gbe

See also: Gbe, GBE, gbe-, gbẹ, and gbɛ

Gun

Etymology

Compare Saxwe Gbe ogbè, Fon gbè, Aja egbe, Ewe gbe

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡ͡bè/

Noun

gbè

1. language

Derived terms

• Ayɔ̀gbè (“Yoruba language”)
• Ayọ̀gbè (“Yoruba language”)
• Flanségbè (“French language”)
• Fɔ̀ngbè (“Fon language”)
• Fọ̀ngbè (“Fon language”)
• Glɛnsígbè (“English language”)
• Glẹnsígbè (“English language”)
• Gungbè (“Gun language”)

 

Mwan

Noun

gbe

1. son

Yoruba

Alternative forms

• ڠعِ

Etymology 1

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡ͡bé/

Verb

gbé

1. (transitive) to carry; to lift

   Gbígbé ni mo gbé e. ― The fact is that I carried it.

   Ràkúnmí ò lè gbé ẹrù yín, ẹ̀ ìbá fi í sílẹ̀. ― A camel cannot carry your luggage, you should've left it.

   1. (transitive) to exalt

      Ẹ bá mi gbé Jésù ga. ― Exalt Jesus with me.

   2. to take; to transport

      Ẹ jẹ́ a gbé e yẹ̀ wò. ― Let's take it into consideration.

      Wá gbé àpò yìí sí yàrá ìyá ẹ. ― Come and take this bag to your mum's room.

      Dáńfó yẹn ń gbé èèyàn lọ sí Muṣin ― That Danfo is transporting people to Mushin

   3. to put

      Gbé fóònù sórí tébù. ― Put the phone on the table.

      Gbé dígí ẹ sójú, kí o lè kà á dáadáa. ― Put on your glasses so you can read it well

   4. (transitive) to overcome; to overpower

      Wárápá gbé Ṣadé. ― Ṣadé had epilepsy. (literally, “Epilepsy overcame Ṣadé”)

      Oorun ti gbé e lọ. ― She's fast asleep. (literally, “Sleep has overcome her.”)

   5. to marry

      Àpọ́n ṣì ni o, kò ì tíì gbé ìyàwó. ― He's still single o, he hasn't yet married a bride.

      Synonym: fẹ́

Usage notes

• (5): used exclusively with ìyàwó.

Derived terms

• gbẹ́sẹ̀ (“to perform the gbese dance move”)
• gbẹ́sẹ̀ lé (“to ban; to confiscate”)
• gbọ́mọ (“to kidnap”)
• gbé bọ́dì
• gbé fìlà (“to gossip”)
• gbé ga (“to exalt”)
• gbé lé (“to lift on”)
• gbé níyàwó (“to marry”)
• gbé ró (“to sustain”)
• gbéborùn (“to gossip”)
• gbéegun (“to be unlucky”)
• gbéjà kò (“to contest”)
• gbéra (“to take off”)
• gbéra (“to depart; to lift off”)
• gbéra ga (“to be haughty”)
• gbéyàwó (“to get married”)
• gbéégún (“to cheat in an exam”)

 

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡ͡bé/

Verb

gbé

1. (intransitive) to live; to inhabit

   Bàbá mi gbé ní Amẹ́ríkà fúngbà díẹ̀. ― My dad lived in the US for a short while.

   Ilé tí Bọ́lá ń gbé ò tóbi tó. ― The house Bọ́lá lives in isn't big enough.

   Abíọ́dún ò gbé nílùú Ìbàdàn mọ́, Èkó ló ń gbé. ― Abiodun doesn't live in Ibadan anymore, she lives in Lagos.

   Àìná gbélé pẹ̀tẹ́ẹ̀sì. ― Aina lives in a high-rise.

Usage notes

• used with or without the preposition ní.

Etymology 3

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡ͡bè/

Verb

gbè

1. (transitive) to favor, to support

   Òrìṣà, bí o ò bá lè gbè mí, ṣe mí bí o ti bá mi ― Orisha, if you cannot support me, leave me as you met me.

   Òwò kan ò lè gbe gbogbo èèyàn. ― A single business cannot support everyone.

   Ìṣẹ̀ṣe á gbè wá o! ― Isese will favor us!

   Iṣẹ́ olùkọ́ ò lè gbè mí. ― Teaching cannot support me financially.

2. (intransitive) to be favorable, to be profitable

   Iṣẹ́ náà gbè mí ― This job was profitable for me

Etymology 4

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡ͡bè/

Verb

gbè

1. to sing a refrain or chorus

   orin tí kò ṣòroó dá kò níí ṣòroó gbè ― A song that is not difficult to sing will not be difficult to sing a refrain for (proverb on easy handling or response)

2. to echo a song

Usage notes

• gbe when followed by a direct object.

Derived terms

• ègbè (“chorus”)
• elégbè (“chorus”)

Etymology 5

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡ͡bè/

Verb

gbè

1. to be spoiled, to be in an unsatisfactory condition or state

   Synonym: bà jẹ́

   ẹja yìí gbè ― This fish has spoiled

Usage notes

• gbe when followed by a direct object.

Etymology 6

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡ͡bè/

Verb

gbè

1. to be next or adjacent to something, to be a successor to something (literally next in line)

   ọmọ yìí jókòó gbè mí ― The child sat next to me

Usage notes

• gbe when followed by a direct object.

Etymology 7

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡ͡bé/

Particle

gbé

1. (syntatic marker)

   Ibẹ̀ la gbé ń ṣeré wa. ― There is where we play our games.

   Ṣáínà ni wọ́n gbé ṣe é. ― China is where it's made.

   Níbo lo gbé rà á? ― Where did you buy it?