we can match a Yoruba interpreter with the right legal experience and qualifications.
How many people speak Yoruba in the UK?
At the 2021 Census, 9,942 usual residents of England and Wales aged three or over gave Yoruba as their main language. The local authorities with the most were the London borough of Southwark (725 people), the Royal Borough of Greenwich (703) and Manchester (457). The census asked for each person's main language, so people who speak Yoruba at home but gave English as their main language are not in that figure. Scotland and Northern Ireland count languages in their own censuses.
